Cory
Google
I recently stayed at Absoloot Hostel in Queenstown, and overall it is a good hostel. However, I personally think a 4.6/5 is a bit overrated.
First of all, the rooms are quite uneven in quality. The first room I stayed in for several days had an issue with a strange clicking noise coming from the bed or power outlet, which was honestly stressful and made me feel unsafe, as if something could short-circuit. When I changed rooms later, this problem completely disappeared, which shows that not all rooms are at the same standard.
On the negative side, the price feels high for a mixed dormitory, especially considering there is no female-only dorm option.
That being said, there are also many positive aspects regarding the rooms. Privacy curtains on the beds, individual reading lights, comfortable beds, and generally clean dorms.
The shared bathrooms are excellent: modern, spacious, and very clean. I actually preferred using the shared bathrooms rather than the ensuite bathrooms inside the rooms, which were lower quality. That said, an important ownside is that the sinks in the shared bathrooms have absolutely no surface or shelf to place your toiletries. No counter space, no small shelf, nothing. Everyone ends up putting their belongings on the floor, which is not hygienic at all.
Cleanliness overall is good, and you can clearly see that the hostel is cleaned daily, which is appreciated. However, I don’t understand why the kitchen is cleaned around midday, exactly when most people want to cook and eat. You constantly feel like you’re in the way while staff are mopping the floor.
As a digital nomad, a major downside for me was the lack of any quiet working space. There is literally no place in the hostel where you can take a call without disturbing others or being disturbed. The TV room has a desk, but it faces the whole room, so there’s no privacy. The reception has a tiny desk and some sofas, but loud music is playing all the time. The kitchen is obviously very noisy.
I’ve stayed in more than a dozen hostels around the world, so I know hostels are not designed to be coworking spaces. Still, it’s usually possible to find at least one quiet corner. Here, I truly couldn’t find any.
Socially, I didn’t find this hostel very engaging. I met a few people, but the majority of guests were families with young children. As a result, the hostel is noisy, but without the usual social backpacker vibe.
Positive points overall: generally clean facilities and an amazing, extremely central location.
One last important issue happened at checkout. Make sure you are extremely careful with the dates you write on your food containers in the fridge. I had clearly written that I was checking out on the 18th, and at noon on the 18th, all my food was thrown away. Later, while searching, I found part of my food inside the staff boxes, which I honestly did not understand.
This included a full meal I had saved, yogurts, and a brand-new pack of cookies I had for my 2pm flight.
Even worse, I have a medical treatment that must be kept cold. When I arrived in the kitchen, my medication was sitting on the table at room temperature. Someone could easily have thrown it away. I have no idea how long it had been out of the fridge.
When I spoke to staff, I was told that sometimes people leave food behind. I understand that, but in this case, the date had NOT passed. A bit of flexibility would have been appreciated.
So if you plan to leave food in the fridge and eat it after the official checkout time, I would strongly recommend writing an extra day on your label to avoid everything being thrown away.
In conclusion: good hostel, great location, but not worth 4.6/5 in my opinion, especially if you’re a digital nomad or someone looking for either quiet or a strong social atmosphere.
