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Reviews of The Backpackers Imperial Hotel - Hostel

2 out of 5
The Backpackers Imperial Hotel - Hostel
138 Collins Street, Hobart, TAS

Reviews

6.6
Rating 10 - Excellent. 33 out of 245 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 85 out of 245 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 70 out of 245 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 33 out of 245 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 24 out of 245 reviews" "

6.6/10

Cleanliness

7.0/10

Staff & service

5.6/10

Amenities

6.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Gail

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I was woken continuously throughout the night by girls in my area and two were sleeping in one bed. I found a man passed out and asleep on a landing, who had spilt a can of alcohol on the carpet. I was quite disappointed with clientele last night.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff, location, price and convenient is good
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

2/10 Terrible

Laura

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was the most disgusting and poorly managed hostel I've ever experienced. The bathrooms looked like they hadn't been cleaned in 20 years - mildew, grime, and hair all over the floor and walls. Same with the rugs and floors. The kitchen is absolute chaos. Management is completely unresponsive and uncaring.
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Maisie

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

6/10 Okay

Ed

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anthony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Han

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Awesome
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Lr on 9 Aug 2023
Hi Han, Many thanks for the top rating. We are glad to see that you enjoyed your stay and that everything was perfect for you!

10/10 Excellent

Trindy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Reviews older than 6months are very much out of date. Rooms are clean, bathrooms freshly remodelled and overall it's a quiet building. Location is its best quality and there is no elevator so zero accessibility options.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Lr on 9 Aug 2023
Hi Trindy, Thank you for leaving us a rating. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay with us. We hope you had a nice trip in Hobart.

2/10 Terrible

Amanda

Stayed 13 nights in May 2023

4/10 Poor

Shannon

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Highlights of my stay were the showers that never run hot (or warm even), stained sheets, a kitchen that never opens, and carpet littered with toenails.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Response from Lr on 10 Aug 2023
Hi Shannon, thank you for leaving us a review. We take cleanliness and hygiene very seriously, and we apologize for falling short in this area. We have addressed this with our staff and are taking steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again. We are closing the kitchen only for an hour to clean it every morning. We do appreciate all feedback from our guests to help us improve continuously. Best wishes!

10/10 Excellent

Tamara

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Easy after hour check in,Room was neat,tidy and clean.Shared kitchen and bathroom were cleaner than expected which is a great credit. Plenty of modern appliances within kitchen too
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from Lr on 10 Aug 2023
Hi Tamara, Many thanks for the top rating. We are glad to see that you enjoyed your stay and that everything was perfect for you! Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

2/10 Terrible

Stephen

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place needs a serious cleaning. The floors and carpets were disgusting. I would never go barefoot in this place, especially the bathrooms.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Lr on 10 Aug 2023
Hi Stephen, We're sorry to hear that you had a negative experience at our property. We take cleanliness and hygiene very seriously, and we apologize for falling short in this area. We have addressed this issue with our staff and are taking steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again. We have done numerous upgrades to our rooms and common facilities including new comfy beds and new bathrooms. We appreciate all feedback and are working hard to improve continuously. Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023
Response from Lr on 10 Aug 2023
Hi There, Thank you for your rating. We are glad to see you liked our property. Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

6/10 Okay

grant

Liked: Amenities
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Its was ok, arrived early and waited till 1pm check in to access my room, at 2:30 ish the cleaner knocks I assume clean my room ( asked if i was checkin out) as bins full and bed un maid.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Aine de

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A very pleasant no frills accomodation option in a great location.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Lr on 10 Aug 2023
Hi Aine, Many thanks for the top rating. We are glad to see that you enjoyed your stay and that everything was perfect for you! Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

8/10 Good

Dianne

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Imperial is in a great location right in centre of Hobart. Easy walk to constitution dock. I would stay again
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This stay was my third. Considering the tariff the place is excellent value for a downtown Hobart location. The wotif prepay made the check in process seamless. A phone call to check on a potential booking problem (my fault) was handled with promptly.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2023

2/10 Terrible

Benjamin

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room 108, brightest light from the carpark next door shining through all night. Two curtains would be helpful as opposed to one that doesn't quite cover the window. Room was still being cleaned when we arrived, was hoping to drop our luggage off and start exploring but had to wait. Reception hours are a bit strange, closes at 2:30pm, generally people check-in after 2pm so we felt that was a bit odd. Late check-in has to be organised 24hrs prior to arrival. Even though it's on the less expensive side, I still don't feel like you get what you pay for. I've seen better facilities at camping grounds. Next time we'll know better :)
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

2/10 Terrible

Ziyi

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Firstly, the room is absolutely disgusting. There are still previous guests’ hair on the sheet and significant amount of spit on the ground. Secondly, the reception is extremely lazy. Guests should go across a long, dark and narrow corridor to get outside the hotel after 5 p.m. Thirdly, most of the residents here are not “backpackers”. They are probably homeless junkies who made poisonous loud noises during midnight. Finally, the shared bathroom are also sickly disgusting. Drunken people are vomiting in the sink and toilet, no hotel staff are going to clean it. DO NOT BOOK THIS HOTEL!!!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

4/10 Poor

Hadas

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hostel is in great location but it is not clean, the showers were never cleaned and very little hot water.there is no lift wven thought there are 3 levels, check in time is only between 1-2.30 PM.

