New Zealand’s top 10 small hostels
June 4th, 2009 by Tim Uden
The latest BUG New Zealand guidebook reviews of around 500 hostels throughout New Zealand.
New Zealand’s hostels range from small intimate places to large modern multi-storey hostels with hundreds of beds although compared with Australia the emphasis is mostly on smaller hostels.
When I asked the authors working on the travel guide, their favourites were invariably these smaller hostels where the managers remember your name and provide a warmer welcome and a more personal service, all while keeping the hostel clean.
New Zealand’s smaller hostels also have the advantage of catering more to true independent travellers as they are generally too small to cater to backpacker buses like Kiwi Experience, Magic or Stray.
Based on the guidebook author’s recommendations I have compiled a list of New Zealand’s top 10 small hostels.
Most of New Zealand’s top 10 small hostels – all with less than 60 beds – are unique hostels with lots of charm, but some are known for the top-quality fittings and others for the friendly hospitable staff.
New Zealand’s top 10 small hostels are:
- Bay Adventurer (Paihia, Northland)
- Beaconstone (Charleston, West Coast)
- Billy Brown’s (Port Chalmers, Otago)
- The Bug (Nelson)
- Hopewell (Marlborough Sounds, Marlborough)
- Juggler’s Rest (Picton, Marlborough)
- Moana Lodge (Plimmerton, Wellington)
- Mt Cook YHA (Mount Cook, Canterbury)
- Old Slaughterhouse (Hector, West Coast)
- Tree House Backpackers Lodge (Kohukohu, Northland)
All these hostels are reviewed on the BUG website and also in the third edition of BUG New Zealand, which is now available in bookshops in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
You can also buy the book online from amazon.co.uk, Waterstones (with free delivery in the UK) or the Book Depository (which has free worldwide shipping).
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September 26th, 2009 at 3.48 am
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October 7th, 2009 at 12.40 pm
Hi Tim,
I’m not sure I can agree with your classification of Bay Adventurer as a “small” hostel. Or YHA Mt Cook for that matter.The rest of your list are much more like small hostels NZ style.
October 11th, 2009 at 5.14 am
@Eric Foley
Well Bay Adventurer and Mt Cook YHA aren’t as small as Billy Brown’s or some of the excellent BBH hostels that have under 20 beds, but these hostels certainly aren’t big hostels either (like some of the big VIP and YHA hostels catering to the backpacker bus crowd).
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March 2nd, 2011 at 11.48 am
There are so many facilities at Bay Adventurer Backpackers Resort that it’s impossible to fit them all on this page. This Paihia Backpackers has all the usual facilities – internet access, TV lounge, kitchens, female only dorms, laundry facilities etc as well as things you wouldn’t expect like FREE kayaks and bikes to use and in winter you can even use a sunbed for FREE!
April 5th, 2011 at 4.55 am
There are also camping grounds throughout the country, as well as in New Zealand’s national parks. Some tourists rent campers and travel from campground to campground taking in the sites as they go. Some campsites are free and are commonly used by bike touring groups who need accommodations for the night.
September 12th, 2011 at 11.23 am
New Zealand accommodation tips and suggestions… so you are thinking nabout travelling to New Zealand, and of course you are going to need nplaces to stay. We have put together for you some definitions of what naccommodation options are available in New Zealand.
September 14th, 2011 at 7.27 am
Hostels are primarily geared towards younger travellers, and are great
places to party, meet new people from around the globe and share
information on places to go and see. Most hostel operators in New
Zealand will also gladly help you with your travel plans, and many
hostels have long-term residents who they employ as desk clerks or
housekeeping staff in exchange for free accommodation.
September 22nd, 2011 at 12.54 pm
You can have a New Zealand holiday quite cheaply, if you are willing to
forgo the luxury items, and plan a holiday around the huge range of
wonderful activities enjoying nature in her more natural state! That
is…sticking to activities that have no price tag! If you make it a
policy to do as much as you can that is free…or almost free, you can
still have an amazing New Zealand experience.