Janne Drusch
Google
To preface the rest of this review, my friend and I spent four nights in a damp, freezing cold tent after our stay at the Pickled Frog, and had a ten times more comfortable experience.
While the staff were lovely, and there was a friendly social atmosphere, the lack of hygiene in this place was enough to drive us away a day early. For nearly $40 a night, this place is not worth it.
While the women’s toilets were fine enough, the men’s bathroom was feral. There was a permanent layer of condensation on the ceiling, which would drip down on my friend as he would brush his teeth. Under this layer of water you could clearly see mould. There was little ventilation and a permanent stench.
This same stench pervaded the bedrooms, which were just as damp and cold. The window of our six person dorm was covered in condensation to the point where you could not see out of it. This was condensation from within the building…There was a row of half-drunk glasses of water and off-smelling juice, which suggested that these rooms hadn’t been properly cleaned for a while. The beds were awful. They would squeak with the slightest movement - I’d definitely recommend some WD40. The duvet was somehow crusty and damp at the same time, and smelt like it hadn’t been washed.
It should be noted that the kitchen was fine, there is a social vibe in the common area, and the staff were very knowledgeable about Tasmania and helped us plan the rest of our trip. But unfortunately the negatives outweigh the positives.
Overall, our experience could be summarised as smelly, damp and cold. We’ve stayed in hostels all around the world and this is the most unhygienic. A dehumidifier or two would work overtime at this place.
