On the Beach Backpackers Lodge
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On the Beach Backpackers Lodge
46 Buffalo Beach Road, Whitianga 3510 New Zealand
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About
#2 of 3 hostels in Whitianga
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
YHA Whitianga, On the Beach Backpackers is a friendly beachfront hostel with huge bay windows with stunning views over Mercury Bay, on the Coromandel Peninsula, a holiday spot loved by New Zealanders. Close to Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove. YHA Whitianga has accommodation to suit everyone from singles, couples and families. Free wifi and Kayaks available.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Beach
Bicycle rental
BBQ facilities
Baggage storage
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
Secured parking
Wifi
Canoeing
Tennis court
Table tennis
Non-smoking hotel
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Room features
Safe
Kitchenette
Kitchenware
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
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
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
46 Buffalo Beach Road, Whitianga 3510 New Zealand
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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.
Grade: 55 out of 100
55
Auckland Intl Airport
82.9 km•
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Car Hire
57 Restaurants
within 10 kilometers
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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Detailed Reviews
I booked on behalf of family and friends in the middle of last year for a December 2019 stay. We receive a booking cancellation due to the change of ownership/management in Sept. I contacted Sue, the previous owner/manager, to explain that we were coming from Wellington and our flights and other arrangements have been booked by then. We couldn't just cancel the trip and to look for another accommodation by that time would have been very difficult. She introduced us to Yvette, the new owner/manager who kept our booking (new name: 46onBuffalo). When we got there, Yvette welcomed us warmly. We stayed in the dorm rooms upstairs and had exclusive use of the upstairs kitchen, lounge and toilets. Lots of nice perks too - free use of the kayaks, spades and bucket ready for the hot water beach and yeah, that wonderful view of the beach across the road. (Wi-fi was a bit sketchy though.)
Yvette was an accommodating and lovely hostess! Dave was great too.
Yvette was an accommodating and lovely hostess! Dave was great too.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Value
Cleanliness
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.
Great stay, the room had just been revamped so very clean. Ideal for family, with good space. Friendly staff. Arrived late but although the the office was closed all the information was waiting for us. Would recommend as it was also close enough to Hot Water Beach for us to watch the sunrise from our own hot pool
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Date of stay: August 2017Trip 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.
Response from Onthebeachwhiti, Owner at On the Beach Backpackers Lodge
Responded 6 Oct 2017
Thank you for your review, great to hear you enjoyed our recently upgraded family rooms.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had three nights at this excellent hostel in Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand. It was a great base for exploring the area including Hot Water Beach, Cathedral Cove and Coromandel Town
We had a self contained unit which was clean and comfortable.
The staff were welcoming and very helpful. They even managed to fit us in for the third night when we had initially only booked for two.
We can recommend this hostel if you are exploring New Zealand.
Great hostel ,Great staff
We had a self contained unit which was clean and comfortable.
The staff were welcoming and very helpful. They even managed to fit us in for the third night when we had initially only booked for two.
We can recommend this hostel if you are exploring New Zealand.
Great hostel ,Great staff
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Date of stay: September 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
Located 1 km from the town center, beach across the road
Outdated and too small facilities. Old squeaky beds. Kitchen far too small for the size of the hostel, small fridge with guests fighting for some space, gas cookers which need to be started with a match - very unsafe given the tiny kitchen space
Very unfriendly staff. Not interesting in helping out guests, more interested in leaving asap to go surfing - that's notabene the owner, and not some temporary staff - expect to remain like this.
Wifi free (and very slow), but limited to 100 MB (and that's for a twin room, dorm room even less). No possibility to buy a flat fee, owner prefers to make jokes about guests who need more internet capacity.
Does not meet YHA standard (I have stayed at 20+ YHA NZ hostels). Consider trying out hostel "The Cat's Pyjamas". Located centrally and can't be much worse.
Outdated and too small facilities. Old squeaky beds. Kitchen far too small for the size of the hostel, small fridge with guests fighting for some space, gas cookers which need to be started with a match - very unsafe given the tiny kitchen space
Very unfriendly staff. Not interesting in helping out guests, more interested in leaving asap to go surfing - that's notabene the owner, and not some temporary staff - expect to remain like this.
Wifi free (and very slow), but limited to 100 MB (and that's for a twin room, dorm room even less). No possibility to buy a flat fee, owner prefers to make jokes about guests who need more internet capacity.
