Frequently asked questions
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Check-in & Check-out
Reception is open from 8:30am to 7:30pm, during which we can assist with any new reservations, extensions, booking of tours and activities, equipment hire – including bikes and ski equipment. We can also provide assistance with the Queenstown, Wanaka area or New Zealand in general.
Check-in starts from 2pm
New arrivals may arrive any time after 9am. While beds are not ready until 2pm, you can securely store your luggage until your bed is available. Access to the rooms will not possible until 2pm – this gives our small team time to perform bed linen changes, bathroom cleans, bin empties and vacuuming of each room.
Late check-ins are only possible with prior notice up to, but no later than 11:00pm.
If you will arrive between 7:30pm-11pm, please email or call us 1-3 days before you arrive, and we will provide instructions on how to self-check-in.
Check-out time is 10am. We are happy to store your luggage in our locker room, free of charge, and for you to make use of our hostel facilities up to 7:00pm on the day of checkout.
Early check outs, prior to 8:30am, will just need to drop their key in our self-check-out box.
We’ll do our very best to get you checked in before our standard 2pm check-in time. However we can’t guarantee this, it will depend on the number of check-outs on your day of arrival.
You are more than welcome to arrive after 9am, store your bags with us and either make use of the hostel facilities, or to explore your destination before swinging back to check-in between 2pm and 7pm.
No problem, we offer a free late check-in service. To check-in after 7:30pm you must provide us with prior notice. To do this, all you need to do is email us 1-3 days before arrival and let us know that you’ll be arriving after 7:30pm.
We’ll get back to you with all the instructions that you’ll need to check-in, including an up-to-date access code. We frequently update our entrance access codes for security purposes. Please respond to this email that you have read and understood the instructions.
Flight cancellations and road closures are common in New Zealand, but you do need to keep us updated if you are arriving unexpectedly later than your scheduled date of arrival.
If we don’t hear from you, and you fail to arrive on your selected check-in date we will be forced to cancel your booking and charge a No Show charge – equivalent to the total costs of the first night. Please notify us of any delays or amendments to your journey as soon as possible.
We understand that travel decisions can be spontenous, so Guests booking directly with us; Via our website, phone or email are welcome to check out earlier than aniticpated and recieve a limited refund for nights not used.
In the event we are notified of any early departure we would still need to charge for that night and the following night, but anything after those two nights can be fully refunded.
For flexible cancellation bookings (basically any, except for Booking.com non-refundable reservations)
Full payment is due on arrival at the hostel, or at the beginning of any reservation which is an extension of stay.
We do not charge any flexible cancellation booking in advance unless you have asked us to do so, or are arriving after our reception closes.
Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard or EFTPOS cards, or with cash.
Guests wishing to pay with overseas. international debit or credit cards will incur an additional 2.5% transaction charge. This is because bank charges us to process international transations. As a small business we unfortunately must pass this charge back onto the guest.
Bookings & policies
All cancellations, modification or date changes must be made through the agent from which the booking was made. Until such time that Adventure Hostels receive confirmation of any cancellation from the source booking agent, then all reservations remain valid and chargable.
For reservations made directly with Adventure Hostels, this is booking made either through our Book Now button, email or phone.
Reservations not cancelled by 2.00pm, two calendar days prior to the scheduled arrival date will be subject to additional charges equivalent to one night’s accommodation.
During Summer – the maximum length of stay is 10 nights for all travellers.
After which there’s then a 20 night break before a guest may return to the same hostel.
During Winter – our hostels operate a max-stay policy of 21 nights for solo travellers and 14 nights for groups of 2 or more guests. Once you have reached the maximum of nights in a 4 week period, you must wait until the end of season (October) before further bookings can be made.
Please note that our Adventure Hostels in Queentown do not offer long term options, or weekly rates. Long stay at our Wanaka Hostel will end from December 1.
We operate small intimate hostels of up to 70 beds, as such, we operate a maximum group policy of 6 persons. This is for the benefit of solo travellers, as large groups can have a negative impact on the social atmosphere within our communal spaces. Any group of 7+ persons will be refused at check-in.
