Aquarius Backpackers Motel
16 Lawson St, Byron Bay, New South Wales 2481 Australia
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About
#24 of 105 Specialty lodging in Byron Bay
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
At Aquarius Backpackers Byron Bay we have a range of accommodation options to suit all budgets. From self-contained apartments, budget private rooms and spacious dorm rooms. You should be able to find a room to put your head down and get some rest after a busy day of shopping, surfing and soaking up the unique Byron Bay atmosphere. Free overnight off street parking* and free baggage storage (max 12hrs) is available to Aquarius guests. We also have an onsite night person after hours to help you if any issues should arise or for late check in's. *Subject to availability
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Property amenities
Free parking
Internet
Pool
Bar / lounge
Bicycle rental
Diving
Adults only
Baggage storage
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Fence around pool
Restaurant
Happy hour
Outdoor dining area
Vending machine
Poolside bar
Snorkelling
Billiards
Evening entertainment
Karaoke
Table tennis
Video game console
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun loungers / beach chairs
ATM on site
First aid kit
Clothes dryer
Self-serve laundry
Washing machine
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Room features
Private balcony
Microwave
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Electric kettle
Kitchenware
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Location
100Great for walkers
Grade: 100 out of 100
126Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
31Attractionswithin 0.5 km
Contact
16 Lawson St, Byron Bay, New South Wales 2481 Australia
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Byron Bay car hire
444Reviews0Q+A50Room tips
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Lovely hostel great location, offered a free dinner most nights also a free welcome drink. Kitchen was good plenty of room. I loved Byron Bay just wish I could have stayed longer. Maybe a washing line to dry laundry would be useful? Highly recommend this hostel.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Chris Schneider, General Manager at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hey there, thank you so much for taking the time to rate us! We are delighted you enjoyed your stay. Indeed, we are offering every day a free meal for our guests as well as a free drink for the arrival! The kitchen has a lot of space to offer and we are proud of that! Actually yes, a washing line would be a good idea, thank you very much! I will pass it on our managers. Thank you, come back whenever you want Aquarius team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Good hostel, helpful team on reception, friendly bar staff and food servers, on site travel agent. Clean common area. Kitchen gets messed up quickly like all hostel kitchens but I didn’t see any roaches or anything so it’s obviously not awful, it gets cleaned really regularly. Clean beds, change of linen if you ask for it.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Chris Schneider, General Manager at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hey there, Thank you for your feedback, it means a lot to us! Indeed, we are extremely careful for our common areas. Of course it can be messy sometimes as we receive a lot of guests. Don't hesitate to let us know when it gets messy and we will send someone to clean it. Cheers, Aquarius Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The location of this hostel is perfect you are minutes from the beach and smack bang in the centre of town. I stayed in a single room which was very clean, comfortable beds with proper duvets, not just sheets and blankets, which I prefer. The staff were friendly and you could sign up and organise trips from reception. The thing I found was that for a hostel the social areas weren't very social. The lounge area was quiet a dark place with a few sofas and tables but not very conducive as a great socialising area. Its like they are trying to extend the bar into a nightclub which doesnt work during the day. I can't explain it but it just didn't feel very welcoming to me to go and sit in there and try and talk to people. The kitchen as well needs updating. It's very cramped and dingy for such a big hostel hosting so many people, again not an area I wanted to spend to much time. The fridge is overloaded with stuff and it says it gets a deep clean every week but I don't know how with the amount of stuff in there. For how bright and airy the rooms are and the pictures advertise it the kitchen and lounge are very dark and drab. Lastly the bathroom facilities I had access to, the single toilet cubicle constantly ran out of toilet roll, they need to leave extras somewhere around because you had to go down to reception to ask for me, so check before you start your business and secondly the shower room was constantly littered with people's wet towels and shower mats as there was no laundry basket to put them in once finished with. It wasn't very nice to walk in and play dodge the soggy towel. On the back of the doors it has a sign that should be updated as to when the rooms have been cleaned. I checked in on the 1st november and out on the 3rd and the whole time I was there these signs never changed from the 31st October.…
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Chris Schneider, General Manager at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hey Rebecca, thank you for giving us your feedback! That's how we can improve. First we are glad you enjoyed your room, having real beddings gives another dimension to the room! I understand your point of view, we are trying to improve our common areas to provide the best experience to our guest. However, because we have a bar in the hostel, most of the common areas are directly linked to the bar. We are trying to stay up to date with our signs and posters all around the hostel but sometimes we can forget to change them, we are apologising and I understand it can be confusing for the guests. For the bathrooms, we are sorry that the floor and mats were soggy, it can be tricky sometimes to share bathroom with strangers. But you are right we should install baskets for the towels and mats in each room. I will pass it on my managers. We hope you still enjoyed your stay. Thank you, Aquarius Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I was there for two months and never did they make it feel homely. Always aggressive towards the people staying there. Such a shame because I met lovely people there but the staff were horrid. They would shout and chase us up for the smallest misdemeanour. Wouldn’t recommend. Horrible managers and staff
