The Hostelz.com Review
Dolphin Lodge Backpackers is an excellent hostel. It is located in a quiet residential street about fifty meters above the main street of town, and its elevated position allows for stunning views of the mountains and ocean from the rear deck and spa, as well as the kitchen and dining room. It has a quiet and friendly feel, and is great for meeting people. The staff are friendly and exceptionally helpful.
The Location
The hostel is located a few minutes walk from the centre of Kaikoura on a quiet residential street, with a rural property (complete with livestock!) next door. It is easy to find, and located on an elevated no-through-road. At the end of the street, a set of steps leads down to the main street of Kaikoura, landing halfway between the main shops and the information centre, putting the hostel within easy walking distance of the information centre and bus stop, shops, and cafes and the beach. There is ample on-site and street parking available.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms are small but adequate, with four to six beds per dorm. There are also two double rooms available. All rooms have individual locks, but no lockers are available in the rooms. The bathrooms are small, shared male/female, and can get crowded at peak times, as there are only three toilets and three showers for the entire hostel. The floors can also get quite wet and muddy when busy. There is minimal space to hang clothes and toiletries while using the showers.
Common Spaces
The highlight of the hostel is the huge outdoor deck and heated spa bath, with fabulous views toward the mountains and ocean. There are also tables, chairs, a hammock, and a large garden. Indoors, there is a large communal dining room set inside bay windows looking out to the ocean -- beautiful at sunrise. There is a large, well equipped, and very clean kitchen with plenty of fridge space. The hostel encourages green travel, and there are separate bins for rubbish, recycling, and organic compost. There is also a wood stove, book exchange, board games, and a TV room located at the back of the hostel. All common spaces are kept clean and tidy.
Summary
Dolphin Lodge is an excellent hostel with lots of personality. It is well located in terms of convenience and views, and kept in good condition. The staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is very welcoming. The view from the back deck alone is worth the trip. This place is highly recommended.
The Location
The hostel is located a few minutes walk from the centre of Kaikoura on a quiet residential street, with a rural property (complete with livestock!) next door. It is easy to find, and located on an elevated no-through-road. At the end of the street, a set of steps leads down to the main street of Kaikoura, landing halfway between the main shops and the information centre, putting the hostel within easy walking distance of the information centre and bus stop, shops, and cafes and the beach. There is ample on-site and street parking available.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms are small but adequate, with four to six beds per dorm. There are also two double rooms available. All rooms have individual locks, but no lockers are available in the rooms. The bathrooms are small, shared male/female, and can get crowded at peak times, as there are only three toilets and three showers for the entire hostel. The floors can also get quite wet and muddy when busy. There is minimal space to hang clothes and toiletries while using the showers.
Common Spaces
The highlight of the hostel is the huge outdoor deck and heated spa bath, with fabulous views toward the mountains and ocean. There are also tables, chairs, a hammock, and a large garden. Indoors, there is a large communal dining room set inside bay windows looking out to the ocean -- beautiful at sunrise. There is a large, well equipped, and very clean kitchen with plenty of fridge space. The hostel encourages green travel, and there are separate bins for rubbish, recycling, and organic compost. There is also a wood stove, book exchange, board games, and a TV room located at the back of the hostel. All common spaces are kept clean and tidy.
Summary
Dolphin Lodge is an excellent hostel with lots of personality. It is well located in terms of convenience and views, and kept in good condition. The staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is very welcoming. The view from the back deck alone is worth the trip. This place is highly recommended.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2010
Their Description
Dolphin Lodge Backpackers Details
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Dolphin Lodge Backpackers Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Unhelpful Although the receptionist was very friendly she would not give us BBH discount as we had not booked directly. Although this is technically part of the rules of bbh we did not have any other problems in seven months of hosteling in new zealand with this, so i thought it was rather unreasonable. It is a beautifully situated hostel and maybe it is enjoyable in summer but do not stay here in winter! It was so cold! None of the people in my room could sleep because it was so chilly! — Heth , Uk (2009-10-10) Lovely! Homey, friendly, and clean. Simply lovely. — Mi , Sweden (2008-03-24) This was the most wonderful hostel! It has a very homey atmosphere, a fantastic view, the hill to the side is perfect for watching sunrise, and the hammock and spa in the yard are great for night time. Town is just a few minutes walk away, and the pubs in town have a real NZ feel. I would never stay anywhere else in Kaikoura. — Kourtney from Michigan (2007-01-20) This hostel was absolutely lovely, a nice change from the busier hostels in the cities and you are made very welcome by the family atmosphere here. The rooms are small but comfortable - what more do u need. It is located perfectly to get to kaikoura's attractions - the seal colony! and whale watching. It has a beautiful garden, with spa and gorgeous views of the mountains.
Make sure you get down to the beach and take in the night sky, you won't see anything like it in the cities.
I definitely recommend this hostel. — flopsy (2006-02-24) This is a great little hostel, really homey and with a very friendly staff. It's very small but it makes a nice change after lots of big, faceless YHAs. It's incredibly clean, with a nice big garden and hot spa. I would definitely recommend staying here. — Kate and Ian (2004-12-31) We did really enjoy our stay and will always come back to the Dolphin Lodge. We were there seven years ago and we went back this year in November (2004). The Dolphin Lodge is well equipped, clean and the owners are very friendly and helpful. We can always recommend this place. — Mary and Roland from Germany (2004-12-29) The Dolphin Lodge is set up on a hill with a lovely deck overlooking the coastline of Kaikora. On a clear day, you can enjoy the site of the snow covered mountains and the azure blue sea from the deck. The hostel is converted from a house, so it is relatively small. However, it has many nice touches that make it an excellent place to stay for a couple of days. The best freebies of the place are the mountain bikes that you can take to cycle the the ceal colony or around town and the spa pool to soak in while enjoying the fabulous view. The kitchen has only one full sized fridge and one small dorm fridge, but this seems to be enough for the amount of people there and there is only one bathroom with just 2 showers. These seem to be the only downfalls. — Olga (2004-03-25)