Asylum Cairns Share House Hostel

I've stayed at Asylum Cairns for 5 days, and plan on returning here after stint of travelling. The people within this hostel are so welcoming, and it feels like a place that accepts everyone for who they are. Right off the bat, I felt like a part of the community, and I can't wait to get back.

Honestly never thought that I would want to stay at a hostel beyond what I needed to, but if there was one place to do that at, it would be at Asylum Cairns. The name might be off putting, but it’s one of those places where the community makes the stay worth the while (hard emphasis on this)! The staff is incredibly friendly and the people you meet are all so welcoming. Upon arrival, Max took my friend and I around for a tour and introduced us to all the hostel occupants on a first name basis and their country of origin. She’s got such an incredible memory, but it’s what sets Asylum from other hostels. Their facilities aren’t the newest or fanciest, but they work and are also cleaned regularly! Truly a wonderful place, you won’t regret it!

Compared to other backpacker hostels the single room was totally allright. Facilities were clean. Quiet.

Great place. Best value in Cairns. Not so fancy as other hostels, accomodations and facilities are good. There are activities for guests integration.

Very good hostel, very competitive prices, for that price of the best you can find. The atmosphere is great.
The location is good, not in the center, but a few minutes walk. Most of the hostel are in the area.
Large communal areas. Bathrooms and rooms very clean.
The kitchen is not the best, but it has everything you need.

Everything very well fitted I had a mattress related to plastic was not very pleasant at night but was also the only one with plastic.

I loved this hostel, if I ever be back in Cairns, I'm sure I'll be here again! Not far by walk from shops, bars or departing of different tours. It's nice, clean, my room was big enough (I've been in the 5 female beds) with fan and air con. The stuff, is friendly and helpful! There's everything you might need, and it's perfect for solo travellers! Definitely recommended!

I can’t really fault Asylum one bit. Everything you need in a hostel. It is kept spotlessly clean and the staff/owners are friendly and helpful. Very social hostel and a good amount of activities planned throughout the week — bar crawl, trivia, bbq etc. BYO is a real bonus. Rooms are clean, have aircon and spacious. Common areas are clean and well used. Ideal location and a good price.

It's alright, but the fact that the electrical wiring in the showers is earthed is "a little dodgy"…

Great and very social hostel! the rooms are big, air con works very well (which is important for Cairns), and location is 7 mins walk to city center. plenty of activities (BBQ, pub crawl…) and the staff is very helpful and nice. downsides are that the kitchen and reception area are closed at night meaning you will have no access to your food in the fridge or drinks during the night.

A place where you'll feel home directly. It's like I'm back home! Staff is friendly, great rooms, pool, huge kitchen and a great bbq on Monday and Wednesday pants down party.

Great location, awesome staff and activities.

The staff are friendly and accommodating. The hostel offers a delicious all you can eat BBQ (also for vegetarians) and a so-called "pants Down Party" for 15 AUD Goon, pizza and entrance to 4 clubs with one free drink. BBQ and PDP are held once a week. Otherwise there is a family atmosphere.
I am completely satisfied:)

Had any amazing stay at this hostel! I only booked in for two nights to begin with but I ended up staying MUCH longer. Facilities are old, but very clean and my room was spotless and will looked after. Tours can be booked cheaply and easily. Fantastic place to meet people. I was alone when I checked in and felt like I had 100 new friends when I checked out! Love it! Will definitely go back.

Nice youth hostel with a lot of activities and a common room where you meet a lot of people. The only downside is the noise during the night, which is why I'm removing one star.

Wov how to start I dont know. The staff is really amazing. Rooms are clean. Hostel has lots of activity. And Heidi is a amazing manager. Come and stay with good prices.

Very nice hotel with great staff.

Asylum was wonderful! At times a bit rough around the edges, but the people make it an unforgettable experience, especially Heidi, the manager, whom is so dedicated to making it a better place and fun for all. There is so much character in this place (and so many characters! ) that you would be hard pressed to not have a good time. The pants down party is a blast, cheap, and a great value (all you can eat pizza, lots of free drinks, and a free custom shirt). The BBQ on Mondays is great fun, try the vegetarian option if you can, it's killer good! I know I'll be back here at some point and I would recommend it to everyone!

