This YHA is right across the street from the New World supermarket, making it easy to stock up on…read moresupplies. It's also quite close to the waterfront including Te Papa and Oriental Bay. There is no parking on site, but there are a few paid options nearby. The queen private ensuite room is quite large. It was clean and well-maintained. Note that the room didn't have its own hair dryer, the nearest was in a shared bathroom. This differs from YHA Lake Tekapo which has a hair dryer in the ensuite rooms.

It's called a hostel, but it looked quite a bit more like a regular hotel, and I got a private room…read morefor pretty cheap. Their amenities are great; the laundry machines self-dispense detergent (note to other hotels: travelers do not carry detergent), the internet is free without a password and works reasonably well. It was six stories high, but their elevators were speedy. The location was just on the edge of where you'd want to be in Wellington. It catered to all sorts of people; tourists like myself, but also a conference of deaf people, and some older types who seemed to be using it as a halfway house and some younger backpackers. The big negative was the noise level, which was often annoying though not intolerable. But if you're willing to get yourself a good pair of earplugs and share a bathroom, you can stay in Wellington for a good rate.

Stayed for 3 days and 2 nights. It was pretty cheap compared to the accommodations in the area…read more We got a room with two twin beds and our private shower. There's a shared kitchen and a common area to relax in. What we didn't like was being a hostel, you see all kinds of things. We saw throw up on the elevator floor at night. Despite that, the noise was minimal. Parking: bad, you have to pay a hefty price and it is a 5 minute walk

It's not nearly as nice as the places outside of big cities we stayed in, but this made sense for a…read morecity hotel/hostel. The outside is impressive, but the inside is pretty dingy and run-down. The room contained 2 bunked beds and a desk. There were 3 inner doors off a shared little atrium area with a door from the main hall. The doors went to 2 guest rooms and a shared bathroom with an impressive freestanding bathtub. You need a key to get into the building at night. It's nice there's security, although it didn't seem hard to tailgate in. The "free wifi" only means an hour, but it was per device, so it was sufficient. There's an elevator, although it's ancient. There are lockers for storing bags, and it was maybe $4-6 NZD to store bags for several hours. The place is completely unimpressive, but it gets 3 stars because of the location, which is very convenient: it's right across the street from the Bluebridge Ferry terminal, and right down the street from all of the government buildings. It's maybe a 20-30-minute walk to Te Papa. It's very walkable to places to eat. There was a decent amount of metered street parking around and available.

This is a big hostel and of course very serious since it is Base. Big reception, very helpful staff…read moreand nice seating area. Very close to everything in the city and it's a four minute walk to New world for good shopping. The rooms are okey, I've stayed in two six bed dorms and they have radiators which feels unusual, but the windows are shit, very rusty and they can't be opened. Or closed, the windows in the shared bathrooms may be open so it's freezing, especially coming out of the shower. But it's not the same on every floor and there are seven floors to choose from. Most bathrooms are alright. The kitchen is kept clean and in order I think! Lots of tables to sit. Couches too and a big couch where the tv is. Hard to hear the tv though because of noise from the dining area. It's a big room. Big windows, bright and nice throughout the building. Kitchen is completely closed between 12 am and 5 am. The Basement is in the basement and it's very loud on the street and on the second floor where you might be put if you're only staying for a couple of nights. I slept fine but if you're easily bothered then you won't be fine. Check in is 24/7 so there might be someone coming in to your room at 2 am. I would give this hostel 2,5 stars, it's the cheapest hostel I've found and you can pay weekly if you're staying long term which is nice! I like it here fine.

Overall, this hostel has good value for money, but it could use a little bit of work in some…read moreplaces. I stayed in a four person mixed dorm, which I must say was less than stellar. The carpet was coming up in the corner and was stained all over. The walls were bare and had a bunch of sticky stuff all over it. These are easy maintenance fixes that should be dealt with promptly. When compared to the all-female room my companions were staying in, I felt jipped. Additionally, the single occupancy bathroom on my floor smelled as if it hadn't seen chemical cleaners in months--a vent in the bathroom would have been vastly beneficial. Also, the floor in the bathroom was sopping wet more often than not. Similarly, the check in process was a bit confusing and the staff member I worked with seemed a bit scatter-brained and not receptive to my needs. On the bright side, the bar in the basement had good deals for guests and the drinks weren't half bad. The beds were very comfortable and the sheets clean. In the kitchen there was no oven and the panini press did not work. There was also a lack of forks and piles of dirty dishes by the time dinner rolled around. Overall, though, the kitchen was a solid 6/10. I would recommend this hostel to others on a contingency that they stay in all-male/female room, as those seem to be nicer.

