YHA Nelson

Fantastic experience: Spend two nights there and it was super nice! Nice rooms, a lot of spaces, big kitchen and an outdoor area. The staff is super friendly and happy to help or answer your questions! The only thing to know, if you plan to stay there, is that you have a limited use of the Wi-Fi per-day, so if you need to book your next steps or work with wifi, you will need to buy some more data (1GB per day allowed). But otherwise, The hostel is well located and confortable for a few nights! Really enjoyed my stay!

Fantastic experience: This hostel has been recently renovated and offers a wide range of room options from single twin doubles to dormitory rooms The hostels kitchen is spacious with everything you need to prepare a snack or a hearty meal. The TV and games room is also very spacious and has various games There is an outside area where you can sunbathe read a good book or catch up with friends. The beds and rooms are very comfortable There is plenty of natural sunlight. The staff on the front desk are always there to help you arrange attractions to vist Please visit this most excellent hostel right in the middle of Nelson a 2 minute walk to the nearest supermarket and the weekend markets. Welcome to the YHA Nelson Nelson is an exceptional area with plenty to see and experience like the Able Tasman national park.

Fantastic experience: Very nice location Very nice rooms I enjoyed it Very bice kitchen and well equipped

Fantastic experience: good folk

Negative experience: Due to system issue I pay double price for a night. The manager promised will help me check for the refund status but I still not received any response now. They are rude and the first accommodation make me feel super uncomfortable. Funny thing is that night have no hot shower for all guest. Every guest have to take cold shower coz no staff at the front desk. When check out, they no even say a goodbye with you and just asking “did you strip you sheet?” Wow surprise me.At the end,the hostel denied my refund request. Maybe they are mad becoz I gave them bad review. Hope u guys read this review before you step in that hostel.

Negative experience: The hostel itself is ok, good location, quiet rooms (naff pillows though) and some nie bathrooms + a sauna, so can’t complain on that fron. HOWEVER, the manager on the front is one of the most rude and patronising people I have ever met. Brown hair, glasses, very unfriendly, I suggest he’s avoided at all costs. I EVEN heard him belittling one of his staff, refusing her legally allowed time off. Not acceptable and caused me to leave the establishment immediately. He completely ruined my perception of Nelson as a whole. Rude rude man, HR should be involved

Fantastic experience: Has a sauna. Fun hostel to meet people.

Fantastic experience: Great hostel in the center of Nelson, tr hostel is clean and secure. Special thanks to the staff who were very helpful and called up the Abel Tasman shuttle service when I was having trouble booking online. I suggest renting a bike from there and exploring the wineries nearby. A nice perk is the on-site sauna.

Negative experience: No parking !!!! I stopped renting a room that came with a bathroom because I was told that there was parking available. Sadly, upon my arrival, I discovered there was no parking. It would have been helpful if they had mentioned this in the description. Additionally, there are no TVs in the rooms and the internet allowance is limited to 1 GB. Based on my experience, I do not recommend staying here."

Negative experience: Not great. Rooms have no privacy, no curtains on the beds. Almost no power outlets in the entire hostel. 1 in an 8 person room only. Rooms had no place to store stuff, the room was a big mess. Location is good, this is really the only positive.

Negative experience: Absolutely unfriendly staff. Free internet costs extra.

Fantastic experience: great hostel with lots of places to hangout and activities. they have an entire board at the office with all of the things going on in the area and attractions nearby. the rooms are clean and they also have free bread every morning. very nice canadian girl works there and loved chatting with her! would stay here again!

Fantastic experience: This was one of my favourite hostels during my trip through New Zealand! The hostel is big and looks great, the staff is super friendly and helpful and also can give great tips for stuff to do. The rooms are big enough for all our big backpacks and there are several showers and toilets. There's also a big kitchen and lounge area. The only thing this hostel could improve is a big cleaning in the more quieter periods, there's quite a lot of calcium on the shower heads and dust in the vents. But other than that this place is great!

Fantastic experience: Stayed here many times; great location, but the bread every morning really makes it for me! Facilities are always clean & staff is always welcoming.

