YMCA Hostel

The location is the one good thing, right by Viaduct Harbour, Commercial Bay and Queen Street. The rest of the stay went downhill fast. Opening the door felt like stepping into the Sahara Desert: the room was stifling, with no airflow, and the dusty fan did nothing. Then we found lots of cockroaches crawling across the floor. Bug spray made the room stink, and with no ventilation the smell stuck around. We spent about 30 minutes clearing them out, found eggs in the safes under the bed, and still spotted more later. There were dirty used tissues in the room, and the pillows were stained. We were told it would be okay, but the shared bathroom had blood on the floor, which was gross. The beds were rock hard and squeaked every time you breathed. If you’re taller than average, you might end up sleeping on the floor because the bed is about as long as a cockroach. Maybe that’s why there were bugs in the room. We had nowhere else to go, so we had to sleep there. I’d give zero stars if I could. If you’ve booked the YMCA hostel at 20 Pitt Street, think carefully about this part of your holiday. Kindest regards, Room 404

Really cheap accommodation, and I stayed almost a week. The Indian guy and the young Māori guy at the counter were super friendly. It’s close to K road, so I had fun dining, clubbing and op shopping day and night, then walked home in 10 minutes. Lively atmosphere and friendly people.

Everything was clean and well kept, and the people were great. What stood out most was the excellent service and how kind the staff were. The hostel was great overall. In hot weather, though, my room got almost unbearable because there’s no AC. The shower head is low too, so anyone over 180 cm has to duck a bit.

The bed linen was already set up, so I didn’t have to make my own bed. It felt safe, was clean, and the other travellers were considerate. Good value and great service. I walked there from the city centre through a nice residential area, and the walk into town is easy and pleasant. The only reason I didn’t give full marks for location is that I walked up the incline in the dark and couldn’t find the place at first.