If you are in Wellington and you need a place to stay that is convenient to local eateries,…read moreshopping, and city attractions; then book an inexpensive room at Wellywood Backpackers off of Tory and close to the famous Cuba street. The hotel has a strict no smoking and no alcohol policy, and there was a $30 deposit that was refunded during check-out. This hotel is meant mostly for backpackers and travelers on a budget, is a "what you pay is what you get" type of a place. The premium deluxe room was complete with a kitchen, toaster, pitcher to boil water, sink, fridge, and microwave. I had to take 2 stars off for the following: old "thrift shop" type linens, a window that was hard to close and open completely, no parking lot, no towels, no daily maid service unless requested (but you had to tell the front desk and even he admitted that only the rubbish is mostly thrown out), carpet was old and dingy, ceiling had some cracks and water spots from possible leaks, and the staff were not too knowledgeable of parking information and tourist attractions. I stayed 2 nights for $194, with an additional fee of $60 (for deposit and extra room key), if that's within your price range then book your next stay here:-)

The Wild Zebra is a cheap & cheerful hostel in a good central location for exploring most of what…read moreWellington has to offer. It was a trip down memory lane for myself as I lived at this hostel (formerly known as The Wildlife House & also Wellywood) for 6 months back in 2002, although this time I "splashed out" on a double room with ensuite rather than a dorm room. My room had the unexpected bonus of a TV. Sadly it seems as if not a lot has changed in 15 years as the place pretty much looks the same. There is a decent sized kitchen & good cooking facilities. A random mini gym on the same floor as the kitchen. Coin operated laundry facilities are also available. Reception is open 24hrs & the staff were overall very helpful. There is wifi but the coverage is very poor even in the communal areas. It was easier to access the free CBD wifi out on the street than that offered by the hostel. The hostel still has weekly rates for long term residents & the prices are pretty reasonable. This is a fairly basic backpackers & at times noisy (Friday & Saturday nights extremely), especially with the kitchen on the floor above my room & the bathrooms that also surrounded my room. Also plenty of noise from the bustling streets outside. Overall it's not the greatest hostel in Wellington but if you're on a tight/limited budget and/or looking for long term temporary accommodation it might be worth a try.

Great hostel, great staff, and earthquake proof. I was here…read moreduring the earthquake in November 2016. The staff was very prepared and made sure everything was good. The rooms were great! I love a hostel that provides two pillows. The free pancake breakfast was nice. They give you free food coupons for the bar next door. Food is great. Staff is always at reception which is nice. Would love to stay here again

Great location. Small but relatively well-equipped kitchen. Not many amenities to speak of other…read morethan a bar/diner on the ground floor and a great location downtown. The desk crew was very friendly and accommodating.

What if you lived on a floor that would normally be dominated by modern offices? That's what The…read moreSetup is like, and it's really fairly well done. Good kitchen and bathroom arrangement, though the room temperatures are not quite consistent, and in all likelihood, you will not have a window in your room. Pricing is great.

After the barely-above-a-hostel the last two nights, this place was the total opposite; An entire…read moreapartment with lots of room and a king-sized bed. The place is in the Central Business District. Yeah, it's a little old and dated, but that's s not a big deal. The oven didn't work, but that was okay in my case. There was a sofa and chair and flatscreen in the living room. Not a ton of channels. The window looked out over Lambton. The dining space and kitchen were in the middle of the space. Only criticism was some things were really high up on shelves. I could barely reach a mug on the lowest shelf. Any tiny trash and recycling bins. (Which seems to be a NZ lodgings thing- tiny waste baskets.) The king-sized bed had nightstands and an alarm clock. There were sliding doors so the bedroom and bathroom could be closed off. The big bathroom had lots of counter space and one sink - not sure why they didn't put in two - a heated towel bar, and walk-in shower. No central air or heating; just a fan and portable radiator-style heater. It was unusually cold the night I was there. The space heater helped, but not by much. It's way too small for such a big place. Much of the heat dissipates in the big space before it reaches you. While I slept, I had to pull one of the two extra comforters out of the closet in order to stay warm. It was too dangerous to keep the space heater on at night. It doesn't look lije anything from the front. There is a money-changing place on the ground floor. Reception is on the third floor. The elevators are old and small. Also, while the location is good, since it's in the CBD, it's a bit ghost-townish at night. Not many restaurants were open. Nothing else was open at night. However, I had the option to get food delivery, but I found a place close by that was open.