Negative experience: YHA hostels lost all their quality after they were sold. There were hostels that were particularly recommended before and that I was very pleased with. However, unfortunately, after the new owner, they could not manage the process well. The problems experienced are still waiting for a solution through booking. Unfortunately, the process has not been completed for 1 month. Please stay away from YHA hostels.

Fantastic experience: Most Professionally Run Establishment I've stayed in 30 years!! Exceptionally clean! Lots of amenities. Close to everything.

Negative experience: Rudest personnel I have ever had!!!! Was welcomed with the words: LEAVE! The guy at the reception really shouted at me! I didn’t do anything except from walking into the hostel! Never again!!!! Addendum: If the staff had good manners, they could have kindly pointed this out to me. But to claim that I was pretending to be on the phone is simply a lie. Moreover, I was not ,told‘ that I should be seen. I was shouted at! Sorry, but a grown man working at a reception really could have said that more kindly!

Negative experience: Manager ignoring guest's request and even don't listen carefully. ( That's why you still saying that I misunderstood what your team said to me. ) Behind high tension service voice and attitude, he doesn't care anyway. + Hostel team's reply only saying I 'misunderstood' your team. In my review all information and what you said is already included :) what part was I misunderstood? You can still insist that way with my feedback, because manager never listen and don't mind what the guest said was whole different request. I requested changing sheet because I ALREADY STAYED your hostel few days with my stuff and scars without knowing where the bites from. And I was worried jumping bug may spreaded in dorm room and sheet (from my skin? Or something?) in your hostel. even though your hostel is clean I ALREADY STAYED And I HAD TO STAY ONE MORE DAY. Now you understand? I'm not misunderstood your caring service. Manager ignored whole explanation. I had not ask and tell him this before check in, okay? Eventually my stuff and your hostel has no problem after all. That was happy ending. But, I admit now, you never understand what is the point you missing. You just deny anyway on google review and may other think you may right and I misunderstood. Manager keep forcing to guest during entire conversation with this attitude. " NO, YOU CALL OTHER HOSTEL, because our hostel is clean and ain't got any problem before" he won't say like that if he listen carefully my whole verbal explanation :) --- I requested to change to new sheet. I explained that I found scars from insect bite when after I arrived here and already stayed 2 nights here. I also said, I guess my skin got bite before arriving this hostel, but even pharmacist didn't know exact reason for that. So, could you change my sheet for proper protection anyway. Because, I'm staying in dorm with others. And added, I would do my laundry too, just want to remove any possibility bite again. But manager said " NO, our hostel is not the reason for that bites. Call the previous hostel and tell them you got bite." Ok, I think so! But just in case of any chance of something may spread from I got or something, can you change my sheets? I already stayed 2 nights here with this scars and my stuff! I'm worrying about me and other people staying in same dorm. (I thought it was very reasonable, direct explanation and request. Even though it was safe and it was only my excessive imagination. Ok, I know your hostel is impeccably clean as you insist. The thing is 'I already stayed here, and I worried any 1% of infection spread possibility from my stuff or something'. That's why I have request and ask. Don't you understand yet? manager only said 'No. that is not from here, this hostel is not the reason x 5) "NO, Our hostel is not the reason for that bites, you call them!" In your theory, I don't even need to do my laundry. It just happened previous hostel or outdoor forest. Ok, I'll do my laundry anyway first you won't change my sheet. "No, No, Call the other hostel first " ‍♀️ 'No laundry first, CALL them first?' So ridiculous rudeness. The manager only told me what to do. He didn't show any gesture of listen what guest saying even it was really direct. And can't find any caring gesture for the infection protection in the bed dorm and also guest's explanation.‍♀️‍♀️ In your theory, when guest arrive your impeccably clean hostel, there is no 1% of chance to bugs or something follow and jump in your hostel's room and sheets!! haha. I lost good impression of the place. + There was old grandpa staying and wandering hostel kitchen try to force me say hello weirdly and talk with him. " Hello ??? Hello ??? I won't eat you up, don't scared me! Do you know that this is freezer?" What the......... When he saw me talking with someone or cooking, he listen and look behind me and laughing as if he is involved in situation even he can't talk to me straight when I look at him thinking what do you want?

