New 'Hip' Hostel to open in Melbourne

A brand new 'Hip' hostel, base, will open in Melbourne, Australia on the 28th May 2004 offering state-of-the-art facilities, superior comfort and high levels of service not normally associated with backpacker accommodation.

base St. Kilda Melbourne has chill out areas, a Thai Tarsei restaurant, a Red Eye bar, state of the art security, regular entertainment, TV lounges, modern shared cooking facilities, large shower cubicles, high quality fabrics, bed linen and pillows, 24-hour check in, travel desks and on-site job clubs as well as assistance with visas, banking etc all just a stone’s throw from the famous St. Kilda Beach.

The innovative new hostel will also offer “Sanctuary” floors, an upmarket girls only zone featuring luxurious bathrooms, full length mirrors, hair dryers, Egyptian cotton towels and sheets, Aveda toiletry products.

Mr Graeme Warring CEO of base says “we recognise that the backpacking industry has changed dramatically and will continue to do so,” says Warring.

“Backpackers today are better educated, have more money to spend and are more experienced travellers than your average backpacker was fifteen years ago and therefore they expect better standards and a greater range of services from a hostel. Our aim is to set new benchmarks for the discerning backpacker market, but our rates will remain as little as A$22 a night. We’re not trying to change the backpacker experience, just make it better and more reliable while still keeping a friendly and relaxed vibe.”

base is also committed to maintaining a standard of cleanliness rarely seen in budget accommodation - bathrooms are cleaned every four hours and high traffic areas such as kitchens and common areas are cleaned at least three times daily.

Warring says the St. Kilda Melbourne base is the sixth such facility opened by the company with base hostels already operating in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand and Townsville in Queensland Australia. base intends opening a facility in June this year on Magnetic Island on the Barrier Reef and another hostel is scheduled to open in the Melbourne CBD in December 2004.

Over the next eighteen months base plans to open hostels in all major backpacking destinations in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.