We have no upper age limits at any of our hostels. However, guests under the age of 17 are not permitted to share a mixed dormitory room. Any booking with a guest under the age of 17 years of age must book out an entire dorm room or book our private room options. Please reach out to our team by phone or email if you wish to make a booking for an under 17.
Our Hostels are in an amazing location with an abundance of nature and nightlife only minutes away from our doors. Therefore, we cater for all types of travellers and thrillseekers whether thats hikers or bikers, skiiers or boarders, the early risers and the late-night party owls.
None of our hostels have strict curfews, but our front entrance doors are locked from 7:30pm for the security of all. Our Guests are issued with access PIN codes on arrival, so they may come and go as they please.
For the early bird guests, who may be taking morning flights or setting off on dawn-walks, our hostels communal space lighting is set automatically to switch off at 10pm. We ask our guests to be considerate of others and to keep the noise down from 11pm onwards.
If you failed to receive a confirmation of your booking then this could be for several reasons. We would kindly ask you to contact our Reception team at the hostel at which you made your booking.
Before you do however, please note that all of our confirmations are sent manually by our teams. Our reception teams operate between 8:30am and 7:30pm NZST, so we won’t be sending out any confirmation emails at 3:00am in the morning!
If you made your booking via Hostelworld and didn’t receive a confirmation from them, this probably means your card declined payment for the inital 15% deposit. This deposit is charged by Hostelworld – not us. If that payment declined, then Hostelworld did not generate a booking for you.
Beds, rooms & facilities
All of our bunks include bed linens that are freshly laundered, made-up and ready for you to hop straight into. Towels are also included as standard.
Please note, that sleeping bags and external blankets are not permitted to be used for hygiene purposes. All of our rooms feature heat pumps & A/C however, if required, we can provide additional blankets free of charge.
Although our team will try our hardest to do so, Adventure Hostels are unable to guarantee guests from a group booking (any booking with 2+ persons) will be allocated into the same room. This is dependent on current availability on the date you make your booking. Priority is always given to the bookings made earliest.
Adventure Hostels do not allocate or reserve any particular beds. All of our beds are offered on a first-come first-served basis. If you are unable or unwilling to climb into a top bunk then we strongly recommend that you cancel your booking and seek alternative accommodation.
We feel that this is the fairest system by far. Guests are welcome to switch to alternative beds within their dorms, should a preferred bunk become available. Before making the switch, we kindly ask that you inform a member of our team.
We cannot guarantee that any booking will be in the same room for the duration of the stay, though we will always try our best as it makes our job far easier. In any event where you need to shift rooms, our team will give you ample heads up and make sure this is as smooth and effortless as possible.
Priority is always given to those guests that have made their bookings in advance. For those last minute bookers, please note that we have extremely busy hostels – usually operating at +95% occupancy. It is highly likely that you will need to switch rooms mid-way through your stay. Our team will notify you of this on arrival and provide you with a reminder the night before you’ll need to switch rooms.
Every hostel is a shared, co-living environment which heavily depends and relies upon the cooperation of every guest. Unfortunately, there will always be inconsiderate persons out there, that either willingly or not, do not respect house rules or the needs of fellow travellers.
Adventure Hostels have a lights out at 10pm and a no noise after 11pm policy. Adventure Hostels however do not have the capacity to run a 24/7 reception service, and our hostels are unstaffed between 11pm and 8:30am.
If you are absolutely beset on having quiet night’s sleep; Try and book into one of our private rooms or a hotel elsewhere, as we simply can’t guarantee you’ll have a quiet night sleep in any shared dormitory.
Yes! You’re welcome to store your bag for several days either before check-in or after check-out. For example, if you’re going to take a multi-day hike out on the Milford or Routeburn trails, you’re welcome to leave your bags with us before or after your stay. This is completely free of charge.
This service is available 7 days before, or after the reservation starts/ ends. Due to limited capacity we are not able to offer long term storage options.
Depending on the time of year/season you’re able to store your skis, snowboards, mountain bikes and equipment in our gear room. This includes rental gear that you may be hiring from us or other providers. The gear rooms are only accessible to staying guests with a valid access code or key and are monitored around the clock by CCTV.
