Downtown Backpackers Wellington – Wellington, New Zealand

Conveniently located across the street from both the train station and the BlueBridge ferry,  and just a short distance to the Interislander Ferry, the Wellington Downtown backpackers is a great, central location whether you are setting off to explore the South Island or just exploring the Wellington area.

Photo Courtesy of Wellington Backpackers

The hostel stands out against the modern Wellington downtown area.  It is surrounded by tall, modern buildings, yet is still maintains a historic art-deco look and is listed by the Historic Places Trust as a historically significant place in downtown Wellington.  The feel inside the hostel is that of a historic hotel or even an old university or boarding school and has a very comfortable feeling.

They offer a nice range of accommodations from dorm rooms to private double bed ensuite rooms moderately priced from $20 (New Zealand dollars).  From the hostel you can easily walk to the downtown area and explore Parliament buildings or a variety of shops and restaurants.

Lounge Area

Amenities include:

• On the first floor (which is one floor up from the ground floor) you will find a spacious dining area.  You can select a meal from their onsite restaurant or use their large guest kitchen to cook up your own meals.  The kitchen was large enough to easily accommodate many travelers preparing meals at the same time.
• Onsite bar with great happy hours and free darts and pool at certain times of the day.  HELPFUL HINT:  If you are staying at the hostel, be sure you get the “buy 2 get 1 free” card at the front desk when you check in.  Buy 3 pints, get one free at the bar.
• Elevator!  I know – why list as an amenity?  Many places do not have one and with our accommodations on a very high third floor (up several flights of stairs!) the elevator was a nice perk.

We stayed in a double room ensuite which cost $85NZD/$67USD a night.  The room included a nice hot shower and Sky TV.  Read more about the hostel and reviews on HostelWorld.com