Reviews of Arts Factory Lodge

03 February 2012 Soren would recommend this property

Liked: Absolutely brilliant! Great atmosphere. A small backpacker village in the jungle.

Disliked: Soren left no negative feedback.

21 January 2012 Christian would recommend this property

Liked: I've never seen a hostel like this, the atmosphere was just amazing. It takes quite a few days to get into the swing of things, so I'd recommend a longer stay. I stayed 7 nights and by the end of it I didn't want to leave, you feel like such a part of the community. It doesn't feel like just another hostel with people in it, it feels like a family. There are always awesome workshops on throughout the day, and there is also a travel desk that will help you out with day trips etc. The facilities are really modern and responsible (water saving showerheads with good pressure, filters on the tap heads, single lever tap handles etc, i notice little things that make life nicer :p). The staff are super friendly too. I loved it and will definitely be back.

Disliked: Christian left no negative feedback.

14 January 2012 Chris would recommend this property

Liked: Wow, what can I say? Having stayed here I had no choice but to recommend the Arts Factory Lodge to friends, advising them that this was the best hostel they will ever stay in. It is well worth the money; there is lots to do and it is very, very relaxed. The best way to describe it is 'Glastonbury in a hostel'. After one night out in town, you will realise that the best night in Byron are spent in the hostel with other guests, or in the neighbouring brewrey...this hostel is fantastic!

Disliked: Nothing.

02 January 2012 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Location & atmosphere

Disliked: nothing

26 December 2011 Nick would recommend this property

Liked: Good location

Disliked: Could be cleaner

04 December 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Good bar/outdoor area, with entertainment/events. Nice setting with huts around lake with hammocks

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

01 December 2011

Liked: The camping ground and surroundings looks nice if you like camping

Disliked: Very chaotic. Feels like a summer camp for kids. No quiet place to relax. The kitchen is dirty and a mess and I hate that you have to go back and forth up and down to get the stuff you need to cook. There's no A/C in the dorm and it's VERY hot with only 1 fan on 1 side of the room. There's no free storage for luggage when they make you wait to be checked in. The shuttle doesn't pick up from the Greyhound stop like all the other ones so you have to walk far with your luggage. And it's not on time often.

24 November 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Fun and friendly (staff and guests), lots going on in an evening and an oasis away from the schoolies in town at this time of year! People are respectful and quiet in an evening, even when socilaising at the hostel, and I always got a good nights sleep.

Disliked: Nothing particilarly

18 October 2011 Kathryn would recommend this property

Liked: Nice pool and places to relax comfortable bed - good to get a double and single bunk bed not too far from town

Disliked: a sink in the room would be good.

05 October 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: great atmosphere and vibe

Disliked: staff rude

01 September 2011

Liked: Good location and in a nice setting

Disliked: Way too big and impersonal. You have to pay a $5 deposit to get a mug or pan to use in the kitchen which is ridiculous. The hostel gave us poor directions on where to meet the pickup from the greyhound bus so we ended up having to get a taxi. The staff don't give you much information about the local area and things to do - there's just posters up everywhere trying to sell big tours through them. Just felt like a money making hostel. Very noisy

03 August 2011 Julie would recommend this property

Liked: Clean and comfortable hostel. Friendly staff.

Disliked: Nothing, I was pleased with everything.

02 August 2011 Matthew would recommend this property

Liked: If a hostel made sweet love to a tropical resort, the Arts Factory would be their glorious baby. It's a got a great vibe, managing to offer a bunch of activities while still feeling wonderfully laid-back. Check out the happy hour at the Buddha Bar across the parking lot for $2.50 schooners.

Disliked: It's a bit of a walk to the town itself, but if you've come from Sydney, the distance is actually shorter than most of the walking you will have been doing.

26 July 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Very friendly staff, good vibe, really a place with a laidback hippie style.

Disliked: Busy bathrooms and our room smelled a bit because of the carpet.

