DIRTY! Do not stay here, very cheap but not worth it in my opinion. The reception area smells. The hallways smell. The reviews are accurate. Dirty walls, needs a clean. Bedding is yuck. Praying I don’t have bed bugs like the rest say. Shower and bathrooms were yuck. 1 of 2 showers worked. Have to talk quiet and also use headphones to listen to music/watch movies.

Getting what you pay for is the key at Surf and Snow Backpacker in Auckland. While the building might need renovation, my overall experience surpassed expectations. The dedication of the staff, camaraderie with fellow guests, and the charm of the nostalgic building created a memorable stay. Focusing on the positives rather than dwelling on the need for updates enhanced this backpacking experience. The perfect location was the cherry on top.

Surf n snow backpackers is to be honest one of my worst hostel experience so far. My friend and I stayed in a 10 person dorm and there was really warm. The kitchen is in the basement, and was really warm, crowded and un clean. There constantly smells of curry food in all of the hostel. There wasn’t clean. And all the furnitures were broken and nuzzled.

Pretty much as grim as the reviews say. Room was a prison cell. It didn’t smell as bad as I’d expected nor were there bedbugs so that’s a bonus. A piece of my luggage was delayed due to the airline. I spoke to the manager multiple times who assured me they would sign for it and keep it safe. However I then get an email from DHL saying the package was refused so I had to pick it up elsewhere. But that’s what you’d expect from staff who aren’t paid I suppose. Stay anywhere else unless you’re a filthy hippy with no standards or self respect

Avoid at all costs. I stayed with my partner in a private room and when showering in the morning, he slipped (there was no mat) and fell and the glass door shattered. Luckily he only had some small cuts on his leg and hands and straight away told reception. A Few hours later, reception called telling us the cost of almost 800 dollars, which we replied saying that we had to discuss it with manager to split costs as we understand it is property damage but still accidental and could have been so much worse and serious injuries. We agreed to talk when we got back to the hostel since we were out at the moment. To our surprise, right after the call, they already charged the amount on his credit card. Didn’t wait they talked to us or anything, just charged 766,50 NZD. Bold move for a very low health and safety standards offered. We asked to contact the manager and had a talk and he insisted he could just charge it right away like that, mentioning the insurance. He told us it was the insurance excess which usually comes after the issue is solved and not beforehand, but no liability taken over the issue. No one slips in the bathroom and shatters a glass door 9 am in the morning for fun. It could have been a very serious accident but management does not care to even discuss it. Dirty and messy kitchen. Minimum cleaning standards for bathroom/showers. Cleaning lady in the afternoon very rude. From 2 showers on my floor, one of the door was falling apart and you couldn't even lock it. No option of opening window in the room and the ventilation small bit that could be open is being held by a plastic hanger. Very hot inside, the small fan in the room helps but it is still not pleasant. From 2 power outlets available in the room, only one is working. Small wardrobe in the room with both doors broken and barely hanging in place. Only positive, Jimmy from reception, very helpful and kind. Other than that, good location but surrounded by noisy construction sites e road works.

Sorry to post a bad review but what I booked and paid for and what I turned up to was very different, this was end of July 23. I decided to give this hostel a chance when travelling to Auckland for work. The pictures looked nice, basic clean room with good amenities. I turned up after being hassled out the front. Went into reception and was not in a good mindset (travelling female alone) of being told about safety precautions, don't go out if you can kind of words. The room was a box, dirty and no window. I felt exposed and unsafe. I had to leave. No refund, not even an acknowledgement standing at the counter until staff wanted to talk to me. Sorry but this hostel can do better and treat people better. I'm not a backpacker but I feel even backpackers paying those prices deserve respect and more sense of safety and hygiene. It's a "don't go there" vote from me.

Horrible, Very noisy , my Worst night in hostel, paint on the walls of the room undone, noise from the infernal ventilation ducts, and no windows. I have never seen a room so rotten, even on a tramping the comfort is better. It’s like a prison. Run away

I don't think this hostel deserves all these 1 star reviews. You get what you pay for. $27 for a bed in a dorm, one block from the Sky Tower, Auckland Central. Not the tidiest hostel around, but I think it's old interior makes it look worse than it is. Definitely could do with some renovations. Worth stopping for a night or two if you need some cheap accommodation in the city. Fast WiFi, all the basic facilities and great location, if you can call Auckland City great 😜

You get pretty much what you pay for. We had perfect view of the Sky Tower. Public transport as well as a supermarket are nearby. Unfortunately there's a construction site infront of the hostel so it's pretty loud. The room we stayed in had a double bed, closet, small table and a ventilator. The room itself was pretty small but clean. The bed was clean but also small, me and my partner are both 180cm and barely fit on it. We were here during spring and it was very cold at night in addition to that the part of the window that could open was broken and didn't close so we had to tape it shut. The curtains are thick enough to make the room dark. There is a shared bathroom on every floor, they are relatively clean but also very cold. In the reception room there are sofas, benches, chairs and tables. The kitchen is dirty and there is moldy food in the cupboards and fridges as well as cockroaches. Apart from that it's a good hostel to stay in if you have a low budget.

