Stafford Gables Hostel

I booked at the last minute because the photos made the place look normal. I paid for two nights, but I'm leaving today because even using the bathroom feels impossible. I couldn't sleep, and the bathrooms were extremely dirty. The one near my room had just one toilet and a shower with a bucket. I checked another bathroom and it was just as disgusting. I never managed to shower because it was so off-putting. The shared kitchen was disgusting too. The bed looked as if the sheets hadn't been changed. The mattress and pillows were stained, so I was glad I'd brought clean sheets of my own. The heater runs only briefly before turning off. In room number 13, the person next to me kept their door open, smoked marijuana all night, shouted, slammed the door, and played loud music. The noise went on until around 6 or 7 am.

We booked at the last minute because it was the only place available, and paid a little over $1,500 for 3 nights. At least it was close to the city, the showers were hot, and the lady worker on the phone was nice. But the place was creepy, stinky, dusty, and extremely dirty. The bathroom smelled strongly of mould, and turning on the heater brought a burning smell. They'd laid an old ripped piece of carpet over mould and dirt, and it didn't look like anyone vacuumed or wiped the walls. The wifi was useless, so why say it's included? It felt unsafe, especially for kids. When we arrived, we saw two half-dressed women meeting a man with a fully tattooed face and a big dog at the front entrance. I don't recommend staying here.

Disgusting and awful. Read the reviews before you book, and don't stay here.

We didn't bother showering after the tiny supply of hot water ran out, and we spent the night huddled together in one double bed to stay warm. The bedding, just one sheet and a very thin duvet, wasn't enough for a cold Dunedin night. The room was cold again in the morning, so we clustered around the heater. It turns out it only runs for an hour at a time. We did sleep well, though it was quiet. We arrived early evening and found a cold, damp reception. The receptionist was cheerful and helpful, and warned us that the second-floor shower had no hot water, so we used the first-floor one. It was clean and tidy, but after walking through poorly lit corridors we got only about 30 seconds of hot water. The corridors upstairs were freezing and barely lit, with no lighting at all along ours until we found the switch. Our room was cold and damp too, with ceilings that had mould badly painted over, cracks in the walls and ceiling, and stains on the carpet and sheets. There was no information about how to exit in case of fire. We turned on the heater straight away, but it didn't warm the room well. After dinner it was cold again. It could be a cool hostel with better management. The owners seem to be chasing a quick buck and not much concerned with guests' experience. I'd guess WINZ may be keeping it going as extra emergency housing, so perhaps they don't care. We're well-travelled Kiwis from central Otago and pretty hardy, but this wasn't value for money. I'd say stay only one night, and bring extra blankets and your own heater in winter.