10/10 Excellent

Cassandra

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Comfortable
Private twin room shared bathroom. Room was larger than expected and clean. No screen on window though, was warm so had to have open. Reception only open for an hour which was inconvenient. Bring a towel.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

8/10 Good

Kaye

Liked: Staff & service
It was a clean room for the night and much appreciated

4/10 Poor

Mikaela

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities

8/10 Good

Laura

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Basic but clean, good location. I enjoyed my stay here. Only complaint was that none of the emails I sent were responded to.
Stayed 23 nights in Sep 2022

2/10 Terrible

Andrew

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Arrived 5:30pm (late) and went to room and it was not cleaned. Gave us another room and then same thing, still required cleaning. We’re told it may be 30 minute wait to get room cleaned but we had seen enough by this time and left. I would have to say it’s the worst hostel I have seen unfortunately. I have stayed in over 50 hostels in my life. It was so dark throughout the corridors which gave it a creepy feel. A refund would have been appreciated. Long story short , I don’t recommend this hostel if your looking for a bit of life
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mardi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great place to stay
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

4/10 Poor

Gavin

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Below average. Sharing a smelly, dirty room with two long-term staying students. Bathroom similarly un-cleaned. Bed was comfy though
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

2/10 Terrible

Bryce

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Hostel was dirty. Showers were always cold apart from the very last day when I finally got a slightly warm one. Only saw 1 person in the common room and he was on a phone call to his drug dealer the whole time, talking about how the police confiscated his last stash that the person on the other end had sold him. Private room was average but not overly clean. The rest of the facilities are/were poorly kept. Staff weren't overly friendly. One guy seemed disinterested in his job and another guy said he'd leave bag check unlocked after office hours so I could come back for my bag before my flight left, but then he locked it anyway and lied, claiming a guest had locked it (yet there was the same amount of bags in there as when I left my bag).
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

2/10 Terrible

Belinda

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
One of the worst Ive ever stayed. Check in closed at 4.30pm, after that you enter via a night door which is located down a dark, dingy alley and used as the outdoor area full of smokers. I arranged a late check in before booking, the staff answering after hours seem really inconvenienced, and not engaging at all. They take your credit card details, hand you a key and you have to ask about the location of your room and check out times. I was embarrassed for Australia if this is what our international guests would get greeted on their travels to this beautiful city. The single private room had holes in the floor, which was made of chipwood, the bedding was old, it generally felt unsafe and I locked my bags. I wasnt given a towel as I arrived 'after hours' at 7.30pm, even though one should be included with the room. Everytime someone came or went from the night door (4.30pm onward) the noise of the door banging and voices, footsteps could be heard (keeping in mind they walk past all the private rooms who are paying higher rates). The hostel had zero atmosphere, common areas empty aside from a blaring TV. Probably because the rules and threats of $ fines for any fun (drinks, food, noise). It felt so scabby most wouldnt run the risk of breaking any rules. I was worried they'd steal my ccard details. The location is not amazing either, most local restaurants tailor to the CBD and were closed at 7.30pm.The only good thing was no bed bugs, but honestly that was a surprise.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Nadine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Michelle

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

6/10 Okay

Max

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Gail

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
As a senior, solo traveler I found this property perfectly adequate for my stay, even if it involved dragging my luggage up 2 flights of stairs. There was a Laundry on site and a Baggage Room. Staff very helpful. Location excellent. Walkable to Salamanca Market and everything else. Stayed in Single room !
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Vicki

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2022

4/10 Poor

Julia

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This hostel did not feel safe for young women travellers. Many of the guests seemed to be older men who appeared as long-term residents. COVID has clearly changed the demographic of this property and as such, this should be communicated online. The building is also in disrepair and very poorly lit inside hallways and stairwells. Nearly pitch black at times.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022

4/10 Poor

Jonathan

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

8/10 Good

Wei Fan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Easy to booking and going to anywhere
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022

4/10 Poor

Liad

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
:-(
Great location but that it. Very small room, one toilet in sherd bathroom, the staff was unhelpful and unfriendly, they didn't gave the filling that they want to help you, and the sherd kitchen was filthy
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
On average stay. the place looks nice in the morning and looks shady in the afternoon.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Convenient location; bathrooms were clean; private room was very large with a comfortable bed; quiet
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very old building, dusty rooms and disgusting showers. Just horrible.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from Backpackers Imperial on 13 Jan 2020
Hi there, thank you for leaving us a review. We are sorry to read that your stay at our Backpackers was not up to your expectations. We do appreciate all feedback from our guests to help us improve continuously. Best wishes!

6/10 Okay

Kelly

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Stuart

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from Backpackers Imperial on 13 Jan 2020
Hi Stuart, Thank you for leaving us a rating. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay with us. We hope you had a nice trip in Hobart.

10/10 Excellent

Kirsty

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Backpackers Imperial on 29 Nov 2019
Hi Kirsty, Many thanks for the top rating. We are glad to see that you enjoyed your stay and that everything was perfect for you!

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Worst nights sleep ever. Really bad nights sleep. I was in a private room and was constantly woke by noise of people passing in the corridor. Also very grimy and unclean.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Backpackers Imperial on 2 July 2019
Hello there, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are sorry to read that our Backpackers was not up to your expectations. We appreciate your feedback and are always striving to improve. Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

8/10 Good

Brendan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from Front Desk on 23 May 2019
Dear Brendan, Thank you for your rating. We are glad to see you liked our property. Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Front Desk on 23 May 2019
Hello there, Thank you for your rating. We are glad to see you liked our property. Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location. Everything was old and worn. Staff were okay, but had little enthusiasm for anything apart from the rules. I used the laundry which was $8 per hour but was luck to get out in two hours as their machines are mid-sized domestic models.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Backpackers Imperial on 19 Mar 2019
Hello there, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We appreciate all feedback and are striving to improve continuously. We are glad to see you had a good stay and enjoyed especially our central location. Best wishes, Backpackers Imperial

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness
Dirty bathrooms.zzzxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019