"Too quiet, too small, too far" Blue Parrot Backpackers Tip by dracko

Prior to heading to Sydney I was looking around the net for a decent hostel, and Blue Parrot in King's Cross (or rather on its border with Potts Point) seemed to stand out. It seemed to get excellent reviews, and I was looking forward to having a great time there. So much for reviews. Of all the hostels I stayed at while in Australia, the Blue Parrot gets the least amount of praise from me. It's a nice enough place, but in my opinion all the praise is not justified. There just wasn't anything special about it to warrant the reviews that it's gotten. It's a small hostel, with only about 7-8 rooms that typically house 4-8 people. The 8-bed rooms have ensuite bathrooms, and there're only 3 other bathrooms for everyone else to share. There's the kitchen and the laundry room that you'd expect, and a nice little courtyard with a couple of benches and a barbeque. The common room has a TV and a couple of ratty couches. There's a payphone. That's about it. The place tends to be very quiet, and in spite of the hostel being supposedly fairly full, just about the only people I saw about the hostel were the few backpackers that were working at the hostel as well as live there. That's about it. There just wasn't much going on there, much to my disappointment.

There are a few redeeming points, however. There's the resident dog, Lily, a very friendly and well fed pup that absolutely loves to play catch with her ball. Also, the lady that owns & runs the place is very friendly and also tends to keep it fairly clean; there're also always fresh lilies in vases all around every morning. I paid A$25/night for a bed in a 6-bed room.

Unique Qualities: Friendly dog & friendly owner. A courtyard with tables & BBQ.

Address: 87 MacLeay St., Kings Cross/Potts Point
Comparison: less expensive than average
Price: less than US$20
Theme: Hostel