Paradiso Backpackers Hostel

Lots of fun, relaxing, and never boring.
I guess it depends on what you're looking for from a hostel as to whether you'd enjoy this place. I stayed there for nine nights all in all, in a few different rooms. The block of four-bed en-suite rooms are nice and clean, but I preferred the six-bed dorms within the main house, which are also cheaper. It's quite a lively place and there will probably be drinking most nights in the kitchen/bus but everyones very friendly, and it's still quiet in the rooms (unlike a base hostel, where the bar can be heard from everywhere!). The night porter will generally keep the kitchen area quiet after 11 p.m.-ish, and there's a bus in the garden for anyone to be up later. There are always some people who have stayed there for a while and are the staff/working in Nelson, the people who were there when I were, were very friendly people and good company who I'd happily spend time with when my traveling friends were elsewhere. It's a nice kitchen with lots of seating, however it does get busy at 6 or 7 p.m. for free soup. Two lounges, one for DVDs (there's a movie night with a newish movie and free popcorn two times a week). It's a ten-minute walk into town where there's a decent selection of bars/pubs for quite a small town, and a little less of a walk to Fresh Choice supermarket which is on the way. A small shop and local pub (with cheap, nice beers, which you can take away two litres of for $9) are five minutes away. Good base for walking Abel Tasman and close to the centre of NZ, which is a nice walk.

This place was awful! Not particularly clean, cramped living, unhelpful management, and worst of all, cold showers! Avoid.

I thought the paradiso was the best -- heaps of fun, especially the long-term stayers that i got to know. i had the best time!

It could possibly be renamed "Rancho Relaxo." If you don't enjoy your stay at this hostel then I'm afraid you're pretty boring and must find it hard to get along with folk. Full of all walks of life, beautiful old colonial style house, and top-notch communal areas. No "hangers on," just young like-minded people who work in and around Nelson in order to fund their ongoing travels. And it has a manager who could only be described as rude by wimpish sensitive types who have absolutely no idea what it takes to run a hugely popular, busy and extremely well oiled guest house, all by herself. Also try the big green bus at the bottom of the garden, but only if you enjoy talking to interesting people, learning about different cultures and having fun (with or without "evil" booze!), and you aren't a sensitive, wimpish type.

Nice place, a bit "off center." Kitchens are a little on the small side, but that's not too bad usually. It could get a bit noisy though, so if that's bothering you, you might want to consider some place else.

This hostel sucks. The public areas are really all that it has going for it although they feel claustrophobic. The rooms are tatty and could definitely be cleaner, the so called "manager" is rude and a large proportion of the people that stay there tend to be long term hangers-on that sit around the hostel all day drinking booze. Avoid.

It's very well kept. There is a lovely kitchen/dining area with all facilities. And there is very nice (free) soup in the evenings.