Fantastic experience: This is one of the best hostels there is. Their rooms are small (6 people), the staff is friendly and helpful. The location is good in the middle of walkable downtown Nelson. They have an amazing kitchen and provide free bread. They also rent bikes. All very well run.

Positive experience: Clean, comfortable, big areas but limited internet. Free bread and fruits. This is really important for backpackers.

Fantastic experience: Great hostel experience! My partner and I booked a private room with shared bathroom. Check in was speedy and the man at reception was sooo lovely and upbeat! Room and bathroom was VERY clean! Also very quiet which was lovely. I cannot stress enough how comfortable the bed was. Best bed I’ve ever slept on while travelling. Highly recommend staying here.

Negative experience: Juat walked inside this evening to enquire about the price and rooms. The receptionist was extremely arrogant and absolutely rude.

Fantastic experience: I stayed in the yha for a long term and i felt welcomed since the beginning. Royce and Linda are the most kind persons i met for a long time. There are two large and clean kitchen and you have bread for free. As well the bathrooms and dorms are very clean. Thank you for everything!

Fantastic experience: Close to everything, great shared facilities, highly recommend

Negative experience: I'm really baffled by all the 5* reviews on this page, I suspect foul play by the YHA. Overall a disappointing stay. Security is better than most hostels, but still not great. Dorm rooms are never locked and the entry code is handed out on pieces of paper so security is more of an illusion rather than having practical precautions in place. The app-based system that seems to be standard at other YHAs would be a more practical implementation. The receptionist voiced concerns about hacking, but the reality is that hackers pose a relatively mild threat compared to opportunistic thieves or other more realistic security threats. The rooms are fine but not to the usual YHA standard. Bunk beds are comfortable enough, but there's not enough headroom in the lower bunks to sit upright. Also there are neither lights nor plug sockets by the beds. Staff are friendly enough and generally helpful, but give off a very passive aggressive vibe. Warm showers with decent enough pressure. No real atmosphere, but that's pretty standard at a YHA. Whole hostel is cold. There are heaters but they turn off every 30 mins and that's generally not long enough to heat the room. Internet usage is inexplicably rationed to 1GB per day! But the thing that is most disappointing is that guests are not allowed to stay past 11am in the communal areas once they've checked out. I've never stayed in a hostel (or hotel) that has asked guests to leave the communal areas. The receptionist literally came around and quite dismissively asked me to leave at around 11:30am whilst I was sat at a table (amongst many other empty tables) minding my own business. Hostels are meant to be welcoming places that travellers can relax in. As it stands, I had to wait in a nearby cafe with all my bags until I headed out of Nelson. Allegedly this was on the grounds of health and safety "so that we know who is in the building", but given that even current guests aren't required to sign in/out, they still have no means of having an accurate roll call at any time of the day. I'm coming back to Nelson in a few days and have been recommended several other hostels that are apparently more inviting and held to a higher standard. Edit: - When I said that I was leaving 'soon', the receptionist said something along the lines of "well make sure it's by 11:30", then strutted off without further conversation. If every other YHA, hostel and hotel can somehow survive whilst allowing people to stay for a few hours in the communal areas, then I don't see why YHA Nelson feels the need to have such a guest-hostile policy. A real disappointment.

Fantastic experience: Super clean, friendly and a great location

Fantastic experience: Brilliant hostel. The friendliest and more helpful hosts we’ve met so far. They go over and beyond to make you feel safe and looked after. We went back for an additional night because we loved it so much. All the facilities were immaculate. It’s right in the centre of Nelson. Our room was so lovely, great value too.

Positive experience: Bathroom is very clean, there is a hair dryer, but ants are walking in our room it wasn’t pleasant.