Our hostels are very safety conscious. Your valuables can be stored securely in one of our padlockable lockers – these are found in our luggage & gear stores. Adventure Hostels can provide you with a padlock in return for a small deposit. Though we do recommend you bring your own padlock, as we have a limited supply. All of our lockers have an electrical outlet included, so you can charge any phones or laptops while they are stored under lock and key.
We don’t offer any breakfast or meal services. Simply because we have a great kitchen for everyone to use. With modern society dietary requirements, different preferences in cuisine & tastes, and the variation between early risers, and late sleepers – we could never please everybody. Our homey, domestic style Kitchen is designed to help our guests feel at home, and a place where you could whip up a storm. Each Adventure Hostel kitchen has a massive range of cooking and kitchen equipment everything from salad knives to breakmakers.
We allow guests to responsibly consume their own alcohol that is purchased off-site.
All of our bunks feature electrical outlets and USB charging ports. Guests can charge their devices with them in their bunks. No need for cables to be stretched across the room, or having to sit outside the dorm for hours at a time.
For guest’s wanting to charge their items securely, our locker rooms have electrical charging ports in each locker.
Social & activities/events
Yes! We have inclusive activities for all guests, every night of the week at our hostels. Here’s the current schedule for Winter 2023
Monday – Killer Pool Competition
Tuesday – Quiz Night
Wednesday – Silent Disco (at World Bar)
Thursday – Mario Kart Tournament
Friday – Music Bingo
Saturday – Pub Crawl
Sunday – Movie Night
Adventure Hostels are not party hostels. We aim to host mature travellers who are seeking a homey, inclusive and intimate experience. Alcohol purchased off-site is permitted to be consumed at the hostel. However, any guest overdoing it or behaving in a socially unacceptable way will be asked to leave, no refunds will be offered in these cases.
Visitors of guests are permitted between reception opening hours (8:30am-7pm). After 7pm all visitors must leave the hostel.
For promotions, or collaborations please see the Adventure Hostel Management team.
Nope. Our marketing is 100% based on reviews and word of mouth.
Adventure Hostels unfortunately do not offer work-for-accommodation arrangements for yoga instructors, handy people or musical mastros. Sorry folks.
General questions
Check out our careers page for all of our latest job vacancies.
Please note that Adventure Hostels do not take on volunteers. All of our Team Members are paid and live on-site. We usually ask for a commitment of 4+ months.
Our Team Members are responsible for all guest facing business operations – including check-ins/outs, cash handling, housekeeping, and our nightly events.
All of our team members live at the hostel, but please don’t pester them after hours, unless it’s really urgent.
Unlike the massive, commercial 400-bed hostels that you might find elsewhere in the world; We are a smaller, intimate operation. We simply can’t afford to operate a 24 hour reception service.
If you are arriving late, after 7:30pm, please check your emails (and spam folder) as our team will have emailed you instructions outlining how to check-in when our reception is closed.
During shoulder seasons – April to June & October to November, we do offer a limited number of long-stay options at our Queenstown and Wanaka hostels. These long stay beds are priced at $260 per week, and are available on a first-come, first served basis. We do not reserve these beds in advance. Once we reach peak season, any long-stay agreements end and we revert to our standard maximum length of stay, as outlined above.
To book these options you’ll need to reach out to us directly and enquire. These beds are not available to book online through our booking channels and partners.
Adventure Hostels Management take any and all comments and feedback from our guests
extremely seriously. We’re not a large commercial entity or operator, but a small, independent group. Brett and his team survive and thrive on the positive reviews from our Guests.
It has been an extremely difficult few years operating hostels while New Zealand’s international borders were closed, and we kindly ask that before leaving a damaging review, that you please contact Brett or Tom to report any issues with our teams performance or maintenance issues. This is so we can resolve these issues with you personally. Please reach out to us at aq.management@adventurehostels.co.nz
Each week our teams will find bags and bags of lost property at our hostels – items either left behind intentionally or by accident. We have a robust lost property system in place at our hostels to ensure that we do the utmost to get any lost gear back to guests.
