Online booking is not offered for this Hostel. Contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed below).
Please see Golden Bay for other available Golden Bay hostels and accommodations.
Please see Golden Bay for other available Golden Bay hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
HI - Golden Bay - Annie's Nirvana Lodge Hostel is an associate YHA hostel, but is not owned by YHA. It does not feel as clean as YHA-owned hostels.
The Location
The hostel is located just a couple blocks from the main downtown area of Takaka and is very easy to locate. There are three parking spots out front, and there are three parking spots out front and there is a large car park directly behind the hostel where customers can park and enter through the back gate.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The largest rooms are six-bed dorms. The bottom bunks are not attached to the top bunks, which is a good thing because it means that neither bed shakes when the other person gets in or out of bed. The door locks but can be left unlocked by guests staying in the room and often are, leaving the room unsecured and there are no lockers available in the room (there is a safe in the office for valuables for customer use). The bedrooms are very large and there is plenty of space to move around in them.
There are several single bathrooms throughout the hostel. Each large bathroom is equipped with a sink, toilet, and shower. The shower is no more than a wall with a shower head and a curtain and the bathroom floor gets wet within the entire bathroom after a shower. There are small hanging shelves in most of the showers to hold a bar of soap and a bottle but there are no other shelves or hooks to place clothes and towel while showering.
Common Spaces
There is one living room with two couches facing a coffee table, a large backyard with wooden chairs and tables and two kitchens in the hostel. The kitchen off of the main living room/dining room is tiny. There are eight burners side by side and it is hard for two people to use them without bumping elbows. There are two sinks side by side and one counter. There are some shelves for storing food but seem to be taken up mostly by staff food. There is a large kitchen table sitting outside the kitchen.
The second kitchen open to the backyard and is quite a bit larger and more spaced out. There are two sets of four burners on opposite sides of the counter so they are easily used by multiple people. There is much more counter space and storage space. The oven is rickety and the door feels like it will come off every time it is opened. There is a small counter in the back with bar stools.
The biggest thing about both kitchens is the number of flies in them. There were at least ten flies in the back kitchen alone, and all of the plates, bowls, cups, pots, and pans are out in the open. It feel very dirty and is annoying to constantly shoo flies away from the food you are cooking.
Summary
The kitchen appliances need to be updated and there is a serious fly problem. The owners are very nice and do all the bookings themselves but either do not know the problems of their hostel and do not do anything to change them. The hostel is mainly filled with other backpackers enjoying Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman national park. It is a subdued but social hostel as everyone is friendly but not overly outgoing.
Response from the hostel: We have installed auto insect repellents and have repainted the hostel inside and out, and have taken on board your comments and hopefully have rectified them. We also have installed another bathroom.
The Location
The hostel is located just a couple blocks from the main downtown area of Takaka and is very easy to locate. There are three parking spots out front, and there are three parking spots out front and there is a large car park directly behind the hostel where customers can park and enter through the back gate.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The largest rooms are six-bed dorms. The bottom bunks are not attached to the top bunks, which is a good thing because it means that neither bed shakes when the other person gets in or out of bed. The door locks but can be left unlocked by guests staying in the room and often are, leaving the room unsecured and there are no lockers available in the room (there is a safe in the office for valuables for customer use). The bedrooms are very large and there is plenty of space to move around in them.
There are several single bathrooms throughout the hostel. Each large bathroom is equipped with a sink, toilet, and shower. The shower is no more than a wall with a shower head and a curtain and the bathroom floor gets wet within the entire bathroom after a shower. There are small hanging shelves in most of the showers to hold a bar of soap and a bottle but there are no other shelves or hooks to place clothes and towel while showering.
Common Spaces
There is one living room with two couches facing a coffee table, a large backyard with wooden chairs and tables and two kitchens in the hostel. The kitchen off of the main living room/dining room is tiny. There are eight burners side by side and it is hard for two people to use them without bumping elbows. There are two sinks side by side and one counter. There are some shelves for storing food but seem to be taken up mostly by staff food. There is a large kitchen table sitting outside the kitchen.
The second kitchen open to the backyard and is quite a bit larger and more spaced out. There are two sets of four burners on opposite sides of the counter so they are easily used by multiple people. There is much more counter space and storage space. The oven is rickety and the door feels like it will come off every time it is opened. There is a small counter in the back with bar stools.
The biggest thing about both kitchens is the number of flies in them. There were at least ten flies in the back kitchen alone, and all of the plates, bowls, cups, pots, and pans are out in the open. It feel very dirty and is annoying to constantly shoo flies away from the food you are cooking.
Summary
The kitchen appliances need to be updated and there is a serious fly problem. The owners are very nice and do all the bookings themselves but either do not know the problems of their hostel and do not do anything to change them. The hostel is mainly filled with other backpackers enjoying Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman national park. It is a subdued but social hostel as everyone is friendly but not overly outgoing.
Response from the hostel: We have installed auto insect repellents and have repainted the hostel inside and out, and have taken on board your comments and hopefully have rectified them. We also have installed another bathroom.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
May 2011
Their Description
HI - Golden Bay - Annie's Nirvana Lodge Hostel Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 25 Motupipi Street, Golden Bay (Takaka), South Island, New Zealand |
| Location | |
| Website | www.nirvanalodge.co.nz |
| Telephone | 03-525-8766 |
| Fax | 03-525-8786 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Fantastic Stay We stayed there for 3 nights in January an we loved the place -- especially the garden with the big lemon tree, the cosy seats and the BBQ area. The owners, Allan and his wife Miyuki, made our stay -- they helped us so much, when we had a car accident and did everything to make our stay as comfortable as possible. For us, it felt like being home. — Andrea , Austria (2012-02-01) Friendly hostel WE have stayed at this friendly homey hostel, every year since 2008. The owner is a great guy with a young family. We will be back in the bay in December (for the fishing) and will be staying at Annies. Annies staff and owner are Allan and his wife Miyuki. This hostel improves year on year. — eddie morgan ejwmorgan@btinternet.com , uk (2011-10-30) Too Crowded -- owner got greedy and squeezed in too many people Sadly Annie seems to have squeezed in more and more people into this small house/ garden. The garden is now jammed with 'private cabins' which are nothing more than tiny sheds with cheapo beds in them, The kitchens and bathrooms are struggling with the workload. Sadly some hostel owners get greedy and squeeze too many in to make more $. Annie's is not worth it -- other than being in Takaka itself, and pleasant enough hosts, its got no view or distinction to it. — Narikin , UK (2011-02-07) Horrible! The owner molested me in the middle of the night. It was loud, the staff were unfriendly, and the owner thought it was appropriate at 3 a.m. to start grabbing me in my bed. I have never felt so threatened in a place where i am suppose to be safe. The other people staying there were negative and the energy was bad. No one should stay here. In my travels, i have heard other similar stories of the bad ownership at this hostel. — Cali , USA (2009-02-17) This place is good, and still improving. — Rob (2005-03-13) Lovely staff, beautiful surroundings and relaxed lifestyle. Just great! — Steph (2004-12-19)