It's the cheapest accommodation in the city so you get what you pay for. Cockroaches in the kitchen. Not enough staff on cleaning shifts so the bins overflow every night. There's no plug sockets in the dorm. Leaking toilets. One tablespoon between about 30 people. Toilets on a different floor to your room. You stay here because you need to, not because you want to. £9 a night tho, so you can't complain too much.

It was a disaster! We we're travelling as a family, 1 male and 3 females. Booked a 4 bed dorm which means we can have the room to ourselves. When we arrived at the property (March 2023), we were told that the room we booked was not available but we were transferred to a 6 bed mixed dorm. Currently, there are 2 men already occupying 2 of the beds. We asked to talk to the manager but he was away on leave. Reception tried to investigate what happened and found that the change was made last December 2022. However, we we're never told about it. No message or email. It was after 6pm and we we're tired. We we're defeated and decided to try it for a night but unfortunately, we did not feel comfortable being with strangers. I think I only slept for about 2 hours that night.

Just we could stay 20 min. Enough time to find another place to sleep. Nasty place. Seem like hasn’t been cleaned for ages. Dirty sheet. Bathrooms full of hair and paper towel everywhere. Really unsafe.

Don’t do it!! Most disgusting hostel experience of my entire life. Should 100% be shut down for health hazard. We left after a night. I’ve traveled all around the world, from France to Morocco to Canada and have never slept in a dingiest, more unhygienic and unwelcoming place. Didn’t dare walk barefoot on the ground, didn’t dare shower, made me feel claustrophobic and dirty - and, boy, I’m not even that picky about cleanliness (this girl has stayed in some weird spots before). Bedbugs, black mould, dirt… you’ve got a cocktail of health hazards here just waiting for you. We stayed in a double room without windows - without window is one thing, but this looked like where a kidnap victim gets taken. Stains on the ground, stains on the wall, un hoovered, pipes out of the wall and fan not working - nothing there but a springy bed. No bedside table. No lamps. No decorations. Pics and video show quite well. Don’t make my mistake and think « nah, it’s cheap, who cares - we’ll deal with it for a couple nights ». You won’t, seriously - and you’ll just end up leaving early and paying for something else. Pay a bit more and have a DECENT night, because mark my word this is not even decent. No matter what you charge, a place should be hygienic. This was like squatting in an abandoned building, except you’re paying for it. Staff were not that welcoming and sat around although there was plenty to do (Ie - tidy common areas which were equally rank). Check in was 3 hours late. We were next to the TV room and people were screeching there until 1am - on a Tuesday.

Oh my god, I don't know how I can describe that terrible hostel. Everything is really dirty. The bathrooms are nauseating, they have not been cleaned for years! The rooms have a musty smell. Really guys, it isn't worth the location when the place is so nasty.

WORST PLACE EVER !!! I had to give one star but it deserves zero… - When you enter the building, weird people are inside looking at you (just like if they were evaluating your belongings in your bags to rob you). Weird smell as well. (And that’s just the entry lobby, haha) - If you leave your luggage/suitcase near reception… PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT AND ITEMS MIGHT BE STOLEN… be careful not to leave anything valuable. Of course reception won’t help you AT ALL… - Private room without a window, small, bad mattress and smell. - Dormitory, small, not cleaned and smelly. - The kitchen is a joke!! It is a miracle that it hasn’t exploded already!! And finally; the MANAGER IS AN INCOMPETENT (lol), it’s more a joke to stay there and tell what happened to your family once back home rather than an enjoyable stay. Of course they won’t refund you if anything happens. If you can stay elsewhere…. Just AVOID THAT DANGEROUS PLACE

Great location but the hostel itself is horrendous! Booked a private room with ensuite. This hostel doesn't even have a private room with ensuite and no partial refund was given. The mattresses are super thin and the pillow is probably 10 years old and barley held its form. Everything is grubby and dirty and stank. One staff member was friendlyish and the other not so much, bot welcoming at all. I was told I had to speak in a low voice as the walls are so thin. If you don't mind all of the above then it is bang in the centre of town and is super handy.

