Hotel Jolly Swagman Backpackers Hostel Sydney (Sydney, Australia)

Some rooms have a small balcony. This gives additional space and a breath of air with the doors open. There's no air conditioning here. Beds are reasonably comfy.

They organise some form of entertainment every night. This is a great, cheap way to have fun and get to know fellow guests.

Sydney's iconic sites such as the Opera House (famously described by late UK actor, Robert Morley, when it first opened, as ... looking like nuns bending over!) and the Harbour Bridge - can be viewed from the hostel and are a few minutes' walk away. The short walk to the railway station means that you can easily explore much further afield.

Rooms and dorms aren't always kept as clean as they should be. Free parking is a myth; so is free breakfast … you're ‘free' to go and prepare it yourself.

OK, it's not run by the hostel, but they have an interest in it … the shuttle service can be unreliable, resulting in you having to shell out for a very expensive taxi.

Equipment, such as the washing machine, is 'out of order' + stays that way. With only a small fan, you really notice the lack of air con - particularly with the old fridge belting out even more heat. There's an ‘attitude' problem on the part of members of staff who seem to view traveller guests as an inconvenience in their cliquish lifestyle. The overall atmosphere is unfriendly and you feel a cloud lifting as you leave the hostel for a day's sightseeing. *Mardi Gras, it ain't!