Ruthie, the Proprietress and the cleaning staff were all very warm, welcoming & friendly!!! Every room was a private room! The Vintage Art Deco Bldg, though old & is in working progress, was interiorly beautiful for each private room that I saw during cleaning. Love the spacious common areas - kitchen, lounge, breakfast & dining rooms. Perfectly situated!!! Lots of refrigerators & cabinets to stow away groceries. Daily cleaning always! But the best part, Ruthie bakes fresh bread/scones for breakfast, which is an amazing treat!!!

Just minor aesthetics - needs fresh coat of paints downstairs & outside; I don’t like carpets & not practical for such a big place especially for maintenance.

The free food was such a lovely touch, lovely common space, the rooftop was lovely, everything felt clean (probably one of the cleanest hostel kitchens I’ve been in!) free towels were so nice too - just having heaps of things included in the price just made things awesome :)) Also all the staff were completely lovely and the rooms were comfy too!

The kitchen did have a bit of a lingering smell of mince but to be fair that was a very minor problem

Location is great, directly next to the city center (but far enough away that street parking is free). Free (continental) breakfast with freshly baked bread, muffins, etc. is very nice to have. Host is very friendly and welcoming.

The room is quite small: When opening the door, it already touches the bed. Also, the room does not really contain anything but the bed and a small sink. The shower heads (at least in those bathrooms that I used) are fixed to the wall at a height of about 185 cm - awkward for washing your hair if you are taller than that.

Really great quirky hostel, with welcoming hosts. It's a huge old building with really high ceilings - this makes it a bit chilly in the winter, but means heaps of character. Great cooking facilities and a nice lounge room. The hostel was practically empty when I stayed, being a Mon/Tues in the off-season, which was a shame. I had a nice little private room, with a heater and a really comfy bed. There's tea/coffee/water always available in the downstairs lounge, and a lovely (simple) breakfast with croissants, cereal, jam, and excellent homemade bread. Would definitely stay again next time I'm in Napier.

The original structure and location of the building layout and how it facilitated not just for backpackers,but tired truckers and me,a mum with one 9yr old son. The room was located close to the bathroom facilities and common gathering areas for dining or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. The flow and atmosphere of the building along with the very kind and friendly owners of Toad Hall Hostel. The ease of being able to come and go as you pleased. The fresh smell of bread baking which is also shared to you with a continental breakfast included in the room cost and the free hot beverage choice and homemade biscuits available anytime. The main headquarters/management of local information & historical photographs of the township and their own added touch of colour through artwork on the walls & inspirational quotes. The main room is set up for a play at pool or table tennis, a piano to test your skills,a television,a breakfast table and lounge chairs to enjoy sitting back with a book from their own library. Importantly the location of Toad Hall's Accommodation, because you can easily walk for a bite to eat,take a run along the beachfront or take a stroll around the centre township of Napier.

There wasn't anything I didn't like.

The freshly baked breakfast was such a treat and leant the place more of a B&B feeling, which was great. I loved the high ceilings and historical charm of the room and the building in general. Great roof terrace to catch the sunset!

The kitchen could feel a bit cramped when in high use. Noise carried quite a bit through the halls in the morning. And both pillows on the bed were very hard. But really not much to complain about at this great accommodation!

good location. free parking nearby. plenty of plates & cutlery and good cooking facilities. Ruthie baked every day and invited me for family dinner as someone who had been staying there for 3 months was leaving. reminded me of living in the nurses home when I trained to be a nurse many years ago.

the last night I was there it was very noisy 2-4am with people talking loudly in the corridor and going out to the roof terrace. the springs in my bed weren’t the best

Greeted by a super friendly host and I was immediately invited to join a fancy dress party. Generally just a really warm feeling to the place. Free breakfast items were available which was a lovely touch. My room was nice and clean with a comfy bed. There was a sink in my room which was great as it cut down the need to leave while getting ready for bed. Just great really.

Great value and location, spacious roof top area with picnic tables was nice to chill out with takeaways and chat to other guests. Very casual and homely feel. Wonderful breakfast with lots of selections including home made breads and muffins.

The premises are dated and could do with some decorating. The roof top area has huge potential to create an inner city oasis if they were to invest in some nice planters and fresh bean bags and furniture. However the key thing for us was affordable and location not modern and fancy.

Arrived at a Brazilian Diner - bring a dish day. We had the time of our life with the owners and some regulars. Kitchen is roomy and equiped. Not to far from everything. Parking free on the street. Included breakfast was nice with homemade meals. Showers were great, lots of hot water.

Room was lacking a powerplug for charging our devices effectivly.