Negative experience: Terrible experience. Don’t waste money!! When I originally checked in I thought the man at the front (I think his name is Royce) was kind and helpful, however don’t let his smile fool you. My friend was not able to stay at the YHA due to limited availability, and was staying at another hostel. She ran into an issue where she needed help, so she came to the lobby of the YHA to find me and get help. The man up front refused her to see me, and disrespected her entirely by telling her that he would not help her. When she asked if he could go get me or walk her back to me, he said “I find it funny how you keep repeating yourself when I’ve made it clear that I am not going to move from where I am standing”. I eventually came out front and saw her in the lobby crying. He looked over and smirked at me. After I came back from helping her, I was on a phone call and he rudely interrupted me and said “I hope you know that your friend is not allowed here at the hostel.” Later that day (after I already checked in) I called because I asked for the PIN number for after hour arrival, and he said “I can’t help you right now, just call when you get here tonight.” I called later and there was no answer or way that I could get into the hostel. Fortunately, someone from the hostel came out and helped me. As far as the hostel itself, I did not find the atmosphere warm or inviting. The private room I paid A LOT OF MONEY for was dirty, very small, and smelled bad. The bed was felt like springs and metal, with no comfort to the mattress. There was no charging station by the bed. The sheets and pillow case had dirt all over it when I arrived. The bathroom wasn’t cleaned and had hair and dirt on the sink and toilet. I highly recommend going to bridge back packers which is where my friend stayed. I visited her and it was a lovely experience. Also, I have noticed that the YHA replies to people’s unsatisfactory reviews on here and gets defensive, and puts the blame to the costumer. This is the exact unprofessional and rude behavior I experienced.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful small hostel, but with enough room for everyone. Lockers and two blankets, as well es super comfy beds! Nice people are running that hostel, which is located in the center of Nelson. Kitchen is good stocked, much space in the fridge. The bathrooms are modern and everything isn't too expensive. All in all worth it.

Fantastic experience: What a find! Awesome service. Clean, tidy, quiet and has everything you'll need. Terrific value

Positive experience: Apart from the rude guy with mental health issues in the reception, the place is actually neat and tidy!

Negative experience: The receptionist was extremely rude and not helpful whatsoever. I was gonna be away for the day and could not check in between 2 and 6, so I asked what I could do at noon: he asked for money first and then came up with ZERO solution: no late check in, no someone else getting the key for me, nada. He gladly took the payment in exchange for a vacant bed though. Please boycott this hostel for me because I’m still sickened by such behavior!

Fantastic experience: Lovely Hostel, 1gb of free WiFi and it is very cheap to top up via a paid plan. There is free bread in the kitchen every morning. Big fridge for food storage and everything you need in the two big kitchens. The staff is very nice and is happy to help!

Fantastic experience: The team are so friendly and kind; they helped me book a taxi and sorted out my bike hire. I was given excellent local advice about where to go for an affordable brunch. They were extremely accommodating with their bag storage. Thank you for making my stay in Nelson stress free.

Positive experience: Incredibly kind staff here and is family run. Owners were always super keen to make sure we were okay, could find parking and had what we needed for a comfortable stay. The hostel is a bit dated but is comfortable and has everything you need and is clearly used for community as well which is really nice for the local area and gives the place a buzz. The kitchen isn't bad, has everything you need and enough fridge space for many guests. The lounge area is a bit unusual but has a separate TV area even if it's not the most homely place. There are laundry facilities for $4 which are really handy too and you are right next to the Sunday/Saturday nelson markets and a ton of shops and cafes. The showers a little fiddly to use to get water that isn't scalding or freezing, basically turn it to about 2 o clock (if "off" was 6 o clock) and it just about works. The WiFi is only 1gb for free but it's cheap to top up with unlimited data for a $2 a day. So while a bit different to other hostels it is a nice and affordable stay and the staff make it a nice homely hospitable place!

Negative experience: Some of these reviews I'm reading MUST be organised by friends of the management here. The manager created a poor atmosphere and simply weren't hospitable. The beds were uncomfortable and hard to sleep in, perhaps the cheapest possible room set ups. There isn't a single backpacker I've stayed in yet with such a poor set up. Management need to upgrade their room set ups and to find some sense of style for what the common areas are populated with furniture/style wise (like Bridge Backpackers). Rooms also experience traffic noises, cold temperatures in November. In the common rooms, there is no vibe or atmosphere. The kitchen is good however. But the kitchen was also good in Bridge Backpackers nearby, and that place was with a warm atmosphere, styled setup to suit Nelson and sleepable beds.

