Name: Aurora Backpackers
Address: 163 Trafalgar Street, Nelson, Nelson, Nelson, 7010, New Zealand
Rating: 5

Smoke-free property

Ticket assistance

Express check-in/check-out

Television in lobby

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

Reception desk

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Locker

Rooms

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Dry-cleaning

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Common kitchen

Microwave oven

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Transfer services

Transfer

German

English

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Free bicycle rental

Sun Deck

Recreation

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hostel

Nelson Airport

Woodbourne Airport

Aurora Backpackers

Nelson

Hey ... look me in the eyes! Stop and read these words. I'm a human being and I'm talking to you. Don't go there. DO NOT GO. 

I did Te Araroa, arrived there and slept one night. The next morning my body was totally filled with bubbles. My friend changed hostel as soon as he entered. He told me: "I'm not staying here a minute longer". 

Unfortunately, I was exhausted and did not have the energy to go away and look for another accommodation. I stayed and ended up in the hospital. This hostel should be closed. The same thing happened to other people. Trust me. It sucks. DISGUST. Totally DISGUST, Don't go, please!

DISGUST

We booked a double room  (queen bed) a month and a half before our arrival in Nelson, after doing the Heaphy track, because we knew that after tramping for 5 days, sleeping in bunks, and traveling a 5 hour bus trip back to Nelson, we wanted a comfortable double bed to have a nice rest, before our flight back to Auckland.
On our arrival at about 7 pm, we were given a key to our room.
On opening the door, we realized we had been given a bunk room instead, so we asked the staff and waited for a solution.
Nothing happened, until we went down to the reception, and were told that a mistake had happened, our room had been given to someone else, and they were very sorry, but these things happen, and they were happy to refund us.....I then asked if they could help us find another place, as it was already about 7.30, we were very tired , (had been walking for 16 km, with our tramping back packs and had done a 5 hour  bus journey). The manager (owner I think) rudely replied to me that there was free wifi and to look ourselves.
I then made him notice that the mistake was totally on his part, as we had booked over a month prior, and he replied that in his eyes there was no problem. We still had a room with 2 bunks!!!!
On acting rather disappointed with his response, and kindly asking if he surely must know other accommodations nearby and could possibly help us, since he was the one who stuffed up the booking, he arrogantly refused to help us, and threatened to remove us by calling the police!
We couldn't  believe our ears, however we were so tired and decided that we would just keep the room with the 2 bunks.
They didn't even offer us a refund of the difference in price between a double and a bunk room.
If it hadn't been so late in the day, and we wouldn't have been so tired, we surely would have looked for another place.
We will never come back to this hostel, and we would advise anyone that this place is not to be trusted with bookings, and the owner is an arrogant and rude individual, who does not care about his customers.

extremely disappointed and rudly treated

The staff was amazing! Ronda, the manager, made everything to help us, and without her we couldn't make our plans.
The hostel located in the center of Nelson. Clean and very good atmosphere.
Very good value for the price.

Amazing staff!

The kitchen is set up well enough, but there's a daft system that says you have to store your food in plastic bags (!) which means there's no room in the fridge and they smell dangerously off. 

The beds are unstable and crammed in and the mattresses feel ancient and uncomfortable. There were two electric sockets in the 10 bed dorm, with extension leads stretching across the floor and beds, each with multiple outlets coming out of them, so there was no where to charge phones or cameras etc without creating some kind of trip wire. Additionally, the room was very hot but the open windows meant we had to listen to the continuous racket from the street and bars nearby.

Also, apparently Tuesday night is kitchen rave night, so we got about 2 hours sleep after the music and shouting died down around 4am. Someone took their frustration at life out on the washing machine and punched a hole in the wall, adding to the broken shower lights, taped off toilets and dodgy plumbing.

We stopped here on our way to hike in Abel Tasman the following day, and we got a better night's sleep camping in a leaky tent than in this place. The saving grace was the very nice receptionist, but $18 was too much!

$18 a night was $17 too much

This place is located just right in the center of the city located with all the best aminities possible. Trafalgar street is the bussiest place in the city and has every possible thing to do. Eat nearest at burger king,grab a hot chocolate from Night and Day. Enjoy clubbing at Liquid bar just 100 m from Abel’s. Visit ChrisChurch,and eat as much as you can. This place has got the best staff and crowd. Hangout in kitchen and you’ll surely find someone to chill with. 
Tip : If you are looking to have a private bathroom then this place is not good for it. Even the high end room i paid for which was 500$ for 7 nights is a single room with cupboards and windows. Cozy,but no bathroom or toilets as personal. You will have to use the common one’s only.

City Centre,Cozy,Great Crowd. 

This place. Where do I even start? We arrived at 1:30pm knowing that check in was at 2pm. We just wanted somewhere to store our bags or simply let us wait until we could access our room. We didn’t get a welcome - we got an angry and rude woman storming down the stairs to ask us if we could read?! No ”hello”, no “welcome to Nelson”.

She had stuck a note to the reception to say check in at 2:30pm, despite paying through Expedia which said check in was at 2pm. This was also on the sign ABOVE her made up sign (see photos). She argued with me and told me booking.com and Expedia are in the wrong, check in is at 2:30pm and I asked her why she had another sign above her new one to say it’s at 2pm. She had no answer other than to scoff at us, say that she’s “overrun” and told us to come back later.

When I said that we hope we can check out at 10:30am instead of 10am due to the half hour we’ve lost today she laughed and called me ridiculous. When I told her I was shocked by her rude manner, not to take her bad day out on us and asked why she was working in this industry she told me to go away or she’d cancel our booking. I’ve tried to complain to Expedia but I can’t get through so I guess she just gets away with treating people like dirt.

Such a disappointment given the amazing manner we’ve been treated throughout New Zealand by people who actually understand DECENT KIWI HOSPITALITY.

If I could give it no stars I would

The point of difference with this hostel was the staff - they're just lovely! The bed was very comfortable, and the cheapest I've stayed in New Zealand. The kitchen was very clean, strangely I couldnt get the light switches in the bathrooms to work? Its really close to everything so theres a little noise from the bars but very handy for everything else. It's been a nice stay, thank you!

Aurora Backpackers

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