The Hostelz.com Review
HI - YHA Te Anau Hostel is a family-friendly hostel -- a city playground, Lions' Park, is less than a block away. Many families with young children stay there, as do older adults. It is quiet, well-designed, and home-like.
The Location
The hostel is four flat blocks from the Intercity bus stop, and it's located on a quiet residential street. For those with cars, it has its own parking lot. It's close to everything -- a Four Square supermarket is two blocks away, as are ATMs, a bureau de change, and the Te Anau I-site. It's also close to Lake Te Anau; we could see the lake from our second-floor room.
Rooms and Bathrooms
All rooms have locks. The dorms have iron bunk-beds. Singles, doubles, and twins are also available. There are lockers in the laundry room, but it's a friendly place and they're hardly needed. We even saw laptops left unattended in the common rooms.
It's a two-story hostel and there are gender-separated bathrooms on each floor and a unisex accessible bathroom on the ground floor. Showers have attached individual changing areas. There are well-filled liquid soap dispensers at the washbasins. Bathrooms and common areas are cleaned daily.
Heating is excellent -- there are individual in-room heaters and the main lounge is also heated by a lovely gas-log fire. Beds are fully made-up with duvets.
Common Spaces
YHA Te Anau has a medium-sized kitchen that gets very crowded at suppertime. The dining area, however, is ample, with several indoor tables and many more on a covered patio outdoors. There is a large BBQ grill. Outside, there is an herb garden, and guests are encouraged to take what they can use. There is also a small spice shelf. The kitchen is closed from 1 to 3 p.m. for cleaning.
The main lounge contains several comfortable couches and four pay-as-you-go computers. The indoor dining tables also become part of the lounge after supper; one night while we were there a friendly poker game was in progress at one table and a Magic the Gathering game at another. There is a games cupboard, but unless the Magic cards came from there, we did not see it in use. There's a book exchange, which has mostly non-English titles. Reception lends out copies of guidebooks of the area's flora and fauna.
There is a small, soundproofed TV lounge, separate from the main lounge. Reception lends out DVDs and videos (for free, but they ask for a security deposit). YHA hostels in New Zealand usually have excellent Wi-Fi, and this one is no exception -- their Global Gossip Wi-Fi signal is strong, with plenty of bandwidth. We had no trouble using it in our second-floor room.
Laundry is inexpensive and there are three washers and three dryers. Two clotheslines and a drying room (for rainy days) are also available.
Summary
YHA Te Anau is a comfortable, warm, welcoming hostel, especially suited to families.
The Location
The hostel is four flat blocks from the Intercity bus stop, and it's located on a quiet residential street. For those with cars, it has its own parking lot. It's close to everything -- a Four Square supermarket is two blocks away, as are ATMs, a bureau de change, and the Te Anau I-site. It's also close to Lake Te Anau; we could see the lake from our second-floor room.
Rooms and Bathrooms
All rooms have locks. The dorms have iron bunk-beds. Singles, doubles, and twins are also available. There are lockers in the laundry room, but it's a friendly place and they're hardly needed. We even saw laptops left unattended in the common rooms.
It's a two-story hostel and there are gender-separated bathrooms on each floor and a unisex accessible bathroom on the ground floor. Showers have attached individual changing areas. There are well-filled liquid soap dispensers at the washbasins. Bathrooms and common areas are cleaned daily.
Heating is excellent -- there are individual in-room heaters and the main lounge is also heated by a lovely gas-log fire. Beds are fully made-up with duvets.
Common Spaces
YHA Te Anau has a medium-sized kitchen that gets very crowded at suppertime. The dining area, however, is ample, with several indoor tables and many more on a covered patio outdoors. There is a large BBQ grill. Outside, there is an herb garden, and guests are encouraged to take what they can use. There is also a small spice shelf. The kitchen is closed from 1 to 3 p.m. for cleaning.
The main lounge contains several comfortable couches and four pay-as-you-go computers. The indoor dining tables also become part of the lounge after supper; one night while we were there a friendly poker game was in progress at one table and a Magic the Gathering game at another. There is a games cupboard, but unless the Magic cards came from there, we did not see it in use. There's a book exchange, which has mostly non-English titles. Reception lends out copies of guidebooks of the area's flora and fauna.
There is a small, soundproofed TV lounge, separate from the main lounge. Reception lends out DVDs and videos (for free, but they ask for a security deposit). YHA hostels in New Zealand usually have excellent Wi-Fi, and this one is no exception -- their Global Gossip Wi-Fi signal is strong, with plenty of bandwidth. We had no trouble using it in our second-floor room.
Laundry is inexpensive and there are three washers and three dryers. Two clotheslines and a drying room (for rainy days) are also available.
Summary
YHA Te Anau is a comfortable, warm, welcoming hostel, especially suited to families.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2010
Their Description
HI - YHA Te Anau Hostel Details
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HI - YHA Te Anau Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Great Hostel Stayed here for two nights before doing the Milford Track. Had a twin room and it was great. Good, clean, tidy hostel with friendly staff. Good laundry facilities, internet, and large kitchen. Also I like the TV room with lots of DVDs to watch. The hostel also sells quite a range of essential supplies, saving trips to the local supermarket. — Tom , Australia (2008-11-22) Awesome! This was my favourite hostel in all of New Zealand! I could live there! Helen and Ang are my favourite hostesses! I will be back -- oh yes. — Drew Allen , Tasmania (2007-10-25) This is quite a nice hostel, with more atmosphere than the YHA I stayed in, in Waitomo. Most people staying are about to go on one of the Great Walks or to visit one of the Sounds. The facilities are all fine and the manager was very helpful. There are also lockers for your luggage while you are away walking. — Gillian , Belfast (2007-05-23) This is one of the nicest places I stayed on my trip. The staff, facilities, and location made the trip great. — chris , United States (2007-05-20)