Melbourne Central YHA was the first hostel I have ever stayed in and I honestly think I picked a good one! The entrance is located next to the hostel's bar, Bertha Brown's and the only indication that the hostel is there is a small YHA sign next to the door. You walk into a concrete corridor past the bar to a lift (useful for the heavy bags) and a car park style stairway. "Eek what have I let myself in for?" was my initial reaction but once I was lifted up to reception, I lost every worry I had.

For a start, this is the most secure hostel I stayed in on my trip. You need a key card to get into the building (it is open before 9pm) and the lift doesn't work if you don't scan your key card first. Once you get out of the lift, you need your key card again to access your floor and again to get into your room.

The reception area is warm and friendly with plenty of books to delve into should you wish to and every snippet of information you could wish for to help you get the most out of Melbourne, including noticeboards (also on every floor) advertising current events and local excursions. The staff were all lovely, very friendly and incredibly happy to help. Check in was also easy and quick.

I stayed at this hostel for four nights, the first of which I stayed in a double room. This room was very spacious but basic, containing just a bed and a chair, a mirror on the door and bedside tables. Linen was already prepared so thankfully I could jump straight into bed and a towel was provided too. The room I chose wasn't ensuite (though they do have ensuite rooms should you want one) but the communal bathrooms were just down the corridor, very clean and well looked after. the showers each have a changing room too with a bench and hooks to hand clothes on which was great.

Check out time is 10am and I couldn't move into my new room until 2pm but the reception staff put my bag in a secure storage room with a tag/receipt for free and also gave me a key card that enabled me to use all of the facilities in the hostel until I checked into my new room.

For the remainder of my stay I was in a three bed dorm on a comfortable top bunk. The room was quiet (apart from someone moving in at 4am) but very warm and stuffy. The window only opened a small amount and at least let some fresh air in but didn't really help. There are lockers provided under the beds but you need a padlock for them ($8 from reception if you don't have your own). Linen is provided but you need to make your own bed and remove the sheets when you leave (as per most hostels), towels are not provided in share rooms.

The communal facilities were excellent. There are laundry rooms, television rooms and kitchens on every floor, a lovely, spacious balcony on the first floor and a fantastic terrace on the roof with great views of the surrounding area.

The best thing about the hostel was the location. Being on Flinders Street you are close to everything. Southern Cross Station, home to the Skybus terminal is just around the corner, five minutes by foot. The Melbourne Aquarium, the Crowne Casino Complex and Yarra River are all opposite the hostel just behind the buildings you see as you walk out. The Eureka Building is about a 15 minute walk if you cross the river and walk down Southbank. The Neighbours centre and tours to Ramsay Street and Phillip Island leave from two doors down to the right and Flinders Street Station and Federation Square are a 15 minute walk if you turn left out of the hostel. There is also a tram stop right outside the hostel which serves the major tram routes (including up to Flinders Street Station and Fed Square) and the free City Circle Tram.

For the money you pay for a double room ($90 a night) you may find a cheap hotel or B&B that may be a little more amenable but I doubt you would find as good a location for the same price. My only other advice would be to be wary of the cafes locally as they are a little more expensive than other places used by locals. If you need to eat in the immediate area, take advantage of the hostel discounts for breakfasts etc. Also be aware of the wifi cards. If you have travelled in Australia/New Zealand before, you will know that wifi is expensive and most hostels connect to global gossip. When you enter your code and pin, make sure you choose the correct plan (ie. pay as you go, per hour, 24 hours etc) otherwise the $8 you paid for 24 hours disappears very quickly. The home page isn't always clear about this. Also if you connect using your iphone first, you have to use pay as you go and you can't transfer your credit to a laptop.

The Melbourne Central YHA is possibly a little more expensive that other hostels but you get what you pay for and with YHA that is a certain standard; clean, roomy, friendly, well looked after and a fantastic location. I would not hesitate to recommend this hostel or to stay there again myself.