The Hostelz.com Review
Nomads Fat Camel Hostel is perfect if you are looking to party and meet people in Auckland. There is a rooftop hangout area with a spa and sauna (although both weren't working when we were there, which was disappointing).
The Location
Nomads is a large-scale hostel, easy to find right in the downtown Auckland area. It's a good location if you are looking to stay right in the heart of town, close to a lot of attractions. It's close to where both Intercity and Naked bus drop off/pick up.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Dorm rooms all are decent, with linens included. The rooms are quiet and spacious, with plenty of room to throw your stuff around without getting in the way. It's a party hostel, so everyone is pretty much on the same itinerary of sleeping in and staying out late. Nomads was perfect for us, since we were going out to clubs and hanging out in the city during the day.
Common Spaces
The large kitchen is located on the top floor. The bathrooms are large and have blow dryers, large mirrors, and good showers. Everything is clean, just don't be surprised if you find people passed out on the couch in the morning. We wouldn't recommend coming here if you mind some noise and ruckus. The common areas get pretty trashed, so it's not the best place to take it easy or just lounge around.
Summary
Definitely try Nomads at least one night, especially if you are looking to hook up with other travelers and party people. We had a good stay here, and liked its upbeat atmosphere. This is the perfect location to check out the city.
The Location
Nomads is a large-scale hostel, easy to find right in the downtown Auckland area. It's a good location if you are looking to stay right in the heart of town, close to a lot of attractions. It's close to where both Intercity and Naked bus drop off/pick up.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Dorm rooms all are decent, with linens included. The rooms are quiet and spacious, with plenty of room to throw your stuff around without getting in the way. It's a party hostel, so everyone is pretty much on the same itinerary of sleeping in and staying out late. Nomads was perfect for us, since we were going out to clubs and hanging out in the city during the day.
Common Spaces
The large kitchen is located on the top floor. The bathrooms are large and have blow dryers, large mirrors, and good showers. Everything is clean, just don't be surprised if you find people passed out on the couch in the morning. We wouldn't recommend coming here if you mind some noise and ruckus. The common areas get pretty trashed, so it's not the best place to take it easy or just lounge around.
Summary
Definitely try Nomads at least one night, especially if you are looking to hook up with other travelers and party people. We had a good stay here, and liked its upbeat atmosphere. This is the perfect location to check out the city.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2010
Their Description
Nomads Fat Camel Hostel Details
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Nomads Fat Camel Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Never Again This placed was the worst backpacker I've stayed at in a western country. First, it was more expensive than other backpackers even though our room here was less than half the size of our room there. The sheets were unmade and it was obvious someone had slept there the previous night and no one bothered to change the sheets. The bed itself was so old we could feel every single bed spring poking up. The kitchen and lounge were old and dirty, but that didn't actually bother me. What bothered me was when the shower drain clogged up, flooded the entire floor, and left the floor with only one working toilet. When the staff came to clean it up, they were being loud and grumpy. Another guest politely asked them to keep it quiet because some people had already gone to sleep for the night, and he ended up getting attitude from the grumpy staff guy. To sum up: expensive, old, dirty, broken, and rude staff. — Connie , Canada (2010-01-29) Gross. So, a few points when you are coming here. If you like to stay up till 7 a.m. and live in gross room, where i'm sure they haven't cleaned in ages -- dirty sheets, no lockers, and loud music from the bar -- this place is for you. Some good points were that the staff were really nice and the bar was fun when you actually wanted to stay out late. I met some fun people as well. We didn't sleep much here though, even when we wanted to. These guys out in the common room in our suite laughed all night watching a show on their laptop. They were nice but, yeah, loud. So, there you go. — Katie , USA (2009-03-03) Poor This hostel was one of the worst my boyfriend and I stayed in in New Zealand. This seemed partly because we were shoved into the flat where all of the staff with. Yes they were all friendly and nice but they don't wash up or clean the kitchen, they definitely never clean the bathroom, it smelt disgusting, the shower was totally blocked, the keys seemed to stop working all the time (not good when you get locked out in your pjs), the common area was disgusting, and worst of all, I only noticed after a night that there was a large hole in the wall where the radiator should be and that you could see into the next room, ie whoever was in their could presumably see into our 'private' double. Good location but the Nomads just along the road was much nicer, we even went back there for our meals in the evenings. — Em , British (2009-02-03) Noisy and not so clean I stayed in a twin in Jan 2009. It was on the third floor which is a mixed (male and female) floor. The bathroom was unisex and often lacking hand soap. The bed linen had some stains, as did the curtains. We could also hear all of the noise from outside where there were some nightclubs, which kept us awake in the night, and a construction site which was noisy in the morning. The good points were the free meal (which is really just an entree size) and the people who were staying there. — Angel , Australia (2009-01-25) Very poor my daughter and her partner stayed here on the 23rd april '08 as they had tickets to the korn concert on the 24thwell there was no parking for their car. had to use street parking so cost them a fourtune in metres. as for the accommodation. the double room that they had was not up to standard. sheets on the bed looked as though they had not been changed for weeks as they were dirty and little black bugs crawling on them. the noise from the bar kept them awake most of the night. Bathroom facilities --well if you like having a shower with cockroaches you are ok but not in my book. they were absolutely disgusted with the place and instead of staying till the Saturday, which they had paid for the extra night, came home early friday with no refund for the room being offered. They chose this hostel as it looked so nice and clean on the web site and it was close to the vecta arena and neither of them had been to Auckland before. and they had saved up for the trip and were hoping to do some sightseeing while there. but conditions in the hostel and having to pay so much in