22 July 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: loved the location, right next to a brewery and surrounded by nature, a huge pond, lots birds and lizards. great chill out area with hammocks, great 24 hour facilities selling hot food all night. lovely staff and people, great place to relax or party. very clean for hostel standards.

Disliked: nothing

16 July 2011 Stuart would recommend this property

Liked: The classic Byron Bay experience is available here. Byron's famous for being an old hippie place mixed with modern classy cafe/bars. This place gives both with the laid back attitude and the easy going nature of the place. The chilled out atmosphere and the range of hippie activities plus the close proximity to Byron centre whilst still feeling like your in a eco heaven gives this hostel a thumbs up. Where as if you're looking for a mixture of both hippie and classy then look no further than 20 metres across the car park with Buddha Bar which brews its own range of 5 beers. It also boasts an impressive menu for all tastes in a warm, chic restaurant and so ticks all the boxes. This is all one of, if not, the cheapest hostel in Byron too! plus all the bathrooms are newly renovated with new showers and basins etc.

Disliked: Nothing!

12 July 2011

Liked: the fact i could check at 6.45am

Disliked: the fact my bus left before i had the chance to get back on it

06 July 2011 Debbie would recommend this property

Liked: Really cool, chilled, laid back vibe about the whole place. Quirky accomodation, friendly staff, big kitchen, nice snack/juice/coffee bar. Plenty of parking and not too far to walk to centre...or you could take their shuttle.

Disliked: Quite loud until late and always a wait for showers/ sink space in the morning but think was due to work being done on other bathrooms at time of stay.

28 May 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Great atmosphere, clean dorms with lockers, good kitchen, plenty of activities and evening events, good bar onsite, great place to meet people and chill out!

Disliked: A couple of the showers didn't lock, lots of dead flies in the bathrooms.

26 April 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Really unique hostel with lots of activities.

Disliked: The 'island retreats' described as luxury tents were cool in their uniqueness though ours was somewhat mouldy with lots of holes in the insect netting. After spotting a huntsman spider on the other side of the netting we weren't keen on staying in the room after the receptionist (incredibly nice and helpful Ryan) couldn't fix the netting and he moved us, thought it was the end of the matter. Next morning I got a very patronising guy on reception who basically spoke to me like I was an immature child and that I should have expected being "close to nature" as per the website and claiming it was a "luxury camping" experience. I have had better insect guards in a cheap tent and whilst loving nature and happy to be close to it, I wouldn't appreciate being bitten to death by mosquitos and risk a huntsman crawling on me during my sleep. Not my idea of "luxury", and not my idea of a nice receptionist, the rude guy spoilt the overall very good Arts Factory experience.

07 April 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: extras

Disliked: location

06 April 2011 eero would recommend this property

Liked: I met nice people there. Its good place to chill.

Disliked: i didnt like to walk to town.

09 March 2011

Liked: It is situated at a very nice place with the forest just next to it with ponds and a lot of wildlife poking around, lizards eating worms, big birds eating food scraps on the ground and big bats in the thousands flying of before sunset to hunt insects. a cool funky place.

Disliked: To expensive for what you got, $35 for a shared accommodation and everything costs a lot extra, every last cent is squeezed out exactly everything. Kitchen was really bad, to small and no kitchenwares, there was almost fights over the forks and spoons. Yes people steal stuff from the kitchen but we pay 35 dollars a night so I expect something to eat my pasta with.

28 February 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: It was a fun place to stay, it had really beautifull and was friendly.

Disliked: When i arrived the staff seemed grumpy and fed up. although i heard that other people got a tour of the area before being taken to thewir rooms, i was taken straight to my room and was stikll left wondering where everything was. The kitchen could be a little bigger for the amount of people staying. It really didnt seem worth the money.

28 February 2011 Aksel Aune would recommend this property

Liked: I like the atmosphere of staying in a place that seems more like a little village than a hostel.

Disliked: There was something wrong with my booking with hostelbookers, but after two hours of waiting, I finally got a rom.