Firehouse Hostel - Backpacker Hostel in Austin - 605 Brazos St, USA

Loved Howie! He was really friendly and the rooms were very chill. Loved all the guests here! The kitchen area gets a bit lively during the weekends which is cool to see and the speakeasy downstairs is a cool experience :) (You also get a free drink for staying here so don’t miss that)

I’ve stayed in over 20 hostels in 12 different countries and nowhere have I struggled to sleep as much as at the Firehouse Hostel. The bass from the speakeasy downstairs carries to all the rooms until 2:30 in the morning, even on Sunday night. The hostel staff were kind enough to offer ear plugs but still it sucked. The bathroom wasn’t the cleanest. However, everything else was pretty good. Kitchen was decent and the location is pretty good. I just wouldn’t recommend staying here on weekends.

Mixed feelings, because it is cheaper than most anywhere else, though the $38 per day parking nearby offsets that if you have a car. Location wise, it's great to walk to places, and there were good people to talk to in the hostel, but I ended up checking out early due to issues that prevented me from sleeping: 1. This is located right above a bar that plays music very loud, and if you have a dorm on the second floor, you are going to have a rough time sleeping at night even on a weekday, even with ear plugs with how the bass carries. If this was the only issue, I would get over it and just sleep from 2:00 in the morning until 9:00 or 10:00. 2. With 8 people in a room it can get pretty muggy, and the ventilation doesn't seem to keep up with the level of humidity, so the windows have to be opened at night, which leads to all kinds of traffic noise... I wear earplugs every night, but that close there's not much that helps. 3. Some guests in the hostel may need to be interviewed about whether or not they have stayed at a hostel before, or have the front desk emphasize that you should not be on a phone call at 6:00 in the morning, or laughing at YouTube videos that you watch on your phone. Two of the guests in my dorm did not seem to understand that. 4. Blackout curtains, and curtain rods... Almost all of the curtains in the room let in plenty of light, making mornings after a late night difficult as mentioned in the first point... Not only that, but one of the curtain rods is falling down in room 201 which lets even more light in. I really appreciate the staff there, they answered my questions and helped me check out early. I needed my own space and didn't want to risk additional nights with issues in other rooms. Perhaps a bit more detail on some of the rooms or arrangements based on people's desire for sleep versus staying out late would be helpful going forward for people making a decision to stay here.

I stayed in the 6 bed male dorm. The room was unfortunately quite cramped and there frankly wasn't any shared space for you to place your personal belongings, so you'd have to store your stuff in the "locker" which is essentially the floor space below the lower bunk bed but with a locked door. I ended up just placing my personal belongings on my bed which is the upper bunk bed. Speaking of the upper bunk bed, I was quite alarmed when I found that there was a huge gap between the bed and the wall (I was sleeping on the upper bunk bed next to the window), and since it was just a twin bed, I was worried that I would accidentally fall off the upper bunk to the floor (or worse, fall out from the third floor window). If you are in a fortunate position to pick a bed, I would recommend a lower bunk bed. The male showers were fine - stable supply of hot water, and the stalls were never all occupied. However, since there was no hook and there was just a small shelf in the stall, I had to dress up outside the stall. The hostel does not provide breakfast, but there are plenty of great eateries just around the corner. It also doesn't organize events, although it has a "speakeasy" bar on the ground floor. Since the hostel is in the heart of downtown Austin (and it even has its own bar), music could be heard in the bedroom even at midnight. I could hear the bass pumping through my mattress at 1am. At one point the music would stop, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that, but if you are a light sleeper, I would recommend some ear plugs. The hostel is located in a convenient location - the next few blocks are all bars, and there are even more bars if you are willing to walk 5-10 minutes more. Plus, you can walk to major tourist attractions or take public buses to get to where you want to go. With a convenient location and a low price, this hostel is hard to beat. I would stay here again, but perhaps try my best to check in at 3pm to claim a lower bunk bed if I can.

Had a nice 5-night stay here. Rooms and facilities were decently clean. Everyone at the front desk—with a special mention for Howie—were exceptional in helping me get situated and explore around Austin. As for location, the hostel is located near a very busy nightlight scene, so the rooms can be noisy at night. There is also a noticeable homeless population in the area. Overall, the hostel is well run, accommodating, and a good value for its price.

Really loved this hostel. Fantastic location just off 6th street, heaps of pubs and live music. The rooms were a bit cramped but you could store stuff under the bunks, the beds were comfy and spacious - able to make a neat little bed cave for yourself on the better bunk. Communal toilets / showers were great and you never had to wait. Kitchen was a vibe and easy to use. And the speakeasy adjoined is super cute. Awesome value for money!

I need to start off by saying the front desk man Howie is the absolute best! I cant recommend this place enough. The 3 star room review is just because a personal experience I had with a person in my room. Besides that I highly recommend this place, the atmosphere is awesome plus the bar is also one of my favorite bars in Austin! Thanks for the awesome time Firehouse!

staying at this hostel was a delightful experience. the staff were friendly and welcoming. i landed in very fresh to Austin and found lovely outgoing people with unique stories and ideas. cooking in the kitchen and clicking into having a good time was made easy. a lovely lad behind the desk, Howie gave great advice on things to do around and brought a brilliant attitude to help us all get to know each other. a pure European like hostel and a breath of cool air in the Austin heat!! i would definitely stay again and hope others get to have a good time there too.