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Teneil Dean, Guest Services / Front Office at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded Jul. 29, 2021
Thank you for your review. I am very saddened to hear that you viewed your experience with us this way, especially when I personally displayed only kindness, empathy and understanding towards you when you first arrived by giving you a job, then moving you to a different department that you requested followed by giving you time off as you were feeling overwhelmed. Therefore, the comment that you think I am horrible is quite upsetting and confusing. In response to your claims, we would like to take this opportunity to address a number of issues that we encountered during your stay with us – After offering you employment at the resort, you were not only late on numerous occasions, but chose simply not to turn up for shifts as well. We were happy for you to stay with us as a guest after your employment ended, but could not permit you to extend your stay after a multitude of “misdemeanours”, namely: continuous late payments (every single time you were due to extend), hiding belongings within dorms that you weren’t paying for, breaking covid-19 protocol, and verbally abusing staff members. By not paying for your room, you are stealing - we hope that you understand, and learn from the severity of your actions. We have remained open during the entirety of the pandemic, to ensure we can provide a safe haven for those willing to abide by our house rules, in addition to government imposed legislation. We cannot accept the misconduct demonstrated during your stay with us, as it negatively affects the rest of our guests and team members. We hope that you take this opportunity to self-reflect and hopefully show a greater degree of respect toward other accommodation and hospitality providers as you continue your travels within Australia. Aquarius Management
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I was so happy with my recent stay at Aquarius Backpackers Byron Bay, Firstly the location is awesome! so close to everything in the centre of Byron Bay, walking distance to all shops, bars, restaurants and main beach literally across the road. Secondly it has so much room to accomodate everyone, a great pool and outdoor area (Beer garden), great bar with cheap drinks and good / well priced food, music and fun nights such as trivia and kareoke, large Kitchen and eating area, Super convenient cafe (The Rocks cafe) connected to it and allocated smoking areas! plus overnight security is provided for security safety and noise control. The Dorms are nice and large and spacious with their own yards or balcony and heaps of power points and USB sockets and the staff were always cleaning everyday everywhere and super friendly and nice! I wish i had stayed here before, but will be my go to when visiting Byron again, I highly recommend booking your stay here too! The rates are great too and include FREE WIFI and FREE ONSITE parking! and 10% off food and drinks at the bar and cafe. Look no further than booking at Aquarius!…
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Date of stay: April 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: The low rooms are great as they have yards and no stairs
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Teneil Dean, Guest Services / Front Office at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded May 3, 2021
Thanks so much for your fantastic review! We are stoked that you enjoyed your stay with us and took advantage of all of our great amenities and location. Hope to see you again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Best hostel in Byron Bay for sure. Best location and staff. A/c dorms are really cold and confy and as they have two levels it gives you a little more privacy than most hostels. On the other hand non- ac rooms have a nice courtyard
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Teneil Dean, Guest Services / Front Office at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded Mar. 29, 2021
Thanks so much for your great review and we are stoked that you enjoyed your stay with us.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hostel is in a great location, right In the middle of Byron and walking distance to everything you need. Staff are friendly and nice. Hostel has a good vibe and is great value for money, with lots of decent inclusions (i.e. free parking and welcome drink). Dorm rooms were spacious, beds comfortable, ceiling fan in room and power points near all beds. Only minor flaw is bathrooms and rooms could have been a bit cleaner. Overall given the great price and location, I'll be back here again, whenever I need to stay in Byron.
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Date of stay: March 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Teneil Dean, Guest Services / Front Office at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded Mar. 15, 2021
Hi thanks so much for your review, I will speak with our housekeeping team to ensure the correct procedures are in place to achieve the highest possible standard. We are glad that you our very spacious rooms and amenities and look forward to seeing you again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The staff here are amazing, very welcoming place to stay. They have all the facilities you need, chilled atmosphere - Trivia, live music, pool and cocktails - what else can I say, we had a great time 🤙
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Teneil Dean, Guest Services / Front Office at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded Mar. 15, 2021
Thanks so much for the great review! we are stoked that you enjoyed your stay with us and were able to have a few lazy cocktails by the pool. Hope to see you again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pros : Good location close to city centre and main beach Helpful reception staff. Facilities good, nice pool , kitchen clean with cutlery. Private room was good. Close to supermarket like Aldi , subway and bike hire as well. Had some activities in week , but less than normal as per covid restrictions. Parking onsite for a car. Also bike stand for overnight keeping available at the back. People like other travellers easy going, so decent atmosphere. Most people down to earth, both young and few older ones. Plenty of space including games area with tv, bar space and reception lobby. Cons: No lockers for private room, not sure if available in shared rooms. Mug need to deposit $2 to borrow , minor inconvenience. Less activities and atmosphere than normal , but that is due to covid currently. Sometimes plates cutlery etc. left in kitchen sink , not everyone cleans up after usage. Wifi inconvenient as as weak sometimes in some areas and you need password at reception for that day. Sometimes noisy on room levels so hard to get sleep. Bring earplugs to help. Overall I enjoyed my stay here. Its relaxed and everything went smoothly. The negative reviews might be for certain shared rooms which might not be clean enough, but i cannot be certain. Currently with covid all accommodation in Byron is very strict, less freedom than normal. When covid is finished things will get better in terms of activities at the hostel etc. Look I am an older dude in my 40's so it was fine for me, i spoke to an older guy who said older people have been here before. So age should be no issue. If you want privacy and peace to do your own thing and not socialise, then head to one of the YHA hostels in the area instead. Final tip : If unsure stay for 1 to 2 days, if you like it then extend your stay. Talk to reception about it. I hope this review helps with your decision to try this place or not. …
