Tasman Bay Backpackers

Everything - we’ve been travelling for over a year now and this was definitely a top 3 hostel for us! Comfortable and very well thought out hostel with loads of seating areas, great cooking facilities and of course amazing chocolate pudding. The staff are lovely and friendly and the place was very clean. Loads of board games, chilled music on all the time and respectful guests.

Could do with a few more sinks / mirrors in the bathrooms as it gets congested at times and also the carpet in our private room could do with a shampoo as it was a little smelly but these are such minor points in the grand scheme of what the place has to offer.

Amazing hostel with an awesome lounge. There are always people playing games and music. The kitchen was very clean all the time and very well equipped. The staff was always very friendly and a few of them used to hangout at the lounge after their shift and just having fun with the backpackers. Every night at 8 pm they are making free chocolate pudding with ice-cream for everyone for free and it is delicious! I would definitely come again!

The showerheads are a bit low, which made it a bit hard to wash my hair but that's ok.

Really friendly, sociable hostel. Nice common areas and well equipped kitchen. Areas kept very clean. Love that they offer extra blankets and hot water bottles if you're feeling a chill. The chocolate pudding every night at 8pm is also a big plus. Free wifi and parking is always a win. Good location (especially if you have a car), 15-minute walk from Nelson centre, and an hour drive away from Kaiteriteri if heading up to Abel Tasman.

There are no lockers in rooms, but it is a very trusting hostel. Never felt uncomfortable or worried about my stuff. And sockets are only near some beds.

Well priced, good kitchen facilities, good bathroom facilities, towels and soap provided, nice staff, chocolate pudding and ice cream every night at 8 (free). I've stayed in a lot of backpackers and holiday cabins, this was among the best of them. It was busy when the other places I stayed this week were quiet. That's because it's good. Oh, the beds were good. Nice form mattresses, good pillows and solid wooden (not squeaky) bases.

Nothing. OK, the shower nozzle dribbled a bit. It was still hot and wet, just fine, but if I have to pick at something....

This is such a welcoming, friendly and comfortable backpackers. I have stayed here several times over the last few months and am always greeted with a smile and a warm welcome, especially by Fran, who is great and so helpful. Rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. The chocolate pudding in the evening is a brilliant chance to sit, relax and chat with other travellers. This is by far the best backpackers in Nelson and I highly recommend it!

Some rooms by the laundry can be a bit noisy.

Great, cosy, friendly place to stay. 15 minutes walk from the coach station, 15 minutes from the centre of town, close to loads of hikes, but also very peaceful in the evening. All the staff were really amazing and helpful, particularly as I missed the only bus from Picton and the guys rearranged my stay no worries. I found this hostel to be the most friendly place I have stayed so far in NZ and was really easy to make friends and find other people to do hikes and things with. Also there's free pudding every night! Really can't fault this place. Thank you to all at Tasman Bay.

This is a beautiful backpackers! So friendly and warm, very homely. The staff were awesome and they have done so well to create a family feel within the backpackers. Its hard not to socialise in this place even as an introvert. An easy place to force yourself to talk to others even when not in the mood because of the friendly environment. Would 100% recommend a stay, its not too far a walk into the town centre. Be sure to stay in for the evenings as they bake an amazing chocolate pudding ever evening for guests. Thanks for a beautiful stay!

The only one thing that would be great is having some shower gel or soap supplied in the showers. I only say this because I didn’t have any of my own at the time.

- You can see how thoughtful the hostel is in every corner. I was most impressed by the recycle shopping bag. - You can see the staffs doing their cleansing job every morning. They run this hostel systematically. - The decoration is pretty, especially at night. It’s totally warm inside because of the stove and heater. - We love the chocolate pudding time!

- We extended the stay and we need to move to another room at our last night. But one of the beds was not cleaned. There were sands, men’s hair and smelly socks on the bed. The blanket also seems not to be new, it’s messy on the bed. The time was late when we found this situation so we did not inform reception.

Great staff!

The staff were lovely & kept the hostel super tidy. Arno and Fran responded to my emails quickly, stored my luggage multiple times and gave advice on local hikes and stores. They have a beautiful green front courtyard and back patio, 4 refrigerators, and serve chocolate cake and ice cream every night! They collect green waste to feed local chickens and have reusable bags to help travelers avoid plastic bags. Relaxed hostel with many couches and good shower pressure. Loved my single room but also stayed in 2 comfortable dorms.

Some of the mattresses were a bit wiry and one of the bunks I stayed in felt a bit rickety.