Coolangatta Sands Hostel

Relatively affordable stay close to the airport and right at the beach. Nice balcony to chill on.

No view from the window, very small bed, hard to get attention of staff as it is a busy pub.

The staff were very warm and friendly and I commend them for being able to continuously deescalate interactions with less amiable patrons

No breakfast

No coffee

Location, location, location. Excellent wifi. Fully stocked kitchen (even an air fryer). Surprisingly, never encountered any wait for any bathroom facilities. Plus the staff were all absolutely lovely. Cannot fault them at all. This was my second stay here. Last time I had Room 11 and it was great, although a bit far from bathrooms.

I was given room 20 this time, which is apparently above the smoker's section of the gaming lounge. Until very very late, drunk patrons are right outside your window having loud conversations. You can also clearly hear any music that may be on for the night. Cannot recommend this or any surrounding rooms to anyone, unless you love hearing about how a young fella is trying to get, um, action. Fire alarm went off, forcing us to evacuate around 6:30 pm. Upon returning back in after fire trucks attended, I overheard the manager shutting down the kitchen for the rest of the night. Fire alarm went off again at 3:25 am, forcing us to evacuate. Horrendous, as I had only gotten a few hours of sleep after the bar closed. Now, I needed sleep for this one. I was in town for the GC 50 Half Marathon, with a start time of 5am nearby. Most other travelers in the hostel were, as well. The lack of sleep was a concern and a bit stressful. If you don't need much sleep, then by all means. And, my previous stay in Room 11 was excellent with no issues, only a year ago. This is the only private room anywhere near the start line at a reasonable price (I paid $120, which does seem a bit steep for a shared bathroom). I don't know if I would book here, again. Both stays were so drastically different.