metres put a real damper on the whole trip. When they got home to my daughter's horror and mine there were a couple of cockroaches in their luggage. They need to upgrade cleaning in the hostel a lot before any of our family use these facilities again. — mrs Abbott , new zealand (2008-04-26) Not so great at all I stayed at this hostel for a night and I was not impressed at all. There are two positives -- the staff was quite helpful and it was relatively cheap, plus it's got good central location. I stayed in a windowless room with no ventilation, so it was really hard to get much sleep as the room was pretty stuffy in the middle of summer. The bed linen provided had dirty spots (quite revolting) and the room felt noisy from a bunch of people hanging in the "lounge room" and sharing their traveling stories. All in all -- if all you need is a good night sleep, don't stay in this hostel. — Peter , Czech Republic (2008-01-20) Filthy Horrible hostel to stay in. The staff was friendly enough. The bar and free food seems cool. When I walked into our "apartment", the kitchen just smells. It was dark, filthy, and dirty. The room itself was dirty, with stain on bed sheet. The bathroom and shower for our unit was under renovation. So, we had to go to the stairwell shower which is so dirty and dark. Not recommended. — Sam , Canada (2008-01-17) This hostel is pretty fun. Great location and met some wicked Brits and other Canadians. Bar has fun games (Camel Factor where we won a free Zorb and a tequila shot) free beer on arrival and free food (7 p.m. to 8 p.m. small portions but you can upgrade for $4 or $7 for large and a beer get down early to avoid waiting in line). They have an arrival package (check the website) that has a city tour included which I ended up winning a free SkyJump (for people who don't know it's the one-hundred-ninety-meter base jump by wire retailing $145 to 175). Only problem is the staff have no idea what's going on half the time and it seemed that the travel center was always busy or not in. I wasn't in a rush and in the end had a fantastic time and would stay again. Plus their motto is two humps guaranteed -- how can it get any better than that? — Jen , Canada (2007-04-24) I love fat camel! I was only staying a week, ended up staying for two more weeks before I came home. I had great xmas and new year parting with loads of cool people I met and even the staff was parting hard with us! I love them! Camel is definitely the only hotel I would stay if I visit Auckland again! — Sebine (2007-04-14) The staff are friendly and yes it can take a little while to check in especially when a busload of people turn up (although I don't know any hostel where you don't have to wait when ten people all turn up at once). The Free food is good and it only costs a small amount to get a bigger portion and a pint of beer (yes a real pint not like in Oz). The trips they give away are amazing and the music they play is chosen by the guests (it's a jukebox!). This is one of the very few hostels in Auckland to actually have a smoking area and for me it has been the best place to get to know people. Smoking indoors is illegal in Auckland but the Camel Bar has an outdoor seating area (very rare for inner city hostels), so most people meet up downstairs for their smoko. Everyone here that i've met has been really friendly and the hostel has got to be one of the best I've stayed at in the last year of traveling because of the atmosphere. — Mike (2007-01-15) I don't know where the people giving this hostel good ratings can have stayed at, but it can't be many hostels. Good points -- friendly, helpful staff. Good free trips put on by the Hostel. Free meal in the evenings. Too little for hungry blokes but free and ok food unless you are a fussy eater. Decent location, close to cheap internet cafes and main shopping street (though most of the other downtown hostels are located within two hundred yards). Bad points --
might have friendly, helpful staff, but the fact you always have to queue for ages to speak to one of them takes a lot away. I remember waiting over ten minutes to check in. Room smelled of piss and had poor storage facilities (no lockers, very bad point for security). Boxy and depressing. Kitchen area stunk to an extreme degree of rotten food on arrival and hostel had not cleaned it up when I left a week later despite requests from several people.
Common room always deserted or near deserted, only real venue to meet other backpackers is your room or the bar downstairs, where loud, cheesy music is played (think disco at a primary school), and played too loud for decent conversation. No smoking area whatsoever. Do not consider this hostel if you are a smoker. Normally a smoking balcony or patio is the best social venue in a hostel, and this place has nothing. nada. rien. You could smoke out of the window in the room against the rules (even that is worse than other hostels though), otherwise it's a lonely trip out onto the street (and I mean the street as in the street, no porch with chairs or anything like that). I met less cool people staying here for a week than I have done in other hostels staying for one night. If you are part of a group or couple or scared of other people and not interested in meeting or socialising and making new friends, you might find this place ok, otherwise, I'd avoid. — Sternip (2006-12-12) I loved this hostel. It's friendly and fun. If you're traveling alone this is definitely a good place to go to because they make you feel so welcome. There are a few things that could do with a bit of attention (a lick of paint in my room for example) but these are small things that don't really matter when you consider everything. The location is perfect and the bar is so cheap it's crazy. If you go make sure you say hi to the mad men who work on the front desk! — Vonnie (2006-11-19) Ok so this is the cheapest hostel in town and when you get to your room you see why. The staff on the front desk are fun and friendly and the food in the bar is great.
As for the cleanliness and conditions of the rooms, there is no excuse. The Fat Camel is only a walk to town but do not stay here if you are expecting a clean and cosy room. This is the only Nomads hostel with these conditions. I stayed in every other one in New Zealand and North Australia and they were fab and spotless. — Eadaoin , Ireland (2006-09-15) Stay here if you want unfriendly staff that ignores you till they decide that you've waited long enough, dirty showers, even dirtier kitchen, and no sleep cause it is so loud you can't get any.
Seriously, the noise was not only coming from other people staying there, but from their own bar downstairs. The only good thing about the hostel is the tiny meal you get for free every night. But that's not worth it. — Christiane (2006-05-10) I've stayed at better hostels. Fat Camel has a sort of run-down feel about it. It's not well-maintained and quite scruffy, a little dirty and the showers are small and poorly designed. The free meal is very small -- I didn't get a free beer or wine my first night. They do have some kind of entertainment every night which is generally good fun. — DRW (2006-04-17)