Sir Cedrics Southern Laughter Backpackers, Queenstown

Free soup, warm showers, and bed for cheap

I stayed in a 6-person room with en suite bathroom. I'm giving it three stars because for the price, it was fine, but I expected more based on the description. Cheap and a good location -- easy walk to the station to catch ski buses or to anything else in town. Bed was clean and comfortable. Shower worked. Free soup was good, they made it nightly. The recipe is always the same, but it's free so you can't really complain. Free hot tub. Laundry facilities available, and there's a nice hand wash basin if you want to save a penny by hand-washing your clothes. People were respectful of my stuff and I never felt at risk of theft. Solid selection of gaming systems and titles -- there was a Nintendo Switch while I was there (july 2019). But the walls are covered in jokes, many of which rely on outdated humor about marriage, which struck me as odd for a place that caters to wandering, single 20-somethings. They're fine the first time you read them but it's a bit tiring after you read the same bad jokes five times while sitting on the toilet. The en suite bathroom isn't great for a room of six people, the door was a thin sliding number with translucent plastic panes, so the bathroom light shone through into the room when it was dark, and you could easily hear whatever was happening in the bathroom. (I'm coming at this from the point of view of someone who had to get up before my suitemates and didn't want to disturb anybody.) Hot tub "guests of the hostel only" policy isn't enforced, so anybody can come in and have a soak. (And they do.) Washing machines are cold-wash only, and both washing and drying are NZ$2 per load. There's no good place to line-dry your items if you don't want to pay two bucks. Some of the guests there were filthy and left empty beer cans and takeaway containers all over the common room, every day. The poor hostel manager had to come and clean things up, but it still didn't give me great faith in the cleanliness of the communal sofa.

Great place

the atmosphere was great! the people very nice and helpful, the rooms were small but still nice, and they clean everything everyday. I would stay there again.

Southern Laughter Lodge, a BBH-registered hostel, is a fantastic place that is close enough to Queenstown to be convenient, but far enough to be peaceful. The relaxed atmosphere and friendly people make this hostel an excellent base for exploring Queenstown.

The Location

The hostel is located right around the corner from the Station and the iSite, about a five-minute walk from the bus (follow Shotover Street into town and then go up the hill on Camp Street before turning left on Isle Street). It's near a supermarket, the lake, and the nightlife, but is just far enough away from the center of town that it doesn't get any street noise at night.

Rooms and Bathrooms

There is a variety of rooms available, from private singles to large eight-bed dorms. The eight-bed dorms come with a kitchenette, small living room (with TV) and shower/bathroom facilities. Five-bed dorms also come with bathroom/shower facilities, but no kitchenette or living room, and the other, smaller rooms have none of the above. The private doubles, however, do have a small TV. The rooms do not come with lockers, and the security of the room depends on the willingness of the residents to lock the doors when they room.

There are several bathrooms scattered throughout the property -- by reception, in the common area, by the laundry room. Finding a free toilet or shower should not be difficult. The showers all have plenty of space to put your things, good water pressure, and plenty of heat.

Common Spaces

The large eight-bed dorms have their own common area, with a small table, chairs, couch, and small TV. The main common area is located above reception and features a large flat-screen TV with SkyTV and several comfortable couches and bean bags. There are computers and Wi-Fi available for a fee right off of the common area, and a second, slightly smaller common area in the second dorm building.

The kitchen is large, with plenty of space for everyone's food and cooking utensils. As previously mentioned, the large dorms have their own kitchen, with a mini-fridge, microwave, and small stove. The second dorm building also has a large kitchen, and the main kitchen serves free soup every night at 6 p.m. The second dorm building also has a secure room for luggage storage.

There are plenty of benches and bench swings outside and a hot tub, so it's very common to find people hanging out and talking outside. The hostel seems to be divided into people who are there working and people who are there to party (it is, after all, Queenstown). As a result, you won't have a problem finding someone to talk to, or someone to go out with. But you can also enjoy a quiet night in the hostel if you like, since most of the partying goes on in the bars in town.

Summary

Southern Laughter is a large hostel that, despite the number of people, avoids feeling crowded. It has a great location and atmosphere and, at a low cost, is a great Queenstown hostel.

Very Good!

Stayed in a double room for five nights and it was great! Room was very clean and had a TV and free towels. There's a free hot tub that was clean but unfortunately only open until 8 or 9 p.m. They offer free soup and it was pretty tasty but it's the same soup every night. The place had a fun personality about it with comics and artwork on all the walls. About a block from town. Quiet. Staff was knowledgeable and was a great help when we were deciding which trips to do. Only complaint was that the bathrooms had very tiny sinks that made it difficult to wash your face or brush your teeth. Definitely recommended!

Amazing, well worth the trip to Queenstown alone!

This hostel came highly recommended and despite high expectations, this hostel exceeded all expectations. From the moment we booked until the moment we checked out, we had an exceptional time. The room was immaculate and the cleaning staff should be highly praised as everything about this hostel was spotless! The linen was fresh, the beds were great, the toilets and showers were clean and convenient. Seriously, this is a massive plus! Furthermore, the location was awesome and the staff are incredibly friendly. You can save money by simply booking activities through the staff at the hostel. An even bigger plus is their relationship with pubs and clubs within Queenstown. Two for one offers on beer, wine, and spirits can get your room costs back within a couple of hours! One of the cheaper hostels around, they compromise on nothing. An absolutely top place!

Could be better

We stayed for 1 week as a base for snowboarding. Rooms were tiny and very dated, and generally the place was filthy. We were in a self contained apartment with one 4 bed dorm and a double room so meeting new people was difficult. There was off street parking but this was very tight and not to be attempted in a big 4x4. There are better hostels in Queenstown. The place has not been redecorated in a number of years and the artwork on the walls and the general condition of the property needs updated.

Great hostel -- Great value

We stayed in a double here for 7 nights in July 2007. It was only $56/night and came with a TV! The toilet and showers next to our room were clean and modern, and the kitchen was well-equipped. The jokes on the walls really brighten the place and differentiate it from your average dreary backpackers. It is only 90seconds walk from Shotover St (main st). If we ever return to Queenstown, we would definitely stay here again! Stay here!

Stayed in a double room and it came with free towels and TV, room was also nice and clean. The hostel is located between Queenstown centre and the gondola, about five minutes to either location, and is far enough from the centre to provide some nice and quiet evenings. They provide free soups every evening and also a free spa which is great! Kitchen is well equipped and has everything you need. Plus for all the comic strips that are found all over the walls brighten your day!