Description: Since my mother was convinced that the minute I got to Australia, I was going to be thrown off the Harbour Bridge by a mysterious backpacker killer (and my mom normally is a reasonable person), I had to find a place close to the orientation I was to attend in Bondi that had single bedrooms. Any accommodation that had the name "Bondi Beach" attached to it had sky-high prices for anything other than dorm rooms, but I finally found a reasonably priced place within walking distance of Bondi Beach in Sinclair's Bondi.
The building itself left me feeling more safe than in most hostels; there was actually a locked gate outside that was either opened with a key or by buzzing the owners of the place, so it was pretty difficult to get in if you didn't have a key yourself. The owner was pretty nice, and let me pay after checking in since I didn't have enough cash on me. She also helped me take my massive 25kg suitcase upstairs, albeit, while laughing at me for having so much luggage (I was going to be in the country for 5 months!).
I stayed at Sinclair's for 3 nights, at about A$45 a night. One irritating thing was that I could only pay cash, so I had to find an ATM before I could pay. My room was actually a double, since it had bunk beds in it; I only had to pay the single rate, however, and I was the only person in the room all three nights. The room was very clean and came with its own sheets and a towel, which was very useful since mine had gone slightly mildewy in NZ. While the room was not very large at all--the beds took up a good portion of the room, and there was just enough room for a refrigerator (useful for all the noodles I was buying takeout) and a table. My suitcases ended up behind the door and beside the bed, which made maneuvering interesting.
There were a couple showers and a couple toilets on my floor, all of which were well kept. I didn't see much of a large congregating area inside, since the "lobby" area was really just a hallway. There were areas outside, including a little patio, that I didn't really use, but it seemed that many other people in the hostel did. There was a phone in the lobby area, but it couldn't call any of the numbers I had on my phone card, even the local Sydney ones. Luckily, there was a phone booth where Bennett St met the main road into Bondi, so it wasn't too much of an issue. There was also a computer, but it seemed to be constantly in use. Again, luckily, there were plenty of cheap internet cafes at Bondi Beach, so it wasn't an issue.
Overall, this was a good place to stay, as long as you don't mind the slightly longer walk to Bondi.
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