Fantastic experience: Great and clean and lovely people Thanks

Fantastic experience: Very good hostel in the city center with nice common areas (kitchen, dining room, lounge, and even a TV room) and a lovely staff. As a solo traveler, I felt comfortable and safe there. I recommend it!

Negative experience: Not recommended. Check out these features: Showers with push button lights that turn off after a timer; heaters from the 80s which only allow 10min operation each time and make dreadful fan noises while running; no air conditioning; a pungent stink in the room even having the windows open doesn't fix; mattresses that feel like 3 layers of cardboard; walls so thin you can hear every detail of stranger's bathroom activities; only one wall plug in a twin share room. I could go on. How this ever achieved 5 stars I can't imagine. I've stayed in backpackers around the world and NZ, and this is one of the worst. Yes it is quite clean, and the location is okay. That's about it.

Fantastic experience: Rooms and facilities were all nice. Royce the guy at the front desk was so friendly! Enjoyed the place.

Fantastic experience: Free bread in the morning, a clean hostel and more than enough space to socialise and have a good time - you‘ll definitely find that here at the YHA. Royce from the reception is super friendly, and always there to give you tips on Nelson and the area. If you‘re ever in town and looking for comfortable, budget-friendly accommodation this is the place to stay!

Fantastic experience: I'll happily stay sgain! Super clean hostel with fantastic, friendly and helpful staff they make you feel so welcome like you'd been personally invited to stay at thier home. There was also free nelson baked fresh specailty breads ❤

Fantastic experience: One of the most modern hostels I've seen on my travels through NZ. The stuff was super friendly. The rooms and facilities are very spacious, bright and clean. Can only recommend!

Positive experience: Great quiet hostel with clean rooms and facilities. The changing door code can catch you out if forgotten but a good security measure and can call 24/7 for the code also the choices of free bread are a real bonus. Wifi is not free but high speed for $10 per week or $2 a day. Owners are not accomodating in terms of late payments or if you are waiting to be paid the next day ect but friendly and helpful otherwise. By no means a party backpackers but alcohol in moderation is allowed most guests are over 50 or sports groups under 18. Stay elsewhere if you want to meet and get social with a younger crowd.

Fantastic experience: What a beautiful time we had in Nelson! YHA Nelson had a big impact with this… Royce and the team were amazing! Clean, friendly and very supportive staff. We stayed for 4 nights, I messed up our booking but the team sorted it in no time! I felt very comfortable and safe to let my kids move around freely, all 4 of them looked forward to getting back to YHA after our outing, they loved the common room, plenty for them to do! they were quite sad when we left lol Thank you so much for your hospitality YHA we would definitely come back A+

Fantastic experience: Great location with friendly and helpful staff. It was pretty clean by hostel standards as well! I would happily stay again If you are concerned around covid stuffs, no vaccine pass is required to stay, there is a lot of shared spaces where masks are encouraged not required.

Fantastic experience: Second time I've stayed here, this time I brought the whole family. The staff are really friendly and helpful, and the rooms are comfy and clean, and the location to markets and shops is excellent. Lots of room/storage for hiking packs if doing Abel Tasman track. I highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Brilliant backpackers. The staff were excellent, the place was clean, great value.

Negative experience: No aircon. So hot in the rooms and just one fan for 4 people. Limited internet connection. The only good thing is the location.

Fantastic experience: Nice place, great service

Fantastic experience: Great place to stay. Nice and quiet. Very accommodating.

Fantastic experience: I could not recommend the YHA enough! Myself and a friend stayed here for a month whilst working over summer and enjoyed every second of our stay. The facilities are clean and comfy (and colourful!!) and the fresh bread every morning was the best bonus. Royce, Linda, and Giveen are the loveliest hosts and their welcoming energy made everything about travelling to a new place seem so much easier. Will definitely be back!

