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A friendly toasty warm – backpackers located in central Queenstown within quiet surroundings. We have plenty of off street parking and just a 2 minute walk to bars, supermarkets and shops.Our rooms are configurations of cozy 3, 4, 6 or 8 beds as well as 5, 6 and 8 person self contained units with kitchens. We also provide comfortable private double and twin rooms.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Languages Spoken
English
Location
4 Isle Street, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
Southern Laughter Backpackers
329 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Great location in downtown Queenstown. Everything within walking distance like restaurants, shops and attractions. Ski field a 14 km drive or hop on a bus one block away if you do not have a car. Staff friendly but not forthcoming. You need to ask many questions to get a straight answer. Free Wifi for only works in some areas your room not being one of them. Not a quiet place and parking can be a problem. I had to pay $16 for public parking one night because driveway was blocked by two parked cars. A good price for the accommodation but will look elsewhere next time.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Bring your own Wifi
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our room (room 8) is basic but has everything you need. Heater , towels , space, window. Our room was warm and comfy. Shared bathrooms and toilet were clean. Kitchen and lounge was tidy and very spacious lots of places to sit. Location is amazing !! 5mins walk to anything. Staff were lovely as well. 2 thing is that we could hear everything happening up stairs , walls are a bit thin but lucky we are deep sleepers and then lastly we found some belongings of previous stayers under our bed. Other than those 2 things very happy with our stay.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Don’t expect much … you get what you pay for, extremely grateful for our cheap stay :)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a twin room, which was basic but comfortable. There weren't really enough toilets or showers in our part of the building and this did cause some queuing. Location wise the hostel is a short walk to the main street and the lake. Free car parking at rear, also laundry and hot tub at the hostel. Kitchen was reasonable well equipped.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I don’t usually write scathing reviews, but our stay at Southern Laughter warrants it. In fact, it’s not scathing, it’s fact. Me and two friends stayed and all had a horrible experiences individually and collectively. Let’s dive in.
1. One member of our group stayed in his own “private” room since he had lots of expensive camera equipment with him he wanted to lock away. Last night at midnight someone opened his LOCKED door with a key, he woke up, the person apologized and left. How someone could get into his room is beyond us. Reception had no explantation either. 2. We stayed for three nights, but one of our group (female) was so uncomfortable with her first night’s stay in the 10-person room that she bought two more nights at another hostel, and still paid for the two nights of an empty bed at Southern Laughter. 3. I had the best experience of us three and still it was poor. Namely, someone stole my six clearly labeled beers in the fridge. Drank them with no remorse it seems!
Lastly, the place is filthy, not cleaned well, no chargers basically anywhere, WiFi was non-existent, and the kitchen was in disarray because no one has respect for it. We had much better hostel experiences elsewhere throughout NZ and I would recommend you pay a bit more at other hostels for a better experience.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Southern Laughter Hostel is by far the best hostel in Queenstown. Located directly in the heart of the city, you are literally a few minutes walk from the beach, the mountains, so many hikes, and downtown QT! It’s friendly and wonderful staff made me feel welcomed and never did I feel lonely or excluded. They were always going above and beyond to make sure my stay was great! The building has so much character as well - you’ll want to take pictures of every corner. I highly recommend staying here if you are visiting Queenstown, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Bonus - They have a hot tub! After a long day on the slopes nothing beats it!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in room 15 which led onto a balcony with seating, adjacent to a lounge and kitchen area. There was 1 toilet for 3 double rooms so there was waiting in the morning, plus a badly cracked washbasin with only coldwater. I had to go downstairs thru openair (cold) corridor to toilet, wash and dress with warm water. The bedroom was the worst hostel room I have ever been in. Not a single hanger or hook so clothes on the floor, no bedside light so had to turn off main (dull) light and walk across room in darkness and stubbed toe. The sheets were navy blue and very creased so one could not tell their origin. The pillows, 1 each, were very worn in grey creased pillowcases.. Worse was to come, the mattress was very worn and collapsed and I had a large spring sticking into me. How it had missed being chucked out I don`t know. The whole place was cold and had a feeling of neglect. Its only bonas was it is near to the centre and cafes and shops. From the outside the place looked quite attractive, pity about the rooms.
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Date of stay: November 2019
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Stay in main building
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What an awful experience we had at southern laughter.. there was certainly no laughter from us! First the room was dirty and grotty.. we had booked an 8 bed dorm which we had no problem with but with it being my cousins birthday we decided to treat ourselves and see if there was a private room free. We asked at reception and never in my life have I been spoken to as rudely as we were by the young girl on reception. We wanted to split the payment and she acted as if this was the most inconvenient thing anyone had ever asked her to do, slamming the card machine onto the desk whilst huffing and rolling her eyes. She said “this is ridiculous, surely you should know what you are doing before you turn up somewhere” and honestly had the most disgusting attitude. She stormed ahead to show us the room still with a look of annoyance and barely said a word to us before walking off. This second room was equally dirty with stained sheets and broken fixtures. We decided to ask for a full refund and move on as the atmosphere at the hostel was just horrible!
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Date of stay: March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HavIng stayed at the majority of hostels in Queenstown. I have finally found my home for the next couple of months. This is the most homely of them all. The Kitchen and living area are nice and not overcrowded. Showers and facilities always clean and the management go above and beyond to make you feel at home. It has a nice tv and socialising area. Not a party hostel but very sociable and friendly. Also no alcohol ban like the others. You can have a couple of beers in the evening with out being forced into the bars which is a nice touch. The hot tubs also a big plus.
Five stars from me
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have stayed in a couple of different hostels in Queenstown but this one has been my favourite by far and one that I will definitely return to in the future! It's nothing fancy, but it's a hostel so you get what you pay for!
The vibe of the hostel is very social and welcoming, other hostels I have stayed in were lacking in the social side and were a little too strict for my tastes. Not this one! They are easy going and understand the importance of nomad travelers meeting and socialising with new people.
The staff were nothing but friendly and helpful, the room was clean and comfortable and there is a hot tub which is a nice bonus! I definitely recommend, especially in these times of hardship and uncertainty, these little businesses need all the help they can get!
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Date of stay: November 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed at Southern Laughter for over ten days and was very happy for the duration of my stay. The hostel was in a perfect location and was great value for money. The staff were super friendly and servicial and we had no problems at all. The atmosphere there was very friendly and relaxed and perfect to meet new people. Just wish I could have stayed longer!
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand3 contributions2 helpful votes
Hi there
There is a safe in reception for valuables. In the room you have booked has locked doors. If you are leaving luggage to goo off on a tramp or activity there is a place to lock and store your luggage away. Enjoy your stay with us and see you soon.
Queenstown, New Zealand3 contributions1 helpful vote
Hi Cassie,
The easiest and cheapest way to get to us from the airport is to take the public bus from outside the terminal- it leaves every 15-20 mins and will cost you $8 one way. fro the bus stop walk straight up Camp street (where the bus stops) towards the fire station- take a left and we are just opposite the medical centre!
look forward to seeing you soon
regards,
SL crew :-)
There are more places to choose from in the Queenstown area.
PRICE RANGE
$147 - $178 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
southern laughter hotel queenstown
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandOtago RegionQueenstown
NUMBER OF ROOMS
32
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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