It's called a hostel, but it looked quite a bit more like a regular hotel, and I got a private room for 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. read more