Curiocity Backpackers Johannesburg

Everybody very friendly, good vibes, and a nice hostel to stay. The office could do a bit better though: I prepaid the Inner City Walking Tour when I booked the hostel on their website, and it took _four_ email communications with them to confirm the date of that tour. Basically they ignored my email request three times to sign up for a certain date (it was the only date available for me), and finally on the 4th try they confirmed me for that tour. And then they had a nice braii, which I signed up for. At the dinner nobody asked for payment so I assumed the next morning when I checked out I could pay for the braii, since I'd already asked them the cost of it, told them I wanted to join etc. However, management must have realized they missed catching me for the payment that evening, and at midnight they sent the poor girl (she felt bad) into the room to take the payment, turning on the light, disturbing the others, and waking me from a deep sleep. Kind of insulting - as though they thought I would get up early and leave and skip paying? Or whatever the intention, that is how I read the situation, anyway.

We booked the Cooper apartment on Fox Street - Jhb (31 Dec 2024 - 02 Jan 2025). What a frustrating check-in process experience. The address on the booking confirmation email doesn't indicate the address for the apartments but for the 12 Decades (I think the hostels). When you arrive there there's absolutely NO clearly visible signage except for a small black sticker sticker by the door handle with a dark background. So if you arrive in the evening would be a headache in trying to figure out where you're suppose to go. The security officer also was confused on where we are suppose to go, kept asking us about room numbers and confirmation email indicated no room but did say we are booked in the apartments. When the WhatsApp line is called the officer seemed to have an idea on where we are suppose to go but informed us there's no parking but we enquired about the paid parking a week before check-in and we were informed that parking is available....also though the site says they're cashless, YOU PAY CASH for the parking (those ashtray coins really saved our bacon). The lady on the WhatsApp line had to come and speak to the security officer and we were allocated parking but we had to move because when the owner of parking space next to our parking blocked us in (due to parking bay orientation). "Checking-in" took us 30 - 45mins sitting in the car since there's no reception area for Fox Street. The apartment was as per pictures on the website but the wear and tear on the furniture was very apparent and the balcony fold-up door latches broken and could not close properly (safety issue) but satisfactory. The apartment was clean, line fresh and beds extremely comfortable. All the list amenities are available. Summarise: 1. CLEAR and VISIBLE signage for the 12 Decades/Apartments/hostels. 2. Update the websites for the 12 Decades/Apartments/hostels so that there's a clear drop-off for e-hailing and navigating. 3. Need to train every staff member and service providers on the facility and procedure for checking-in. 4. Since the apartment is on the 1st floor, the window latches need to be fixed this could be a safety issue since you can climb on the apartment balcony from the lift area. 5. Deep clean the couches.

I had a great stay at this hostel in Johannesburg! The people here are extraordinary—always ready to help out if you need anything. The guided tours they offer are amazing, packed with interesting and important history. The rooms, bathrooms, and common areas are all clean and well-maintained. Each room comes with lockers for your belongings. Overall, it was a great experience, and I highly recommend this hostel to anyone visiting Johannesburg!

GREAT VIBE LOVELY STAFF i will definitely recommend . . ideally situated to take in the wonders of the city great Art walk . well stocked bar good coffee what more could you ask for we will be back no need to be afraid to stay in the city immerse yourself in this important history

I absolutely loved my stay at Curiocity in Joburg. They have the essentials like clean bathrooms, warm water, and a comfortable bed, but they also have lots of bonus features like the bar, outside, lounge, balcony, and pool. The tours offered by Curioicty are worth your time: the guides were knowledgeable in many niche topics and went above and beyond to make sure we felt safe in the big city. The employees are all very kind, and many stayed after their shifts ended to hang out with us (Verna and Tanya ＜3). The location is located on a tourist safe streets with lots of places to eat, shop (convenience and knick knacks). Highly recommend Curiocity in Johannesburg!

Staying here for the beginning of my groups South Africa travels was wonderful. Everyone who worked here was amazing Marvin the manager was great and accommodated for our group very efficiently and effectively. Everyone who worked there was wonderful I wish I didn’t have to leave. I also made a special connection with the girls which was so great. Tanya, Bontle and Verna were amazing people! They took us to the surrounding places to eat and drink we have such amazing conversations and experiences with them.