Mossel Bay · South Africa
Shark Shack Backpackers
HostelPunk native reviews
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Vibe Analysis
The bathrooms are the thing to know before you book. A private room billed as having an en-suite can mean a toilet and shower sitting in the middle of the room itself, sometimes with no separating door, and in at least one room no light. If you want a real, enclosed bathroom, this may not deliver it. Cleanliness is a recurring problem. Rooms can have dead cockroaches on the floor, hair in the shower, a dirty toilet, mould, stains in the bed, and an unidentified mess in the sink. A stale cigarette smell hangs in the walls despite "No Smoking" signs, and smokers sometimes gather right outside the windows. Photos may not match what you actually walk into. The location is a genuine plus. It is roughly a 5-minute walk to a shop and about 12 minutes to a hiking trail and the seafront. The kitchen is well stocked with plenty of utensils. Wifi goes down at times. Staff are hit or miss: the hosts can be friendly and attentive, or leave you feeling unwelcome. A lot of the building is taken up by long-term residents rather than travelers, and some are drunk and loud from late morning, which makes it a poor spot for younger travelers hoping to meet people. Many end up trying to spend as little time in the place as possible. The space is cramped and run-down, with a dark, uninviting lounge. It can work for a short, sleep-only stop, but go in with low expectations.
Signals to check
- A private room's "en-suite" bathroom can be an open toilet and shower inside the room, sometimes with no separating door and no light.
- Cleanliness is a serious issue: dead cockroaches, hair in the shower, mould, bed stains, and a stale cigarette smell.
- Smoking happens despite "No Smoking" signs, including just outside windows.
- Many occupants are long-term residents, some drunk and loud from late morning; not a good fit for meeting other travelers.
- Listing photos may not match the actual room.
- A refund request was aggressively refused by the owner.
- Wifi is unavailable at times.
- The building is cramped and run-down with a dark lounge.