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Reviews of Taupo Urban Retreat - Hostel

2 out of 5
Taupo Urban Retreat - Hostel
65 Heuheu Street, Taupo

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 35 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 50 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 21 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 114 reviews" "

8.0/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

7.6/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Its not what we expected
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021
Response from Kerry on 11 Jun 2021
Goodness, what were you expecting for the price you paid? The Hilton?

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was exactly what we needed. the instructions for late check-in were clear and much appreciated. The sight of complimentary earplugs on the nightstand made me a bit nervous, but it was surprisingly peaceful when we stayed (mid week)
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
All staff were so friendly and helpful. Great location.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Because it was in the middle of town and the room was nice and warm when i got back
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2021

8/10 Good

Annie, NZ

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very central hostel, clean and tidy with excellent staff help, close to food outlets. Not very sound proof but it wasn’t noisy the night I was there and a good sleep.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Close to town, easy access to rooms, friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Grace

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really lovely and helpful staff. We stayed in a private double room with views out over the lake. It was clean and comfortable and perfectly located to walk to most places we wanted to visit. For a Backpackers it was in great condition and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Free all day parking across the road.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Easy and polite checkin. Shower cubicles bit tight and amenities as expected. Wicked lake views
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Clean friendly good location ....... .............
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2020
Response from Katie on 7 Jul 2020
Thanks for choosing to stay with us! Happy Travels

4/10 Poor

Amanda, New zealand

Travelled with family, Business traveller
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Noisy as other backpackers partied into the night making it hard to sleep had to complain tk them
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2020
Response from Katie on 16 Jun 2020
Hi Amanda, We apologies that you were kept awake due to noisy guests. As a backpackers we don't have a curfew for guests so on the odd occasion there can be a small amount of noise as guests return home. Our communal areas were all closed and emptied by 9.30pm on the night you stayed. We do have night staff on site who you are able to contact should you need.

10/10 Excellent

Christine, Auckland, NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved the simplicity of this place and the happy vibe of the young people. Reading other reviews, though, I think it would be wise to adjust the description on Expedia to clearly reflect that it isn’t a ‘retreat’ by any stretch of the imagination. But I really liked it. Thank you for a clean warm place to rest.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2020

8/10 Good

MrsUsman, Auckland

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good location and comfy room Parking was available thats a plus point too
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Sacha, Taupo

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very helpful staff, clean rooms wonderful bed. Very laid back and easy to approach staff. Reasonable price for rooms
Stayed 5 nights in May 2020
Response from Katie on 9 Jun 2020
Thanks so much for not only getting out and exploring NZ but for choosing to come and stay with us. We are so glad you enjoyed your stay. Happy Travels

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff made this place a delight to visit. All are immensely helpful, also informative and responsive to any needs. Our private double room with ensuite bath was basic (as expected at a "backpacker") but spotlessly clean, and someone had installed an outlet strip to accommodate for the shortage of electrical outlets. Nice to have on-site laundry, 3 each for both washer and dryer. The common areas were comfortable, and the kitchen was well stocked. It would be great if all the youth could figure out how to remove food from the sinks when they're done washing dishes, and maybe that's too much to expect.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2020

8/10 Good

Liam

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The double ensuite room was good had everything we needed.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Katie on 19 Feb 2020
Thank you for taking the time to leave a reply. We are so glad we could meet all your needs. Happy Travels.

8/10 Good

Zoe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from Katie on 12 Feb 2020
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay. Happy Travels,

2/10 Terrible

Gwenwyfahr, Napier

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The double room with en suite that we booked had no external windows and no air conditioning so it was 35-40C which is ridiculous in New Zealand. There was a fan but we were told that we could not run it on high because the vibrations were too loud in the next room. There was hair in the bedding, and no parking available because the spaces were full of people sleeping in their cars so we had to park in a shopping carpark across the street. The room was tiny so we had to climb over our bags to get in and out of the room/bed/bathroom. The room was also right by the common room so it was very noisy. This place might be ok for drunk teenagers but it is 100% not appropriate for adults needing somewhere to sleep for the night.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from Katie on 3 Feb 2020
We are so sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your stay. Unfortunately the fan in your room had broken and we were waiting on an electrician but we did offer to bring you another fan if required. The parking across the street is a large open air car park with free parking 24 hours a day. We believe we are so very lucky to have so much free parking so close for our guests to use. Our in-house bar closes by 11pm so noise is minimal after this time. Unfortunately you booked a backpackers which predominantly attracts the 18-30 year olds (but we more than welcome all ages), at a backpacker price rather than a hotel which would have maybe been more appropriate. We hope you enjoy the rest of your travels around are beautiful country.

