Nelson Beach Hostel

Super friendly owners, a nice place, and a great location. You can use the bikes, tennis rackets, balls and other gear for free, and there’s a nice kitchen too. Best hostel in New Zealand, highly recommend it.

The setting is beautiful, just like Nelson itself. Walk across the green to the beach and hang out there. This place is fine. The kitchen isn’t very big, but there usually aren’t many guests, so you can still cook meals. I don’t have much else to say.

The place was infested with flies around 90% of the time, despite several efforts to let staff know. I also had a terrible time with the landlady, Ronda. I was in the kitchen ten minutes after closing and got sworn at, my meal was stopped, and I was threatened with being kicked out. A week later, I asked to change rooms. Ronda told me to move into the back room on the left. When I called that night to get the key for the room she’d locked, she abused me over the phone, calling me a selfish c*nt because I’d apparently interrupted dinner with her friends. She said I could “rot outside for all I care.” As a backpacker far from home, that’s the last way you want to be treated while trying to make a home for yourself. What a disgrace to the community. Please don’t stay here if you want to be treated with respect.

We only meant to stay one night, but extended twice. Rhonda is lovely and has made a beautiful place to stay. It’s absolutely clean and close to the beach, and she even offered us an airport pickup. She also arranged a great Abel Tasman trip for us. Sorry this reference is so late, Rhonda. I wanted to write it ages ago! Thanks for everything, and all the best. Marie and Toni