Name: YHA Motueka Laughing Kiwi Backpackers & Self Contained Bach
Address: 310 High Street, Motueka, Motueka, Motueka, 7120, New Zealand
Rating: 9

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Laundry

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Common kitchen

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Free bicycle rental

Library

Barbecue grill(s)

Picnic area

Sun Deck

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Spa tub

Pool and beach

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Nelson Airport

YHA Motueka Laughing Kiwi Backpackers & Self Contained Bach

Motueka

Nice hot showers, cosy but very spacious, super good fast unlimtied wifi! Receptionist lady is super nice! Right on the edge of town, short walk into town.  Spa too which hopefully will be fixed by my next visit :)

Homely lovely hostel

Overall, I had a great stay at Laughing Kiwi and would stay again.

Notes on my stay are below:

Pros:
- Location, 24 minutes to Marahau and water taxis to Abel Tasman, very easy to get to
- Quiet, although off a main road, you heard no traffic and area was quiet at night
- NOT a party hostel, people go to be early and are up early but are respectful of others
- 10% discount on water taxis, very nice!
- On-site laundry
- Kitchen is well organized and easy to store food in fridge or shelving
- Hostel is overall really clean and organized
- Good on-site secure parking

Items to be aware of:
- Checkout is 10am but you also have to be OFF THE PROPERTY by then, which is not very clear. This seems a bit ridiculous but, FYI
- Wifi is good in common areas but not in the rooms
- Doors on showers and toilets do NOT lock, so people may walk in on you
- Check in is only until 8pm, need approval for later, did not hear back initially about my request, giving me a lot of stress and causing me to rush there

Overall, I would stay again and would recommend it. My only other comment is that there needs to be a better process for organizing the water taxi reservations to take advantage of the discount. Oftentimes a lot of people needed them and staff couldn't assist. I get that people can amass in groups and staff is busy so a better process would help people get organized and be more efficient with staff time.

Great base for Abel Tasman trekking

We had 2 private rooms (2 sets of couples traveling) out of 3 in a little cabin, where we had a whole kitchen to 6 people and a bathroom and living area. Beds were comfy, rooms large. I can't believe this is a hostel! 5 min walk to grocery store and to the downtown strip. 20 min drive from the start of the Abel tasman track. Would definitely stay again

Amazing!

What a wonderful week staying at this place! The owner, Tracy was fantastic and always made sure everything was as it should be and very clean (the cleanest I've ever stayed in). People that stayed greatly respected the standard too so everything was well looked after. There was lots of space too, which (considering they could have easily squished in another room or two with some more bunk beds) showed how much Tracy and her partner obviously care about giving people a great place to stay. 

Cant recommend this place enough. Thanks for an amazing stay and FREE use of the bikes and hot tub (I mean wow)!

😁😁

One of the most homely hostels I've stayed in

I recently stayed at this hostel and it was a very good experience. Tracy and the team did a very good job making me feel welcome. Sprocket and Pepper were a delight too! Warning: if you are allergic or don't like dogs, maybe try elsewhere. 

Laughing Kiwi is located a maximum 10 minute walk from the i-Site and bus stop (Intercity/Scenic Abel-Tasman).  

The hostel was clean and well maintained, especially in the communal areas. There was plenty of space to relax and socialise both inside and outside. The kitchen area was well-equipped and very clean too. A hot tub and BBQ are available to use too.

The beds were comfortable and sturdy (in the bunk beds). I stayed in a room facing the highway which was quite noisy at night so I needed earplugs. The rooms did get warm, but there were fans to help move the air around. 

The kitchen is closed 9:30pm-6:00am, so make sure your cooking is done earlier in the evening. Despite some of the reviews here, the rules aren't difficult to abide by. Let's be honest: Motueka is not a place for hardcore partying. It is, however, conveniently situated to enjoy Abel-tasman National Park and cheaper than Marahau or Kaiteriteri. There are fewer crowds of tourists too. 

Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at Laughing Kiwi and would recommend.

Very good stay in Motueka 

The hostel is very well located. Two very cozy little houses where you feel very good right away. The kitchen has everything you need to cook yourself. Everything is very clean. The beds are comfortable. Very good address.

Recommendation +++

Excellent backpacker, clean, well situated, excellent atmosphere... in short, the job is done, but most importantly, a really great welcome: the couple who run the establishment is simply adorable!

It's a great stay.

We had our WHV in New Zealand and we made a lot of backpacks over the long term (very good experiences), depending on the jobs we had during our trip. We arrived at the laughing kiwi and had a very good impression the first night (clean, quiet, well located place...). We wanted to stay for 5 weeks, so we went to the work house where the rules of life no longer counted on two hands. We were respectful and even tried to have a good place to live for 5 weeks. It was without counting the mood we found very varied (lunatic!) from the owner.

Long-term insurance

Not only is the equipment and service in line, but the rules that make a stay enjoyable are also humorously pointed out over and over again. The owners, by being present during critical times, also ensure that these rules are followed - subtly and effectively. So, despite the busy five days, there was a stress-free atmosphere among the guests. The fact that we received our forgotten credit card by courier and at no cost rounded off this image of friendliness and effectiveness. Thank you very much.

Everything is right here.

A nice little YHA. The owners are very friendly and helpful. Everything you need is there. I really felt comfortable there. The only downside: sleeping with the window open is not possible. From 4 a.m. onwards, several trucks drive along the street. You quickly feel like the bed is on the sidewalk.

YHA Motueka Laughing Kiwi Backpackers & Self Contained Bach

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