Arts Factory by Nomads

This is a very unique hostel, on the edge of Byron Bay and backing out directly onto a Nature Reserve. Surrounding the main building are a campsite, glamping tents, volleyball court and a pond/water feature. Wildlife come and go through the grounds, which is pretty special! There is a good atmosphere at the hostel generally and people are friendly. The bathrooms were clean and the laundry facilities were excellent. There is also a luggage storage area and coffee shop on-site. We were staying in the glamping section (the ‘island’), which was a little basic and a bit cold in September (the tent has ventilation/windows which can’t be shut). Due to the climate, the tent walls were also slightly mouldy. It would have be useful to have some shelves for storing items during our stay. Although the site Wi-Fi reaches out even to the tents, which was great! N.B there is a pub/music venue nearby so music is playing loudly throughout the venue until about midnight on some nights. The walk back at night is also quiet dark (there are no street lights), so if you are alone you may want to take a short Uber ride back. However, the location and overall atmosphere make this a very peaceful and unique spot. Staying here was a special experience - a highlight of our time in Byron Bay!

I recently booked a stay at Arts factory lodge and was beyond impressed by this place! I booked a very large group of people and the team at the hostel was so accommodating and made the process so simple. The facilities were awesome and rooms were fabulous. Nicole took care of our booking and was genuinely amazing with everything, 10/10 would recommend!

Great hostel. The Private rooms are Great, ours even came with a small fridge and a water Boiler. The facilities were clean, but as little cold as they are basically outside. The kitchen was big and clean and the rooftop balcony was a big Highlight. The location is a little downside, as it is outside of Byron bay, like a 20 min walk. But this makes it a very quiet location. Overall a really good hostel.

After reading all the reviews about the filth in the common areas, I was skeptical. However, everything turned out better than expected. We stayed in a private room/tent by the lake, which had a welcome swampy smell, but that didn't detract from the cozy and slightly festival-like atmosphere. Everything was very relaxed, and everyone went their own way, but there were definitely social groups within the hostel. The bar and the tacos are highly recommended, especially during happy hour. Overall, I didn't feel like I fit in with the hostel's target audience and I did feel a real sense of social pressure to interact. Which did happen, but I really came to visit Byron Bay, not just to make friends in a hostel. Overall, my stay was absolutely fine!

I came to this hostel intending to stay just one night, but the energy of this place made me stay much longer. I stayed in a shared cabin by the lake, and it was the perfect place to admire the nature, rest, and recharge. The city center and the beach are just a few minutes' walk away. Nicole at the front desk was very kind to me, even recommending places to continue my journey. I loved this place and highly recommend it.

Travelling the east coast we have stayed in quite a few nomads and this one falls short of what we normally experience. The staff were lovely and very friendly so was nice to see a happy face after 12 hours of travelling. The noise is so loud! I have no idea why they are blasting music continuously from 7am until midnight it would really be good if we either had a break in the middle or a later start with the music.. unfortunately not everyone appreciates the loud music all day. We did have 2 days of quiet (it was lovely) then the music started again. Personally I think it ruins the peaceful atmosphere. As someone who is autistic i find loud music continuously overwhelming and there was literally nowhere to get away from it as you can hear it 2 streets away. The bathrooms and rooms where very clean and tidy so that's a positive. The kitchen could do with daily cleaning as it was very unclean. Overall I dont think the hostel is worth the money we spent at all... I unfortunately won't reccomend to anyone I know.

This is by far one of the best hostel’s I’ve ever been to. The location is great and the staff is very friendly. I decided to extend my stay and the front desk worker, Imogen, was extremely helpful throughout my stay. If you’re around Byron I recommend this! 🤙

I I absolutely loved my time at the Arts Factory, Byron Bay! ||The vibe is incredible, it feels like you are at a resort with a backpackers budget. There is always so much going on from Talent Shows, Trivia nights, Karaoke ect. The cafe food is amazing, the garden bar has cheap drinks. ||Everytime I came back to the hostel it felt relaxing and exciting. ||It was also very close to the bus station and town, about a 10-15 minute walk. ||I stayed in the pentagon tent so if you are looking at staying there it would be good to know these things: ||- You need ear plugs!! It is very loud and hard to sleep as you are right next to the walkway to the camp site and there are usually parties there ( You're in a tent, not a closed room here).||- It is FREEZING at night as there isn't insulation and the hostel gives light blankets. The girls in our room wanted extra blankets so went to the reception at 3 am to get blankets and they said they just gave the last one out. I think you guys could get warmer bedding to make the stay more comfortable. ||I understand why a lot of the reviews say that the hostel is dirty, however I saw them constantly cleaning. The kitchen is constantly dirty with food, but it's because there are no cloths that people can clean up after themselves and honestly, guests there were just not super clean or respectful of being tidy in the kitchen. I saw staff clean twice a day, every day in the kitchen and I also saw them clean the bathrooms often. ||I found it easy to make friends and socialise here :)