You get what you pay for. No plugs in the dorms, kitchen is in the basement and you have to check out all your utensils etc and carry it down, not ideal with knives and pans. Internet is very slow, if you can connect at all. Bathrooms are pretty grim tbh, showers are more of a light mist and out of the 6 I have taken only one has managed to warm up by the time I was done. Our dorm also had all the plumbing for the upper floor bathroom running across the ceiling, kinda gross hearing every flush. Honestly a bit of effort could sort this hostel out but I'd recommend staying elsewhere

Having seen all of the bad reviews before staying here we were expecting the worst, but once arriving it seemed lovely and we weren’t sure why people had had such bad experiences. I can imagine in the summer it’s a different story as the kitchen is quite small, as are the social areas. But we went in mid April and it was great for the money and we met some lovely people. Would 100% stay again!

Great location, reasonable prices. Clean and simple. Friendly manager, great atmosphere. Came for a week, stayed over a year!! Be respectful and you get respect back. Pool table is great for socialising and making new friends, good music too. Cosy TV room and all facilities you need! Will always chose this hostel when staying in Auckland.

Do not stay here. We booked a private room, it was smelly, had no windows, felt like a prison cell and the kitchen and bathrooms were repulsive. We did not feel safe here. The road around this area is also under construction that won't be done any time soon. We payed an extra 5 dollars a night to stay at City Lodge and it was 1000x better.

Similar to other reviews, staff are friendly but the place is extremely outdated and unhygienic. Wouldn't dare to use the showers, privacy isn't great in toilets either. Hostel room messy with long term stayers too. Not worth the time, slept in the car instead

Very horrible hostel, no hot water, dirty, WiFi does not work,literally no where to be communal/social. You have to sign your life away to rent a fork or a cooking pot. Out of the over 100hostels I’ve been to this was the worst.

Let’s clear a few things about Surf’n’Snow backpackers. Yes it is true it is an old and not building with rooms that are not renovated. Yes it is true that bathrooms seldom might get dirty. HOWEVER, this comes down to two things: 1. The quality of the average guest that the hostel receives, and 2. The average price per night, which means that the management runs on a tight budget BUT at the same time tries to make everyone happy. So far, I have stayed in this hostel overall for about 2 months. For this price, you definitely get MORE than what you pay for. The staff and the management are very friendly and will do their best to accommodate you, should you have any need or any request. The hostel manager (Pablo) always has been very friendly and nice to me, and, from what I can see, to other guests as well. All the Receptionists are also nice. Bonus point for the location, which cannot get more central than this. The staff does their best to keep the facilities clean and tidy, as far as I know there are two daily cleaning shifts. The bad reviews on here left by others are due in part to old kitchenware/ furniture/ utilities/ facilities, and in part to, as I said before, to some of the guest, who, let’s say, “do not love” personal hygiene too much. For my personal experience I can say, you get the bang for your buck. If you are looking for a better place to stay, it’s fine however be ready to spend at least double the money per night. Long story short: if you’re on a tight budget or are looking for a central place where to sleep, then most definitely this place suits you. If deep cleanliness and new facilities is what you are looking for, then yes, there are better yet more expensive accommodations around Auckland CBD.

We booked a room for ourselves and it was fine. It was quite big and spacious but besides that I have not a lot of other good things to say. Maybe that the staff was really nice, but that’s it. The bathrooms were ok (not really clean), but the kitchen was horrible. We tried to avoid it as good as possible but it was just really dirty and crowded. The lounge wasn’t big either. All in all for the price it was fine but wouldn’t recommend for a longer stay.

Big rooms with enough space for your luggage, big windows with ventilation and rooms smell good. Very central of Auckland that always help and really near to train station. Toilets where clean and in the kitchen good environment of people. Staff really nice too. Good price, highly recommend it. I would come back.

Not as bad as I expected after reading previous reviews. It is worn, but clean. Toilets and showers looked newly renovated (at least ladies ones on 1st floor) and were clean. Helpful staff. We stayed in a private room for two. Nothing luxurious, just 2 beds and a fan. Quite clean, but worn. New pillows though and some of the matrases also looked new. Not sure how it looks in dorm rooms. You get what you pay for. And in the city centre.

