Aquarius Backpackers Resort

Best hostel in Byron by far! What should I start with? The staff is lovely, so fun and very helpful. The location is amazing, the beach and the center of town are literally one block away. They have free activities every day, a $5 beer and wine bar, their own travel desk, gym, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, ping pong, pool table, and so much more. I really wish I had stayed longer! Until next time guys, thank you again!!

I enjoyed my stay at Aquarius! The location is great - 10 minutes from the bus stop and a few from the beach. I loved the rooftop gym which had dumbbell sets through 20 kg and a pull up bar. The rooms and bathrooms are spacious and the area to sit outside of dorms is a nice place to get to know other people in your dorm. The kitchen is also nice though it’s a bit confusing to turn on the stoves the first time. The only critique I have is that one bathroom for ten people isn’t much so if I had to go at night and someone else was using it, I’d have to walk to reception.

As someone who stayed at Aquarius as a budget hostel back in 2023 it’s disappointing to see the changes they’ve made over the years. I’ve come to visit Byron over 5 times in the past few years and have stayed at Aquarius each time. What started as a welcoming and social budget hostel has turned into a stay that seems to be transitioning to a nicer more luxury hostel without the accommodations in response to the nicer hostels around town. While I still love the rooms for being the classic bunk format with lots of room and a balcony, the social area has transitioned significantly. This hostel used to offer free dinner with opportunities to socialise in their large outdoor and balcony area, and now they have not only slowly removed the bar, restaurant, and outdoor area but they have turned the pool into a pool club which costs $20 to enter. For many years I have called this hostel my relaxation place with room to socialize and find valuable friendships but as the years pass it’s gotten less sociable and more money hungry. I miss the hostel that accommodated backpackers to stay, socialise, and get to know one another without the gentrification of Byron in mind. At its heart Aquarius is intended to be a place where all backpackers can extend their stay and party, enjoy the pool and beach and relax on its balcony hammocks to hear the birds. It’s unfortunate that the owner has felt the need to transition to match the competition of drifter, surf house, and wake up. Without Aquarius there is no local budget hostel and very little place in Byron to socialise as a backpacker. I miss the old Aquarius personally and don’t think there’s anything to replace its place in Byron.

I had a lovely stay at this hostel. The overall vibe is super friendly, which makes it really easy to meet people. The location couldn’t be better, with just a short walk to the beach, cafés and everything you’d want to explore in town. What stood out the most though was the staff. Everyone was helpful, but Patrick in particular went above and beyond. He brought a surprising level of care and attention that made my stay far more memorable than I expected. Would definitely come back. Highly recommend.

Great location and communal areas, it’s good that you can get 15% discount at the local restaurant too. The main letdown is the cleanliness, our room was not cleaned in the 4 days we stayed, housekeeping do the bare minimum- change the beds for new guests, despite the floor being covered in sand…a little sweep wouldn’t go a miss. The bathroom was dirty, on three occasions I witnessed housekeeping signing the bathroom check form, without even entering to inspect for themselves. It’s a shame as this hostel has a lot of potential! Hopefully improvements can be made.