LyLo Auckland

The room was simple, clean and comfortable. I booked a private queen room with an ensuite, and the shared kitchen had two big fridges, which came in handy since there was no mini fridge or tea and coffee setup in the room. The property was fairly quiet while I was there, and breakfast at the attached restaurant was great. Check-in and check-out were very easy with the self-service tablets. The location is good, though some of the major bus stops take a bit of a walk to reach. I had a very good stay.

Matthew at the front desk was kind and made check-in easy. The lobby feels warm and welcoming, with guides for planning excursions, plus a restaurant serving coffee and alcohol. There’s even a barbershop you can reserve for a haircut. LyLo is well placed for getting around on foot, about five minutes from the Sky Tower and ten from the viaduct. You can choose shared rooms and bathrooms or private rooms, with or without a private bathroom. My queen room was very clean when I arrived. Request a window if you want one, since not every room has one. 10/10, would recommend!

The hostel was modern and quite nice, and it was quiet at night. I booked a private double room with a shared bathroom for two nights, but only stayed one night and a few hours. The room worked for one person, though it had no window, TV, thermostat, table or larger wall shelves. There were just three outlets, and one wall hook was missing. It did have a vertical mirror and a chair. Around the corner on the same floor were a ladies' restroom with showers and an accessible restroom with a shower. The lobby fridge was far too full, and the kitchen could be bigger for the number of guests I saw. There’s a laundromat on-site, but you have to get a token at the front desk, and the price is above the usual rate across NZ: $5 to wash and $5 to dry. It was nice having a restaurant at the hostel serving breakfast and lunch, and there are plenty of other restaurants within walking distance. I’m not sure the hostel offers much to help guests socialize. I’d stay again only if I could get a private room with a window, or if I just needed somewhere for one quick night.

Frankie, the manager, made the whole experience smooth and trouble-free. She was polite, kind and incredibly generous. Although I’d booked through Booking.com, she offered me a refund right away without hesitation. That kind of customer service is rare, and I really appreciated it. I came to LyLo in Auckland thinking I’d booked a hotel rather than a hostel. After walking around with the manager and seeing the pods, I realized it wouldn’t suit my family, mainly because my son didn’t want to stay somewhere without a pool. The hostel itself looked very clean, modern and fairly new, with a great city centre location. The vibe was welcoming, and the pods looked comfortable and well designed. My wife and I would have stayed if it were just the two of us. We chose somewhere else this time, but I can’t recommend LyLo enough. Thanks again, Frankie!