Surf 'N' Snow Backpackers

I stayed here for 2 nights (15–17 June 2025), and I regret it. I'm a backpacker from the Czech Republic and asked about bed bugs when I checked in. The staff assured me there were none, claiming it's only "a summer problem." The next morning, I woke up covered in bites—and found a live bed bug in the bed. When I told the manager, he gave me $40 for laundry and brushed it off like it happens all the time. No apology, no action. Based on how casual he was, they already know this hostel has a serious infestation. After checking Google reviews (too late), I realized many others also reported bed bugs, but nothing seems to have changed. This place is still open and booking new people. If you stay here, you risk taking bed bugs into your luggage and spreading them to your next stop. I've reported this to Auckland Council and Hostelworld, and I’ll be contacting the media too. People deserve to know the truth. It's not worth it, bites are itchy every day and it takes up to 2 weeks apparently to heal.

PROS: In the city center and close to bus stations. The staff is super nice and helpful. The price is really nice. They offer free luggage storage before check-in/after check out which was super helpful. CONS: Some curtains would be nice for some privacy. The room was not that clean and it was quite smelly. Some shelves would be nice in the shower. I don't think there are enough shoer and toilet for that many people.

at first glance this place doesn't seem bad. I booked a room in a shared ten bed all female room. I'm 95% sure the place has bed bugs, doesn't help that I overheard one of the staff say that they do and especially doesn't help that every morning i woke up to 10+ bites. doors slam super loudly, and beds are super shaky so if your bunk mate is a mover, you will feel it all night. Wish the beds were a bit more sturdy and less buggy. ||Kitchen is too small for the size of the hostel. Have fun trying to find space in the fridge for your items as they only provide two. Saw two cockroaches while cooking so just keep that in mind as well. ||The only good thing about this hostel is that its very central and right by a grocery store.

Helpful staff. Cheap accomodation. I was on a top bunk in a very large room near a window. Got plenty of air and slept well. Bathrooms were right next door. Right in CBD. Close to transport hubs. Intimate spaces meant socializing with fellow guests was easy in kitchen etc

Terrible experience – NOT RECOMMENDED If I could give zero stars, I would. This hostel was by far the worst place I’ve ever stayed. Starting with the basics: there’s no hot water, which is already unacceptable. But that’s not even the worst part. The kitchen is infested with cockroaches, absolutely filthy, and clearly not cleaned regularly. You can’t cook anything there without feeling like you’re contaminating yourself. As for the rooms, the cleanliness is non-existent. There were bedbugs in the bed and what looked like blood stains on the mats on the floor. In a hostel, it’s normal to get your room cleaned once a day, with the floors vacuumed and the bathroom cleaned. Here, they came in four times supposedly to clean, and all they did was change the bathroom trash bag, replace a towel they put down because the bathroom leaks, and restock toilet paper. That’s it. The worst part: they came in to "clean" at 11 PM, while we were already asleep. And they didn’t even knock—just walked right in. No privacy at all. You could be changing, and they’d just come in like that. Also, the ventilation is awful. There’s a tiny window that only stays open if you prop it with a water bottle, and it can’t be fully closed—so when it’s chilly, cold air just pours in. To make matters worse, the inner ledges of the window are covered in layers of dust, and that’s the first thing you breathe in when you wake up. I know it is one of the cheapest hostels, but it is preferable that it is a little more expensive, and that it is in better condition and in the location it is in. This place should not be operating as accommodation. It clearly doesn’t meet even the most basic standards of hygiene or comfort. I absolutely do not recommend it under any circumstances.

Como se suele decir por ahi, le pongo un 1 porque no se puede poner 0. Cuando nos tumbamos en la cama la primera vez nos apareció un bicho marrón, le matamos y no quisimos darle mayor importancia. De madrugada me empezó a picar todo el cuerpo y al encender la luz había insectos de ese tipo por toda la cama, grandes, medianos y pequeños. No dudamos en hacer las maletas e irnos a otro hotel. Como no hay recepcion ni forma de contactar con ellos a esas horas tuvimos que volver al día siguiente. Por favor si estas a tiempo y les los comentarios no vayas a este sitio. Nosotros no lo hicimos y nos arrepentimos después. No se si me duele más haber pagado dos hoteles en una noche o el trauma que tengo de haber despertado entre chinches.

Did not even stay for the night, hairs and hair on the bed, blood on the dirty pillow …. The room had obviously not been cleaned. We consider sleeping on the floor but were afraid of bed bugs so we left …. For the price we weren’t of course expecting a cosy room but at least something that is close for clean. Not the case