Haka Lodge Bay of Islands (Paihia)

This is the best hostel I've stayed at in New Zealand so far!!! The location was amazing. It is right in the centre of Paihia, surrounded by restaurants and shops. The lounge was my favourite. It overlooked the sea and was well decorated. It is a cosy place to unwind at the end of the day. The whole place was also exceptionally clean. Plus, when I visited, the all-female staff were super lovely and made a female solo traveller like me feel very comfortable indeed.

The room is small and can feel a bit stuffy. There are fans but it is still quite warm on the top bunk.

So clean Great facilities The view from the kitchen - absolutely stunning The staff were top notch (especially Scott) !! He always went the extra mile, nothing was ever too much hassle, and I loved how he helped organise socials with other travellers in the hostel. This is genuinely so appreciated when you’re travelling solo, it made meeting people so much easier and gave the hostel a really nice welcoming and community vibe - couldn’t recommend here any higher <3

Amazing price, so cheap😳 payed more at other hostels that claimed to be as good, but this one I like better. Facilities are good, kitchen fine, it’s super clean and the staff is quite young, but friendly. The bed is really good: with curtains, socket next to the bed, a light and comfy pillow. Good atmosphere, not too big and amazing view from the kitchen over the sea!! Also, in the middle of town, next to all the bars and stores. The town is small, but this way you can go whenever to check it out! Beach is nice as well to go to. Oh ánd they think of the environment, which I really like. Environmentally friendly soap, signs to not let the water running and bottle recycling, just an extra plus point for me

The only downside is that there was no window in my room, so opening the door was the only option to ventilate. Get’s really hot, there was a fan, however, doesn’t really do the trick. And the mattress should be replaced soon (room 1 last top bunk). Shower-head not adjustable and too low for me.

Great location , good kitchen and communal area. Showers and toilets were clean. Staff were friendly

No air con or windows in the bedroom. The heat in bedrooms was nearly unbearable. 2 fans were provided however only one fan worked and did not cool down the room. Staff could engage more with residents

Great position looking over the water, a 3 minute walk from the bus stop. Easy access to boat trips walks etc. the bunks are comfortable if a little tired, some of the bunk rooms are crazy tiny though - like a small double room for 4 people and all their stuff but - but it’s okay for a couple of nights. Staff are lovely although sometimes tricky to locate :)

The zero tolerance policy in the kitchen is not enforced so the kitchen is a bit of a mess. In fact the whole place could do with a bit of a deep clean.

Very friendly, attentive and caring team. Very well maintained hostel with a fantastic location and view. Great big common room and kitchen where you can meet great people. The beds were very comfortable and you have privacy through the curtains on the bed. Each bed has a shelf with a socket and light and the lockers were so big that you could even fit your whole backpack (60 litres) in them if you wanted to. Absolutely recommendable.

The shower head was a bit low (I'm 1.75 metres „tall“) but that's the only thing.

Amazing view, well located (1min walk from Intercity bus and boat/tours departure, 2min from the closest supermarket). The kitchen is clean and you can find everything you need, free coffee and tea. The bed is comfortable, there are lockers to store your belongings safely below the beds, and each has a light and power socket. Clean bathroom as well. Good atmosphere!

The rooms are quite small

Lovely place and staff! Worth to visit the town and the surrounding area

Rooms are very small, ceiling is low and some windows had no curtains. Also, the room was hot and the fan was not enough and just occupying some of the small space left. So if you are really tall or don't like hot places, think it twice. The showers were to low too. But in overall, the premises are good enough for the price

How clean the place was. I've been to many Backpackers over the years, and the bunks with curtains was great, especially when others are coming in late. Beautiful views from the lounge. I wanted to watch the TV also, but with 3 females sleeping on the lounges was a bit different. Apart from that you have done well.

Seeing the food spread across the lounges while people were fast asleep on the couch. Could see the crumbs everywhere. Obviously this is just a minor. Everything else was awesome

Stayed here a couple of time and also a wonderful stay with the staff and facility. And not to mentioned a spectacular view towards the beach.

The quality of the stay kinds depends on the ppl you'll be bunk with. We stuck with someone made a lot of noise throughout the night and early morning and had no respect of other ppl by making huge door sound on closing it.