Positive experience: Staff is lovely and the hostel is very clean. However, We went to 2 different four-bedrooms: high ceiling, you can't see outside cause window are too high, lots of noise from the street. We asked to be moved to another room and even though hostel was empty they refused.

Fantastic experience: YHA location is great.The receptionist and the manager were so warm and accommodating.My husband was unwell and they showed the utmost concern and kept checking on us.They did everything to make our stay comfortable.The facilities and rooms are very modern, neat and clean.Will definitely be going back.

Negative experience: Although the Hostel is clean and tidy I found it to be less than user friendly due to some of the permanent guests being allowed to bully and disrespect other guests with the full knowledge of management who seemed to have the attitude that complantants should get over it..

Negative experience: Unfortunately felt like the place was fairly run down and not well maintained compared to other YHA’s I have stayed at in the past. Booking with confidence that their standards would remain the same although this was a big disappointment. We checked in and were provided with an after hours code for the front door which was incorrect and left us standing outside in the rain with our bags waiting for the correct code on their after hours helpline. We then arrived into our room (6 bed female dorm) and it appeared people were properly living there. It was a complete mess, dirty, heaps of hair within bed sheets and pillows, horrible smell, and the bathrooms looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in weeks!! I would not recommend staying at the Nelson YHA and this experience has tainted my views on YHA for future travel / bookings.

Positive experience: Great location and service from the front desk, clean and tidy rooms and amenities.

Fantastic experience: Good facilities, helpful staff

Fantastic experience: Great hostel. We were there in the middle of winter and were a day late after some epic floods in the Tasman. Royce the owner was great with changing the booking. The rooms itself were clean and tidy and had great common areas. Nice lounge area to relax and do some work or reading. Right in the middle of town

Fantastic experience: Perfect spot for an overnight stay after our hike (they also stored our luggage as well!) we booked a double room with ensuite which was clean and comfortable, and the communal facilities were spacious and well supplied. Highlight was reception staff who were extremely friendly, helpful and understanding when we had last minute change in plans due to severe weather and road closures.

Negative experience: Gross I saw they put ad on Backpacker board, it said work can exchange accommodation, so I sent them email and moved to Nelson, I thought I can start work and don’t need to pay for accommodation, but when I came they asked how many nights I want to book, I said 5 nights, cause I don’t think they will let me stay one night and teach me how to work there, so they charged me 5 nights, after transaction, I asked when I can start work, the manager said oh, after you stay there several days, it’s not an exchange accommodation job, they just use this trick to earn your money, I stayed one night there and checked out the second day’s morning, and they said can’t refund the left four nights money.

Fantastic experience: I have stayed here many times and it is always great! Very friendly people at the front desk. And there is so much space in the communal areas (the lounge is really cool). Would definitely recommend staying here.

Fantastic experience: Top place, all the things you need and really clean too!

Fantastic experience: This is a great place to stay. Clean & Tidy YHA, has kitchen, bathroom, laundry, TV room, everything you need. Staff are friendly, helpful & very welcoming. Right in the heart of Nelson City!

Fantastic experience: Nice yha

Fantastic experience: I stayed at YHA Nelson for 4 nights (23-27 Jan 2021). The place is right in the centre of the town, a walking distance to where you wish to visit and everything was really clean. The facilities there were fully equipped (kitchens, bathrooms, etc.). The most important aspect of all is the super friendly staff, Royce and Gurveen, who always gave you a big smile and provided you with all the information and support you need (very informative too!). Highly recommended for everyone! Thank you very much, Royce and Gurveen. I will find time to go back and will definitely recommend YHA to all of my friends! Khem.

Negative experience: I even first time to review I stayed in the women's room for six. last day of the check, out I left my luggage and I was going to pick it up but reception man ask me where are you going?(first time said to me ,,,) he asked for the room number because I said that I checked out. I'm going to the bathroom and then I'm going to take my luggage out. He kept chasing me and told me that I couldn't get in if I checked out, he chased me to the bathroom. I felt so bad. It's not like I'm stealing things. I felt racial discrimination. I don't know if it was a manager or something, but he was a tall man wearing glasses. I was going out in 5 minutes, but he checked CCTV and followed me to where I was. I'm in a bad mood. I'm not one to steal. he asked me more than 10 times where I am going and what are you doing? Is this what you can say when you meet someone for the first time? I feel so bad. I was very offended. :( you ruin my day,,, I've never even written a review before. Did he smile at me until the end and find all the luggage,,, you made me feel bad until the end.