Not only the best place in Cairns, but the place in Australia to stay!
I had the most amazing time, only planned to stay 2 days and ended up staying a week like most people do!
Could have stayed longer… Thank you to the Asylum team for their wonderful and warm welcome, for everything you bring to everyone because without you nothing would have been possible! I will never forget my Asylum week experience in Cairns.
I left with my heart filled with love, my mind full of strenght and a tear in my eye…

Nice atmosphere, good communal areas and decent prices!

Cheap and basic, good for a couple of nights but not much longer.

Pricy, far away from towncentre. Strict rules. Dirty.

Thieving staff member caught red-handed. Drug-addled, employee forged our bond forms to suggest we had only paid $20 deposits when we had, in fact, paid $50. The '$50' was literally crossed off our form and replaced with a '$20' in the least sophisticated crime ever committed. Six irate backpackers at the front desk soon refreshed the thief's memory and forced him to cough up the cash that was presumably taken to fund more neck tattoos. I'd sooner sleep on the street than go back to this place. avoid.

Amazing place, can't recommend a better place to hangout, stay a short time or stay a while longer. Awesome tables out the front where socializing is easy, and a good place to enjoy the night or you have a chilled area out the back where the volume is down and you can enjoy a meal or watch TV. The sleeping areas are at the back too, so there's never a problem with getting enough sleep if you have a trip planned the next day or just have to get up for work. There is a good mix of people that stay there working or just there for a week to cram everything in. What ever your after you can find it at Asylum. As a person who stayed there for quite a long time and enjoyed chilling and working in Cairns I right at home.

Just what you need when you are staying in Cairns. Relaxed, clean, cheap. I've been checking the others backpackers around here and they are kind of tourist traps. Staff 10 on 10. Helpful, young, fun, not pushing for anu activities. They just want you to be happy. Safe place. 7 mins walking from everything. Thank you guys.

By far the most incompetence I've witnessed — even after having volunteered with the cognitively challenged, lived in a share house with drug dependent people and used Victorian trains. I'm glad though that this was apparent early and I wasted no time or money here. Interpret the tag line carefully 'enter at your own risk'.

As previously stated in past interviews Asylum Cairns is a budget/party hostel, so don’t expect too many creature comforts. I feel that the main reason why it has so many good reviews and has survived so long in a very competitive local market (hostels/hotels/accommodation in Cairns) is because of its ability to actually enhance your experience in Cairns through the interactions you have with the others people and staff there. I stayed at Asylum Cairns over NYE 2014/2015 for about 9 days by myself to win a bet I made with my mate (he said I would not travel to Cairns for NYE, but I showed him #tasteitphollop) and I would not off meet all the awesome people I did and go on all the wild adventures that went on if I didn’t stay at Asylum Cairns, if I stayed at another hostel I would have been bored and alone the whole time. Thanks Asylum Cairns, Can’t wait to come back.

Staff was ok. A bit chaotic but helpful. Partyhostel and it's cheap. 3 Stars.

Stayed here in March 2014, had an awesome time. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly and really do try to know everyone by name! It's not all unadulterated chaos though. Indoor areas are unlighted and out of bounds at night to allow the few taking the night off to get some sleep. The staff keep things under control — I loved the way the staff handled some lowlife Eastern European (i think he was turkish) man who was urinating in the hostel grounds and couldn't keep his hands off some poor ladies!. Actually, I think he's the one who made the only bad review here! He was promptly evicted the next day. In all, it's definitely a party hostel, people are outside drinking every night to the early hours so you'll always have someone to talk to. I agree with what some nay-sayers say, this hostel is NOT for you if you can't stand non-stop partying.

Love this hostel! Came here to visit a friend and had the best night. Mad Mondays are so much fun and gives you a chance to get to know everyone and socialise. Not the cleanest hostel but the people and the opportunities to socialise at different events the hostel put on means it's a great place to be.

Very rude stuff ever, not the backpackers who work there. Who are the owners asian couple and their son just so rude and all their think is about money. There are too many backpacker hostels around just try to avoid this one! Too many old guys who lives there and if you are couple or coming the places with someone you meet. They just start sexual jokes about ur girl friend and you. Owners dont care as long as they are getting paid. Too many bedbugs and rooms are so dirty, if you want to change to sheets you have to paid for it. Pool is full of dirt, wash machines and dryers doesnt work properly but at least they dont wash the sheets in their washer. Only one just good thing about there which is people I meet there.