This was the worst experience ever. Even though we read the reviews beforehand, we still booked a private room because we needed a place to sleep for a night. You have to hold your breath on the way to your room because the hallway smelled like sweat as someone didn’t wash himself for a veeeeery long time. Our room had a bed, a big hole in the wall with a pin needle above it. The walls were painted half way and dead mosquitoes on it. We had to leave our window opened for the whole night because of the smell, but little did we know that the location was very central with road works in front of our window. The bed was not only unstable but covered with little friends crawling through our bed sheets. There was also no shelves whatsoever, just the bed. And this was a private room. Can’t image what 10-bedroom must look like. The bathroom in the basement was horrific. Very dirty and smelly. The one on the first floor for only women was fine though. All in all we survived the night, but would never come back again. Can’t get rid of the smell. But I do have to mention that the stuff was really nice and also the people we met. DONT GO THERE. Ever.

To begin with, we arrived at the reception before 1 p.m. which meant that we waited 2 hours for the check while someone was behind the counter looking at his computer quietly. Then to list: - The reception room frankly looked like a squatt, a smell not very pleasant already and then dirty. - unpleasant odors of the building, food and mold. - private room I quote, very dirty carpet, little storage or furniture and the sheets are rudimentary and wash at a minimum (or not at all), break window impossible to close (accompanied by the noise of the work and the cold of the night), non-existent decoration (it looks like we were kidnapped and taken to this room) not to mention the very grayish color. - bathroom with broken windows so when you get out of the shower you are cold and everyone has visibility from the street. Showers flood the floors, which makes it very painful to go to your dry room, especially since the floor is dirty everywhere and hair in the shower. Water is often frozen. After the sanitary facilities are dirty and the garbage cans filled with sanitary towels in women. Some doors cannot close, so for tranquility and modesty it is just not possible. - the kitchen do not talk about it, DEGEULASSE I have in no way dared to eat with the covered and pots and pots offered. Traces of food everywhere, garbage in closets and machines, closets filled with bags of food with midges around it stinks - we asked to change rooms because the window being broken this was really a problem as well as the latch of our door that did not close well, broken so security not safe at all. They offered us to change rooms, which never happened. The excuse for the lack of staff and the covid period are not admissible because at this level it is a lack of respect and a scam.

The place should be shut down honestly. Absolute health hazard with black mold, flithy floors and disgusting bathrooms. Lovely reception staff but they need to sort their cleaning standards out.

Much better experience than I expected based on old reviews; A lot must have changed since then. The rooms were basic but totally fine, the staff were very friendly and helpful, and the kitchen is pretty good as well. Cleanliness could still be improved a bit, but I felt totally comfortable with the level it's at right now. Absolutely the best you can expect at this price level!

Actually quite good for the price. Perhaps there could be a few improvements for sure, such as another dryer (or two), an improvement on the showers (the heads mainly) and the internet seems to have QoS problems. It seems that it drops connection a lot, even though it's momentary it's not good. At a few hundred kbps it's usable though. Otherwise it's okay. I have to admit that my room wasn't busy (only 5/6 people in a 12 bed dorm) and it is winter, so I don't know what a full room in summer would be like, but the vents help. The kitchen is open 22 hours a day which is also great compared to most other hostels. You should probably bring your own cutlery though, as you have to hire kitchenware from the reception otherwise (free for 90 minutes unless you either fail to clean them properly or damage them). A fairly worthy 4 stars.

Friendly staff and very cheap. Sadly you can't share the dishes in the kitchen anymore and have to ask the staff to hand out things. The rooms are sometimes smelly and the toilets not cleaned. It's 50/50 depending on your roomates. I feel the reason the unclean toilets is that they get cleaned 1 time a day. Bed sheets, blankets and pillows are clean and smell fresh. Never had the "pleasure" to meet bedbugs. For the location and the cheap price it's really a good place to stay at either if you are traveling through Auckland or looking for a job.

This place have everything I need. Central easy check in n out good access to showers n toilets in three floors. Excellent staff. I feel really save. I have been here so many times very convenient. Ask the staff for anything unlike they will help you. Such a great time thnx all!!

Very dirty kitchen, rooms and bathroom. $8 to wash and dry your laundry. Cockroaches and filth in kitchen. Bare rooms no bed side light stains on the bedding and no tv. Big gaps in the toilet doors so people can see through when showering or using toilet. Very small and smelly showering rooms not much hot water or pressure.