Fantastic experience: All good I like reception that they are welcome with smile the room is clean quiet also comfortable near by bus station and all markets :)

Fantastic experience: clean, helpful

Fantastic experience: A lovely accommodation opportunity in the centre of the CBD area of Nelson. Lots of car parking nearby

Positive experience: Very clean place. The kitchen is well equipped and there are some free breads in the commubal kitchen when we visited. They also have ebikes for hire. The hostel is in a very centralised location which is very convenient. One downside is that the partition walls are not good for sound proofing, bring a pair of ear plugs to have a good night sleep.

Fantastic experience: Good clean cheap single room $50 night. Great for overnight bike trips. Secured court yard off street bike parking. Individual locked wash rooms. Shared lounge & kitchen. Right in CBD Nelson for bars & cafes

Negative experience: The guy from the reception sort of kicked me out. How rude. He couldn’t let me sit in the kitchen doing nothing. He wanted me to check out the hostel, without saying it directly, but by asking the question “are you checking out?” he made it very clear. And that in spite of telling me earlier today that it would be fine if I stayed until 11 o’clock. It’s now 10.10 am. I’d say that’s really bad customer service. After I posted the review I was called, the man apologized and explained himself. I guess the previously described issue was just miscommunication that came across quite rude. But maybe that’s something someone who works in hospitality really needs to be perfect at—kind and respectful communication. Anyway, the beds were very comfortable. The pace is really clean. I had a good night. I checked in late and haven’t received any instructions what to do this morning before check out so I think the man at the reception didn’t know that and might have been a bit annoyed that I didn’t? The lady who checked me in last night was extremely kind and respectful. It really depends who you deal with eh? All that matters in any experience you make is the people who you make it with... Namaste

Fantastic experience: Nice single room & the bathrooms plus kitchen are updated. Lovely helpful staff and in a prime central location.

Fantastic experience: Neat and clean. Great location

Fantastic experience: Awesome service, great price on bike rental and assistance in booking other excursions. Definitely recommend .

Fantastic experience: We stayed in it three days it was good hotel and rooms and kitchen and very clean and serivs ... We were very happy in it and cheaper price I hope all people go there

Negative experience: First time that I post a message about a hostel because I had a really bad experience. I stayed 2 weeks there. The personal was really good except the manager with the eyeglasses. At the beginning I booked one week, and my checkout was Sunday at 10am, he knows that I would like to stay one more week but he come in my room at 10.05am to ask to pay or to leave.. good trusting in your customer man ! And he’s really lunatic man, sometimes he talk to you badly and 20 minutes after with big smile. I have the impressed that he doesn’t recognize myself. I can’t believe to met a man like him in this kind of hostel. That’s really a shame for YHA. And when I left this place, I forgot one of my key on the keychain. I came back to ask him it. And my key is gone, really weird story... There is a lot a good hostel, don’t go in this one. And finaly you have not Free WiFi, a bit a shame in 2020...

Positive experience: Adequate. If you are looking for homely accommodation, with character, then this is not that.

Fantastic experience: very clean, staff is very nice and the location is ideal. there's even bread for breakfast every morning !

Fantastic experience: Well laid out, the kitchen is well stocked and there is free fresh baked bread every morning! Staff and management were friendly and helpful. Great amenities; games room, yoga mats, sauna, tv room, bag storage...

Positive experience: 1. The WiFi is only 1G for one day, and if that’s not enough, you have to pay an extra 2 yuan for unlimited data for another day. 2. The bathroom only has cold or hot water, so you can only choose to freeze or burn. 3. It feels like it wasn't cleaned properly; as soon as you enter the room, there’s a strong smell of sweat, but I'm not sure if it’s from other roommates. 4. The height of the bottom bunk is super low; you can't sit up straight on the bed. If you want to use your phone in bed, your neck and back have to bend, or you can only lie down (I’m 154 cm tall). In short, this is the YHA I like the least so far; no wonder it’s so cheap (member price is 19.x yuan per night), and I regret booking for 4 nights. There are still some advantages; the kitchen is quite big and not too crowded, and there are many toilets and bathrooms.

