View from the shared balcony at the Adventure Hostel.
If a boutique hotel could have a younger sibling the Adventure Hostel in Queenstown would earn a place in the family. With its private rooms, service and modern decor, the hostel emulates the service and style of its older sister. Adventure Hostel may not yet be quite at the level of a hotel, but it comes close. And as a hostel, it looks down on other hostels like a parent.
My husband and I sandwiched our trek in New Zealand's Southern Alps with two nights in Queenstown. Read more about it here. We normally pick a boutique hotel or Starwood Points property for our lodging, but none seemed to match up for our requirements of price, value and location. The Dairy, a close second to the hostel, seemed lovely but slightly out of town. Our decision-making matrix had us only two nights in Queensland sandwiching a hiking trek. We wanted to stay close to the city so we could buy supplies and stay close to transportation connections. We wanted to stock up on meals and gear. and could not spend a day enjoying the grounds and amenities of a finer property. We went for value instead.
The Adventure Hostel had high marks on TripAdvisor and offered private rooms, a rarity among the hostels in the area. According to manager Brett Duncan, the hostel maintains 90% occupancy so were were glad we booked early. Brett took the time to give us a tour of the rest of the hostel, which has a proper kitchen, lounge, and lockers. It is always great to see managers who stay passionate about their business and clients.
Our private room on the third floor had access to the sunny wood balcony and a view of the the lake. The bathroom featured modern Italian fixtures and a neutral tile. I could see the mountains from my shower. The room had coffee, tea, a kettle and a TV and DVD player. Hiking gear and happy hours lay two blocks away. With the privacy of our own room, we could not help but feel we were in a hotel. The natty linens, industrial blue carpet and bunk beds parked next our queen bed, however, reminded us we were in a hostel.
With an upgrade to white hotel lines and a carpet upgrade--wood flooring, perhaps--Brett would have hotel rooms on his hands. And I would certainly choose the Adventure Hostel again for a quick stay in Queenstown on my way to the mountains.
My husband and I sandwiched our trek in New Zealand's Southern Alps with two nights in Queenstown. Read more about it here. We normally pick a boutique hotel or Starwood Points property for our lodging, but none seemed to match up for our requirements of price, value and location. The Dairy, a close second to the hostel, seemed lovely but slightly out of town. Our decision-making matrix had us only two nights in Queensland sandwiching a hiking trek. We wanted to stay close to the city so we could buy supplies and stay close to transportation connections. We wanted to stock up on meals and gear. and could not spend a day enjoying the grounds and amenities of a finer property. We went for value instead.
The Adventure Hostel had high marks on TripAdvisor and offered private rooms, a rarity among the hostels in the area. According to manager Brett Duncan, the hostel maintains 90% occupancy so were were glad we booked early. Brett took the time to give us a tour of the rest of the hostel, which has a proper kitchen, lounge, and lockers. It is always great to see managers who stay passionate about their business and clients.
Our private room on the third floor had access to the sunny wood balcony and a view of the the lake. The bathroom featured modern Italian fixtures and a neutral tile. I could see the mountains from my shower. The room had coffee, tea, a kettle and a TV and DVD player. Hiking gear and happy hours lay two blocks away. With the privacy of our own room, we could not help but feel we were in a hotel. The natty linens, industrial blue carpet and bunk beds parked next our queen bed, however, reminded us we were in a hostel.
With an upgrade to white hotel lines and a carpet upgrade--wood flooring, perhaps--Brett would have hotel rooms on his hands. And I would certainly choose the Adventure Hostel again for a quick stay in Queenstown on my way to the mountains.