Booked a whole 8 bed dorm for one night with friends while in town for a gig. It was a pretty funny experience, so the location is good and it’s super cheap. I’ll break it down: 1 - broken boarded up windows, crumbling ceiling all over the stairs, smells and rubbish, H&S hazard 2 - dirty beds with confirmed bed bugs 3 - window in dorm was held open with a coke can and window was dirty as, the curtain was a shower curtain held up by clothes hooks 4 - got home from town and door was wide open so rooms are not safe, bring a padlock for the boxes 5 - woke up to a random girl getting ready for work in our room, when we had booked all the beds 6 - left a UE boom in the room and went back to get it the next day and it had already been stolen 7 - spew in the showers

Miserable cold night, wasn't allowed to close the curtain as one of the lady said too many ppl in one room, so this is what I have to suffer, an upper bed in the middle of two windows, you can smell oily food from the street and weird smells in the room, 8/9 of them are long term staying, no socket/ light next to bed, you will get a very bright flash on your face when lights on real annoying when you are sleeping, never quiet even midnight, shared toilet and bathroom is on 1st/ 3rd floor while the room is on 2nd floor, shower limit to 4mins, the only thing I like was their staffs, friendly and helpful, they are able to provide proof of address even for a night. NZD28/ one night in female dorm.

For the price this place can't be beat. The staff are all super friendly, and the location is amazingly convenient. It's not luxury accommodation, but for a backpackers hostel it far surpassed our expectations. I'd definitely book again when transiting through Auckland.

We stayed 4 nights in a double private room. The hostel and bathroom are being cleaned ceveral times a day, even if it looks old it is s at least very clean,. The room looked completely different from the pictures. If you want to use the kitchen you have to ask every single ustensile and cutlery that you'll need, I agree that it keeps the kitchen clean, but it's not convenient if your forget something. WiFi available only at the reception.... It was okay you get what you pay for.

Check out of the hostel that I stayed for the past few days. As I shared with multiple friends of my initial decision to cancel after reading the review, I came to see for myself after checking that the room is non refundable. In my honest opinion, this hostel being one of the lowest rated hostel in Auckland, do not deserve the bad rep it gets online. Maybe in the past during covid period things was difficult. I had the chance to try two different room in this hostel. I do not see bed bugs in both room, the room is not the cleanest on the floor beneath the bed, but I can say this is the same for some big names that I've stayed in fancy places too. The kitchen and toilet area are cleaned at least twice a day. The WiFi is decent. The hostel has lift! The location of the hostel cannot be matched for being smack right in middle of cdb and reallllllly accessible by foot and bus everywhere. I have not felt unsafe in the area. This is a bonus. All in all, I would come back to stay in this hostel in the future for the value of what I get vs what I've paid.

I fell bad about leaving 2 stars because the staff are friendly and i would probably stay there again but that is because 2 stars is adequate for me, noticed others commenting about bed bugs wasn't any, and no theft, negatives are that the kitchen is more cockroach's than kitchen and the bed is super super thin hurts your back also there is no wifi in the rooms and no hot water at night/early morning, you can stay here and its cool but i recommend bringing one of those mats you lie on when camping for the bed and not using the kitchen. This is a quite hostel different to the others ive been in which could be positive or negative depending on you. if i was the building owner i would fix the problems and cover it by charging like $1 more per person....

You get what you pay for… From the moment you walk in the door you get hit with a pungent curry powder mixed with sweat smell all the way up to reception, staff were extremely unorganised and made multiple mistakes when sorting out room. Once inside we Had noticed multiple things that were wrong with the room. The window had been left wide open lodged with a plastic bottle and rain had come in wetting the floor, dry wall dust spread all over the floor under the beds next to the seedy metal storage boxes they provide. The fire alarm in the window was covered with tape and stunk of cigarette smoke that was noticeable before even entering the room. 6/6 Mattresses were stained head to toe with bed bugs crawling through everything, we ended up sleeping in our sleeping bags to avoid the disgusting beds and itching. The bathrooms were horrendous, toilet paper machines broken in 2/3 toilet blocks, the shower pressure is equal to a water fountain, not to mention the water is on the colder side of room temperature even on the max hot setting. Pubic hairs on the shower floors and sinks. The list could go on and on! Highly recommend staying away from there even as a last minute option.

Still Auckland's best city hostel. Location is the best. Cheap, and...well... almost cheerful. The staff will do their best to help you. It's a very good budget place to stay. Central access to all of Auckland Transport network. Also the InterCity bus. Also walk Countdown Supermarket and back in 5 mins. A refurbishment is due, hopefully an increase in tourism in NZ in the next few years will warrant more investment. Yes it needs new furnishings, a deep clean... But all the facilities you need are there. I'm sure then the good atmosphere it has always been known for will return.

We stayed in a female 10 bed dorm for the first 2 nights. We chose this hostel as it was the cheapest in Auckland and it was what you paid for really. The rooms were okay, there was a fair amount of mould in ours, and it was very noisy but what you'd expect of a 10 bed room with people arriving back at different times of the night. We opted for a private room for the last night as this suited us much better. I would recommend for a short trip to save some money and be right in the city, but I probably wouldn't go back.