Fantastic experience: Really lovely hostel. Very clean and reception staff very welcoming. Lots of helpful information placed around the hostel explaining the hostel info a suggestions on where to go and what to do. I stayed in a female dorm which was really nice and had very comfortable beds unfortunately the heat at night was unbearable on the first night but the second night I kept the door open most of the day with the fan and the curtains closed to keep the sun out which made it more bearable for the second night. I would strongly suggest a real air con unit in this room because the poor fan was moving hot air around the first night and none of us slept. The addition of an individual sauna was a very unique thing I've never seen in a hostel before but it was brilliant and very clean and the option to play music inside it was nice. The rest of the hostel was wonderfully clean and calm and lots of different ages of people was nice to see, in the morning there was free bread available which was a welcome addition. Really accessible area as well, close to everything you could want or need. Also free luggage storage for the next day was a nice change. I would stay here again for sure but not in room 8.

Fantastic experience: Central location was great for what I needed to do; quiet and comfortable; friendly staff - thank you

Fantastic experience: Went with a school group was good. kids could spread out

Negative experience: Unfortunately, very disappointed in this hostel. Firstly it's more expensive than all hostels in town. I left after 2 days and checked in to another for $20/night, with much nicer beds, and only a 4 bed dorm that was nice and cool! This family owned YHA charge what a standard YHA charge, but don't have half the facilities or vibe! My room was $32/night for a 6 bed dorm, the ceiling fan was broken, and windows tiny, on a west facing room. This rendered the room unbearable, with temperatures of 30° and over! Noone in the dorm got any sleep, however after several occupants complaining of the heat, nothing was changed. I understand this is a family run business, that is surely rammed down your throat everywhere you turn on home made posters, but that doesn't mean you can provide substandard facilities. This usually means it has quirks, and homely atmosphere. These west facing rooms should have air-conditioning, otherwise not be sub let for more than $15/ night. If you go to Nelson, go to either Innbetween, or Abel backpackers: you'll save money, and have a better time. Finally, the receptionist who had a conversation with a customer about how the YHA gets bad online reviews, but can't believe it's possible, maybe listen to what your customers have to say!

Positive experience: Stayed there for 3 nights in a female dorm. The room is spacious with a ceiling fan which is really handy in the summer. The staff were pretty friendly and helpful but the guy with spect wasn't quite welcoming. He stopped me and questioned whether I stayed there. Unlike other YHA, the guests aren't welcomed to use the common area after checking out.

Fantastic experience: Top facility for the price. Convenient location

Positive experience: There is not privacy in the dormitory, no breakfast, but the hostel is very clean

Positive experience: Always a lovely homely YHA hostel one of which I have been staying in for many many years.... the middle aged manager is however not the nicest.. but other than that...I recommended this hostel...

Fantastic experience: Great value for $$$

Fantastic experience: Nice place for backpackers.

Positive experience: Definitely a let down compared to the yha in Queenstown and Aoraki

Positive experience: Nice place for temporary stay, got good options of lazing around cafe, snooker area, reading area and good number of dormitory rooms

Positive experience: Good value, efficiently run and clean hostel. Daily free bread in the kitchen and free half filled gas canisters on reception. Also free yoga mats you can borrow. And tons of info about what to do in the local area and Abel Tasman.

Negative experience: Not really welcoming to the guests and the staff just gave us wrong type of room (not the kind we booked), but just told us it was our fault. And after two times of arguments and one time of calling to the YHA customer service, the staff just changed our room. Good points Near the bus station

Fantastic experience: So far so good. Great location and value for money

Positive experience: Nice Yha

Negative experience: The manager here , he is so rude, Royce Locke. He does not like a person who can be on charge of this hostel, I have know around new zealand YHA all very kind people but here staff so rude. :(