Fremantle · Australia
Fremantle Old Fire Station Hostel
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Google Maps
I wasn’t going to write this review but I realise it’s important to be honest and I wish I was aware before going. To start with the positives it’s an extremely social hostel and I’ve head the girls only section is great, people were nice, great location, events on every evening. Big common area and kitchens. Not so positive, I booked the wrong day, that’s my fault but when I arrived the next day and asked to check into my room which I was already paying for from the night before I was told it wasn’t ready- it should have been ready from 3pm the day before. When I was allowed to check in I was handed my bedding to make my own bed and there was a dead cockroach on my mattress - the layer of dust and grim on the wardrobe in the room showed me that the rooms do not get cleaned.( im not entirely sure what happened in the time I wasn’t allowed to use the room I was paying for) While speaking to the woman at reception when I was explaining about arriving a day late, I apologised for being so unorganised and she said “I don’t think you are useless”.. extremely passive aggressive to say that, I would never refer to myself or anyone else as useless. While I was there I saw two separate rooms get completely cleared out because of bedbugs - I heard this from the staff. I saw minimum 5 cockroaches in my stay. A staff member shouted at me because I started brushing my teeth left the washroom for a minute and when I came back she was cleaning the showers, wouldn’t even let me spit the toothpaste into the sink even though it was nowhere near where she was cleaning. Our room was a genuine fire hazard, the whole place felt like a fire hazard. In short I would not recommend
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Confirmed Google Maps
I solely booked this place because it said it had air conditioning, as it was 38 degrees that week. When I arrive in my room it had no aircon and was hotter than outside (like an oven). No windows either! So definitely a major fire safety risk and illegal in the state of WA. I asked if they had another room I could switch to with air conditioning but they said there was non left, so I asked for a fan, that was not available either. Then the manager had the audacity to tell me “you’re aware you’re in Australia and it’s hot”. Yes I’m aware which is precisely the reason I booked this place as it said it had aircon! Common rooms are hot as all hell as well. Full of cockroaches but that’s not even the bad part, heard some of the rooms were infested with bed bugs so watch out. Another very unsettling thing is in the showers there’s a big sign saying that you’re on cctv and being watched, really creepy message to put in the shower where you’d expect some damn privacy. All in all, bad hostel and rude staff! Won’t be staying here again
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Confirmed Google Maps
It had been a long time since I'd stayed in a hostel, but I loved this place. They were very accommodating with a parking spot for us too. They didn't allow us to use our own bedding/sleeping bags as they were pretty keen on keeping bed bugs away. Good location for local attractions!
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Vibe Analysis
Fremantle Old Fire Station Hostel is a full-volume social base in Freo: parties, loud music, nightly games or events, big common areas, and an easy setup for meeting people. It sits close to the train and bus station, near Coles, bars, restaurants, the beach, and the Rottnest ferry, so it works well as a launchpad without a car. The women-only section has its own kitchen, showers, and social space. That separate zone is one of the more distinctive parts of the hostel, especially for anyone who wants the party energy nearby but still wants a more contained area away from the mixed spaces. The best version of this place is messy, friendly, long-term, and very social. Dan, Lucy, Joel, Henry, Lala, Tess, and other staff have made the place feel welcoming for a lot of backpackers, and the hostel seems strongest for people who want friends, beers, music, shared meals, and a loose Freo family feeling. The rough side is serious. Cleanliness is inconsistent, with dirty rooms, messy dorms, moldy or poor showers, bad smells, cockroaches, packed rooms, and chaotic shared spaces appearing as recurring problems. Noise can run late, especially around courtyard or common-area rooms, and this is a bad fit for light sleepers, early workers, or anyone needing calm.
Signals to check
- This is a party hostel first, not a quiet sleep-first place.
- Rooms near common areas or the courtyard can be extremely loud late at night.
- Cleanliness and maintenance may be rough, especially in dorms, showers, toilets, and kitchens.
- Dorm storage can be awkward, with lockers outside rooms in at least part of the property.
- Cash deposits or cash-only moments may apply, so arrive prepared.