Arts Factory Lodge by Nomads

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 :)

I really enjoyed my stay at this hostel. First of all, I was positively surprised by the shuttle service from the bus stop to the hostel. The entire area feels like a festival — with tall palm trees, a natural pond, hammocks, a beach volleyball court, and a pool… it has everything young people need to have a great time. I especially want to highlight the café, which serves barista-quality coffee. Everyone is super friendly! A special shout-out to Nicole at reception, who warmly greeted me with a “Hey darling” during both check-in and check-out.

This is my second time staying at this hostel, and both visits have been amazing. The vibes here are simply unbeatable. there's something truly special about this place. It's such a joy to spend a holiday fully immersed in nature, surrounded by great people from all over the world. The location is fantastic, and getting to the city is just a short and easy walk. I especially love how relaxed and easygoing everyone is here. It's honestly the perfect place to unplug and recharge if you're looking for a detox from the stress of work or city life. Also, a special shout-out to the blonde guy with dreadlocks at the reception, he was super helpful and professional throughout my stay. I can't wait to come back and make even more international friends! Thank you Art Factory

We were quite disappointed with our stay. The kitchen was in a consistently poor state—dirty at all hours and, frankly, felt unusable. Birds were frequently inside, eating food left out due to guests not closing the doors properly. The bathrooms also left a lot to be desired. On three separate occasions, we had to take cold showers because there was no hot water available. Evenings in the communal areas were unpleasant due to the persistent smell of weed throughout the hostel, despite clear no-smoking signs. Additionally, the beds were only supplied with a sheet, which left us cold and waking up during the night. There’s no WiFi available in the rooms, so we had to go to the communal areas just to use our phones. Unfortunately, those spaces were often noisy late into the night, with other guests playing loud musical instruments—again, despite posted quiet hours starting at 10 p.m. We paid over $300 for our stay and definitely did not feel it was worth the cost. To be clear, we’re open-minded and respectful of different lifestyles and cultures, but when sharing communal spaces, basic cleanliness and courtesy should be expected. On a positive note, the staff were very kind and did their best despite the overall condition of the facilities.

Arts Factory Lodge. I’d like to lodge a complaint. The positives, the bathroom was serviceable, and we got early check in and all the staff were really lovely. That’s where it ends. We booked the twin room so that we could get some rest and recuperation. We were wrong. It wasn’t a room, it was tent, a tent with mould and lots of it. There was no rest and recuperation because some tool would be playing bongos or wonderwall on the guitar at any and all hours. In addition to sharing a room with mould and all that racket, the hostel kitchen was war torn. I kid you not we opened the microwave and fruit flies flew out like bats in Dracula’s castle. It was dystopian. I made one meal in that kitchen and feared for my safety afterwards. Also the hostel was quickly dubbed farts factory lodge due to the sulphur smell from the soil that the fountains spread around the island accommodation, I’m sure it’s not bad in the shared rooms but unfortunately for us we weren’t staying there. This whole hostel could do with bombing and then building back up from scratch, Infact it would be cleaner and more hospitable as rubble. The worst hostel I’ve ever stayed in and if you stay here, Godspeed solider.

We were extremely disappointed with our stay at Arts Factory Lodge. The photos online gave the impression of a clean, well-maintained, and comfortable place, but the reality was far from it. The cleanliness was severely lacking, with visible dirt, cramped spaces, and a strong, unpleasant smell in the bathrooms. There wasn’t a single spot that truly felt clean or inviting. As a couple, we expected to have a relaxing experience, but the bottom bunk bed was too small for both of us. Unfortunately, we had to sleep in separate beds in a bunk bed arrangement, which was not what we envisioned for our holiday. On top of the cleanliness issues, the atmosphere was overwhelmingly loud and chaotic. The place felt more like a non-stop party venue, with intoxicated guests and no clear separation between social areas and quieter spaces like the rooms. Even the designated “quiet” areas didn’t provide much relief. The experience was so unpleasant and unbearable that we decided to leave in the middle of our stay, despite not receiving any refund or cancellation compensation. We genuinely hoped for a more enjoyable and relaxing stay but were left feeling uncomfortable and dissatisfied. A greater focus on cleanliness, guest comfort, and clearer guidelines on maintaining quiet spaces would make a big difference.

Loved staying here at Arts Factory. All staff were lovely and very helpful, Michaela in particular really helped us out when booking our rooms. The hostel overall was clean, the bathrooms in particular were very well taken care of. I would stay here again without a doubt.

Loved my stay here so much I booked a second week. I had all my creature comforts and then some! Large kitchen with all the appliances and tools I needed, comfy bed with linens, easy-access bathrooms that are cleaned daily, laundry machines, a pool, cafe, and tons of lush hangout space. The staff is always friendly and Nicole especially helped me find the perfect room so that I ended up booking a second week!