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Review collected with Tripadvisor’s Reputation Pro
Date of stay: February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Its negative.! Not 1. The Aussie manager is super racist to asian. If you are asian and planing to stay in this property please consider looking for other option. please consider reading this review. For your safe and smooth and enjoyable Byron experience. We booked the room for 10 person and specified on the email that we need an air condition room. When we checked in, they gave us the room without AC. However one of the friendly receptionist manage to change the room with AC. 2nd day of our stay, we asked a parking permit (Form) so that our rented car can be parked inside the property and they gave us and they said "Yes you can park" We arrived afternoon from our swimming and we parked the car in the side of the parking area, there is still space for cars to enter. My other friends went out for dinner and im the only one left in the room because i just finished taking a shower. While changing clothes, i heard an announcement that there are cars blocking the parking and they threaten to tow it. so i immediately called my friends to get the keys so that they can move the car. Less than a minute after the MANAGER OPEN THE ROOM AND LOOK FOR SOMEONE INSIDE WITHOUT KNOCKING AND ASKING IF SOMEONE IS INSIDE. He saw me changing clothes and sarcastically told me that i need to remove the car. We manage to remove the car within 5 minutes. I ask the manager "Why you entered the room immediately without knocking the door? He replied and i quote " i am the manager and i have the right" to open the door. ( for me its a trespassing) I feel humiliated and violated with the attitude of the manager. How about im a girl changing clothes and he entered and i'm naked? Its a serious problem! Also staffs are not wearing masks. Covidsafe is not properly implemented and RACISM! Is still in this property! Overall, our stay in the Aquarius backpacker hotel in horrible! Worse customer service!…
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Date of stay: January 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Teneil Dean, Guest Services / Front Office at Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Responded Jan. 24, 2021
We are absolutely shocked and deeply upset by this review, as it is absolutely untrue. As a witness to these events in addition to a number of customers being in attendance, I can honestly say that at no point were ANY of the staff - including the General Manager - displaying any type of racism in any way, shape or form. We are profoundly concerned by these false, abhorrent accusations, and deem them to be inflammatory remarks serving as a defamation of character. We have a long and proud history of welcoming guests from a number of different religious, social and racial backgrounds, and pride ourselves on treating every single guest with the respect, honesty and integrity to which they deserve. In response to the complaint: two of your vehicles were parked in a “no parking zone”, and were blocking guests entering the premise - and more importantly - preventing a guest from removing their vehicle in an emergency. After making two announcements through our guest intercom – and to no avail – the manager had to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. During the removal of your vehicles, you stated that the manager’s behaviour was unacceptable, and he could not enter your dormitory accommodation. However, given the circumstances, a member of staff has the legal jurisdiction to do so; again, at no point was there any verbal or otherwise, remarks of a racial nature made at any time during the incident. Your comments were hurtful, derogatory and without foundation. In response to Aquarius not being Covid-safe, these allegations are also baseless. We are adhering to all government imposed legislation, and have gone above and beyond in a number of ways to ensure the safety and security of our guests during this incredibly difficult time. Advice to wear masks is not mandatory, and we must state that none of your group had chosen to wear masks throughout the duration of your stay. We are sorry that you have felt the need to post these remarks, and we hope that you make fairer, honest and more reliable judgements moving forward. Aquarius Resort
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$65 - US$101 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
aquarius backpackers hotel byron bay
LOCATION
AustraliaNew South WalesByron ShireByron Bay
NUMBER OF ROOMS
77
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Claim Your ListingAquarius Backpackers Motel - UPDATED 2023 Prices, Reviews & Photos (Byron Bay, Australia) - Hostel - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Aquarius Backpackers Motel
Which popular attractions are close to Aquarius Backpackers Motel?
Nearby attractions include Byron Bay (0.3 km), Byron Bay Farmers Market (0.4 km), and Craig Parry Photography (0.1 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Aquarius Backpackers Motel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Aquarius Backpackers Motel?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
Is parking available at Aquarius Backpackers Motel?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Aquarius Backpackers Motel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Manna Haven, Love Byron Bay Creperie & Chocolate Boutique, and Chihuahua.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Aquarius Backpackers Motel?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Are any cleaning services offered at Aquarius Backpackers Motel?
Yes, self serve laundry and a clothes dryer are offered to guests.