Choice Backpackers

The location is top and the price very good. There are just a view minor things, like sometimes missing paper towels in the bathroom, a simple toilet brush, the kitchen floor closed for some hours every day even when you don't want to use the kitchen, but fill up your food stock or stay at the eating area. And why do the windows look like they weren't cleaned for a decade. Still a nice place for 24$ in Winter.

I stayed at this hostel for 15 days and overall had a really good time. The atmosphere was friendly, and it was easy to meet people from different places. The location is convenient, making it easy to get around and explore the city. The facilities are simple but have everything you need for a comfortable stay. The kitchen is available, but it’s quite small and not always very clean, so it can be a bit challenging during busy hours. Staff were helpful and polite whenever I had questions. If you’re looking for an affordable and decent place to stay, this hostel is a good choice.

Very cheap and convenient (located in central city), but smells bad, like someone hasn’t showered for a while. So I don’t recommend unless you are desperate for place to stay. I would’ve paid a little extra to stay at somewhere at least not obnoxious.

As a return guest Surprisingly, this time we got a pretty good room! and a city view from our room windows. If I can give 4.5 star. 0.5 just some space for improvement. Happy with our stay!

Just stayed here for the past week. Wasn’t a big fan of this place. Seemed liked bizarre management decisions and definitely lacked certain essential amenities. Here are the pros: in a great location, accessible to so many things. It’s a reasonable price. Excellent water pressure and plenty of hot water. They were also very friendly. That’s about where this list ends. Cons: 1. I’ll start with the showers. I don’t know which rooms have the bathrooms and showers pictured in the photos they use on Hostelworld and on Google, but those are not the bathrooms and showers that my floor (floor 10) had. The showers are crammed in these small closets where there is ZERO room to move, undress, etc (see attached laughable photos); one shower doesn’t drain at all and forms a pond which then overflows; and both showers leak all over not just the little closet it’s crammed in, but all over the bathroom outside as well. In terms of the leaks, I really don’t understand how hostel managements don’t take showers in their own showers they’re trying to market and just fix the leaks. It’s really not hard. In terms of the lack of space, at that point, trying to cram showers inside closets isn’t the move - just give us a locker room shower setup. The photos they advertised are NOT what you get if you get a single room. This should be noted in their listing and photos of all bathroom should be provided if there is variation (which there was). 2. The lack of heat/heater midwinter. My single room was basically the same temperature as outside (midwinter) the entire time (so between 40-52 degrees F and 5-11 degrees C). I asked for an extra blanket and was provided one, so thanks to them for that. I understand not having individual climate control in every room, but at least heat the floors with some type of central heating. They really ought to make it clear that there is no heater. I was either under all my blankets in bed, or was bundled up and sitting on a couch in the lobby (where there was heat). Not a very enjoyable stay if I’m doing everything I can to avoid relaxing/decompressing in my room. Their excuse is probably that heating the floors or fixing the shower leaks/drains would be expensive. But they were also completely repainting the entire lobby 1 shade whiter than it already was. It looked like a normal hostel lobby and repainting it didn’t really improve it. So maybe save the money and invest in some heaters and plumbers. Kinda baffles me that repainting was a priority. 3. There was only 1 double holed outlet in my room, and it was nowhere near the bed. So keep that in mind. I can handle dingy places, or uncomfortable beds, or sour smells, or faded paint (not that it had any of those - if it did I didn’t really notice), but not having the essential of heat in the winter and having crammed, leaky bathrooms that weren’t advertised properly is an issue.

This hostel is great if you want to be centrally located in Auckland. The rooms are comfortable, but the best part is the staff. Everyone is very friendly. I will definitely recommend 😊

Broken washing machines for days. When asking the reception they said to do it elsewhere, fine. In the afternoon I see a customer paying at the counter and using the downstairs laundry. When I ask why I was told that he was a long timer. How does that make a difference ? Manager is polite but the youngest woman is terrible at customer service. Other than that the place is fine and affordable but the 1 star is for the difference in treatment.

For a cheap hostel, you get what you pay for, however, $90 for a private room with shared bathroom, I wouldn’t have even paid that price. I booked this place for my friends last minute as it was the only option and the photos online looked okay. I went with them to check in. The lady (staff) I spoke to on the phone and another one we met in the elevator was somewhat abrupt with their attitude. The room was very cold with no heating, no opening window, bed was covered in thick dust we could see on our hand with one swipe, broken blinds that don’t block out any light, toxic black mould on the windows and frames and walls. Walls had average patched holes in them and the walls were made of thin and flimsy material, if you press them it bends. The bed only had a bottom sheet and a thin duvet so it didn’t appear warm at all. Unfortunately my friends just got changed and ready for the concert they were attending, and checked out and opted to drive a long way home late at night due to health concerns with black mould which should be the bare minimum of cleaning. They gave no refund for the 2 hours spent there despite us pointing out these issues, they gave no solution. Location was good as it’s close to the city so if you don’t care about any of the above then this is for you. I’ve stayed at many hostels throughout nz and internationally and this is the poorest standard place I’ve ever seen and is a disappointment of a representation of NZ hospitality standards.