We do not however, have the capacity to mail or post lost property back to guests. It is the responsibility of the guest to either return to the Hostel to collect their lost property, or to arrange for a courier to collect this from our Hostel.
For any lost clothing, we hang on to these items for 3 weeks before they are then donated to charity.
For other items, such as electronics, ID, wallets, jewellery etc, we keep these items for up to 2 months before they are either discarded or donated.
To arrange a courier collection service, we would recommend using NZ Post. You’ll receive a tracking/postage slip by email – which you’d then need to send to our team. We can then attach this to the item, ready for collection. Click here to head directly to NZ Post Courier service
Getting here & parking
All of our hostels are located in prime spots in the centre of town. The trade off for a great location is that we unfortunately do not offer any guest parking options. However, there are short term parking / loading spots outside of our two Queenstown Hostels and nearby residential/roadside parking over at Adventure Wanaka.
Click the button below to head to our Parking guides for Queenstown & Wanaka.
Queenstown airport is relatively small with flights arriving into the airport between 7am at the earliest and 10pm at the latest.
Once you leave the terminal building, you’ll have a taxi rank and a bus stop immediately in front of the exits. By far the cheapest method of getting to town is on the public bus.
Bus no.1 departs every 30mins and takes just 25minutes to town. The bus does not accept debit or credit card. A journey from the airport is either $10 in cash or $1-2 with a Bee Card, which you’ll need to purchase from the bus driver. The bus usually operates between around 6am and 11:30pm.
Alternatively taking an Uber or a taxi will cost anywhere from $35-80 depending on the time of day and availability of drivers.
We recommend the Ritchies bus service between Queenstown and Wanaka. It runs several times a day. Collecting from right outside the departure terminal. The journey takes approximately 1-1.5 hours.
This service travels via Cardrona and Cromwell, costs $40 each way and must be booked in with Ritchies directly. You can find more infomation here https://www.ritchies.co.nz/wanaka
Our smaller hostels simply do not have the capacity to offer private tours or shuttles operated by hostel staff.
Our staff can assist you with planning your adventures in and around Queenstown, and most larger tour and activity operators in Queenstown, such as AJ Hackett, Onsen Pools and various Jetboat groups offer free shuttle services to and from their facilities.
For those wanting to head out to the nearby great walks, such as the Routeburn, Kepler or Milford tracks, we recommend booking in with Info&Track. They offer frequent shuttles to and from many of the DOC walking tracks within a 1-3 hour drive of Queenstown.
We recommend the Ritchies bus service between Queenstown and Wanaka. It runs several times a day with drop offs also in Cardrona and Cromwell. The service costs $35 each way and must be booked in with Ritchies directly. You can find more infomation here https://www.ritchies.co.nz/wanaka
Winter/ Ski-season Questions
Queenstown’s two closest ski resorts – Coronet Peak and The Remarkables typically aim to open their lifts from June 16th, however they’ve been known to open a week or so earlier in the event of a good early dump.
The Ski season typically ends in early October, but may extend in the event of late dumps.
You can rent all of your winter equipment right here with us. We are always the cheapest rental option in town! We have a massive selection of entry-level equipment to rent out – from skis, boards, boots, poles, helmets and goggles aswell as clothing – Ski jackets, pants, gloves etc.
Our board and ski rental prices start at $25.00 per day, with clothing starting from only $5.00.
If you wish to rent gear, please let our team know at check-in, and we’ll have our on-site ski-technician size you up into the correct gear. We do not take advance bookings on ski equipment. Please note this service is only provided at our Queenstown Hostels.
Yes! There is a storage room at all hostels for our guests Ski gear.
– At Adventure Q2, we have a dedicated store room on our Ground floor.
– At Adventure Queenstown, the luggage store room doubles up as a store for skis, boards and gear.
– Adventure Wanaka has a dedicated Guest gear shed. Accessible outdoor and any time of day.
Hit the button below to head straight to our dedicated Winter guide GUIDE TO SKI & SNOWBOARDING, WINTER 2023
what are you waiting for?