6/10 Okay

Holly, Hamilton

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Room was basic which is all we needed but there was a sound from what seemed like a dryer going the whole night, we didn't get much sleep, we gave up trying by 6am. We had even turned off the air conditioning due to a different noise it made when the air-con was on, so we almost cooked ourselves, I had requested feedback from the hostel, still not heard anything after four days regarding the noise.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from Katie on 28 Jan 2020
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I note you checked out over the weekend and yesterday was a public holiday so this is the first day I have been back at work. There was a fault with the aircon unit in the adjoining room which was causing the noise. This has now been fixed. Please note we have staff on-site 24/7 and if you had made them aware of the problem during the night they would have been happy to move you to another room. Happy Travels

4/10 Poor

Robert

Disliked: Cleanliness
Wouldn't stay again
Stayed in a few hostels in New Zealand and this just didn't have the same vibe as other places. Other guests didn't seem to be considerate to others by slamming doors constantly, even at 3/4am in the morning. The room itself was clean to look at but there were signs it needed more than a once over.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from Katie on 12 Feb 2020
Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We are sorry we didn't meet your expectations. Happy Travels

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very good. Was a last minute change of plans that was good
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Katie on 4 Dec 2019
We are so glad we were able to help you out with your change in plans. Happy Travels

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Katie on 4 Dec 2019
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a response

8/10 Good

Timothy

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I immediately liked this place on approach from the street. I was greeted by a very friendly and helpful staff. I just loved the layout of the place, the way you stepped down into the common area. It was just a nices laid back, friendly vibe. The kitchen was nicely set up, the common area inviting. Thenrooms were very reasonable which allowed me to have my iwn room and bath. There was also small bar where I purchased a very nice NZ white wine at low cost.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Katie on 5 Nov 2019
Thank you so much for such a great review. We are stoked to hear you enjoyed your stay so much and hope to welcome you back in the future. Happy travels.

8/10 Good

Man Ling

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly and warm stay
Facilities are clean, just stay for one night, the location is very convenient and staff are very friendly
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Katie on 5 Nov 2019
We are so glad you enjoyed everything we have to offer, happy travels. Katie

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice and affordable room for a one night stay while passing through.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Katie on 5 Nov 2019
We are glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to welcome you back for longer next time. Happy travels.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Gro on 15 Oct 2019
Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. Happy travels

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice and friendly staff. Rooms a bit small when full and there was no night porter when I stayed in October
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Gro on 15 Oct 2019
Thank you so much for the great review. Please note that we have staff on call 24 hours a day for security. Enjoy the rest of your travels.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great little hostel! Staff are lively and friendly, the kitchen is really good compared to other hostels and the private rooms are cosy and clean.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Katie on 2 Oct 2019
Thank you so much for a great review. Enjoy the rest of your travels.

8/10 Good

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What it says on the box
Twin en-suite room in well located and run back-packers. Good value.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Katie on 10 Jul 2019
Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice central location, it had what I needed for a nights stay
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Katie on 10 Jul 2019
Glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. Hopefully we can welcome you back for longer next time.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We did not realise when we booked this accommodation it was a backpackers. The room (whilst very clean and warm) was like a shoebox - the room looked much bigger in the photos - we couldn't even get our luggage between the bed and the wall. We accept we maybe didn't read things properly - but if we had known/realised, we would never have booked in here.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Katie on 10 Jul 2019
We are sorry to hear your stay wasn't what you hoped but do advertise as a backpackers so cannot do much more than that! I hope you enjoy the rest of your travels.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Friendly and inviting, back parking, cheep beer, literally in the middle of town
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Response from Katie on 29 May 2019
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We hope you enjoy the rest of your travels!

8/10 Good

Sean

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from Katie on 29 May 2019
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Lovely service, friendly people at reception. Room location a tad noisy with early morning party goers, and traffic.but comfey bed.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Kim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cosy hostel in the centre of Taupo
This place is great - close to the centre, cheap bar and nightly chilli. Felt like a home away from home
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Kerry on 3 Oct 2018
We are thrilled you enjoyed our hostel, we hope you have many more great experiences

6/10 Okay

Mark

Liked: Staff & service
It's a fine hostel, not bad but a bit more 'worn around the edges than your average YHA. However, it is very sociable; great that they have a bar (cheap prices) and they offer a great value Chilli con carne every evening
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Kerry on 24 Jul 2018
Thank you for your feedback. We have some upgrades planned in the next couple of months. Glad you enjoyed the bar and Chilli Meal, always favourites :-) (BTW, we are not a YHA hostel)

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service
Was a great stop in place for what I needed The bed was comfy and the shower was nice
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

OK
I don't understand why my staff member had to pay on departure when I provided the credit card details when I booked the room. Please confirm why this occured. thanks, Paula
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Chelsea, Manager. on 18 Apr 2018
We take credit card details to hold and secure a booking. Unless we are instructed to charge that card for the booking, we take payment on arrival or no later than check out. If the guest had stated we could use your card, we would have happily charged it.