Does not meet YHA standard (I have stayed at 20+ YHA NZ hostels). Consider trying out hostel "The Cat's Pyjamas". Located centrally and can't be much worse.
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Date of stay: March 2015Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
was a decent hostel, good location, nice beach.
however I discovered a bedbug in the room and one in my backpack after being here, not 100% sure I got them here, but like I said I saw one in the room when I was there, just didn't realize it was one. Staff was not helpful when I told them and no refund was given.
Another thing me and my friends didn't like was that we were not allowed in the hostel after check out (10am) when we wanted to stay there and make lunch in the kitchen before catching the bus.
however I discovered a bedbug in the room and one in my backpack after being here, not 100% sure I got them here, but like I said I saw one in the room when I was there, just didn't realize it was one. Staff was not helpful when I told them and no refund was given.
Another thing me and my friends didn't like was that we were not allowed in the hostel after check out (10am) when we wanted to stay there and make lunch in the kitchen before catching the bus.
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Date of stay: December 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
Location
Cleanliness
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.
Nice room arrangements and good location with beach view. A lot of mould/fungi in the bathrooms. Kitchen is not so well equipped. When I was there, the hostel was jot very crowded. But all rooms were directly connected to the kitchen and living room, so it might be quite noisy if there are a lot of people around. Lots of information at the reception.
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Date of stay: April 2016Trip 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 came during cold october, whereby the season is low with travellers. Upon arrived, we requested our initially booked twin room to be changed as the one we got were at the back of building with no windows. In the end, we had a free upgrade to a self-contained unit (comes with ensuite toilet, own kitchen and living room) with beach view! marvellous! We had it all by ourselves as another shared room in the unit was not occupied. We had a wonderful night and happy cooked dinner. There's nothing to do there at night with all shops closed so we had a night stroll along the beach (wear extra jacket though as the wind during the season could be very strong). We slept slumberly as the heater kept us comfy and warm throughout the night!
Thanks to the staff for not charging us extra when we requested to check out late the next day!
Thanks to the staff for not charging us extra when we requested to check out late the next day!
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Date of stay: October 2013Trip type: Travelled with friends
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Go for the self-contained unit if you are travelling in group of friends or family. cheaper than...
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.
Sue was fantastic. She gave great advice on beaches to relax at (Chums Beach is gorgeous and more private than Hot Water/Cathedral Cove) and what time of day to check out Hot Water Beach. I love the set up where you share common areas with a couple of other dorms as opposed to the whole hostel. Kitchen was organised nicely and WAY cleaner than most hostel kitchens I've come across. It seemed to have a baseline sense of order that guests probably maintained subconsciously just because that's how it was presented. Renting shovels for Hot Water Beach was a nice touch, as was the daily tide times. Perfect location where you have Buffalo Beach right at your doorstep. Only downsides would be the wifi and security...wifi was not freely available in the dorms, it seemed to only be at reception. And doors are always left open or unlocked...if are given a key that locks your dorm room, so if you are diligent and always lock up when you leave that's great, but if your room mates are more lax then this could give you some anxiety, as the sliding doors to each "pod" never seem to be locked. And there are no storage lockers. I would recommend bringing a bag that you can secure with your own combination lock if peace of mind is important.
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Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Travelled solo
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.
We had a twin room on this hostel, the rooms are quite small but manageable. The communal areas are great. In our situation we were only sharing the kitchen, living room and bathroom with one other room. We always have access to the areas when we wanted it. They were always very clean.
Staff were very helpful and friendly.
And location is pretty good, not a long walk in the town centre. And also has free parking.
Wifi wasnt the best, it may have been the location of the room
Staff were very helpful and friendly.
And location is pretty good, not a long walk in the town centre. And also has free parking.
Wifi wasnt the best, it may have been the location of the room
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Date of stay: December 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Cleanliness
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.
Really nice experience! We were 3 people on a friend trip, staying one night and spending most of the evening & morning at the lodge.
Best thing at the Beach Backpackers Lodge, facility wise, is the huge kitchenette/lounge that allows you to cook, store your food and spend some time relaxing. Enough space to allow plenty people to live and share good moments. They also have everything you need when it comes to laundering and washing your stuff.
Second best thing is the staff:
Really welcoming, friendly and tolerant. I really had a good feeling while speaking with them. Good folks!
Third best thing : the location
The view is nice and the sea is just across the road
While it doesn't seems like there's much to do in Whitianga, there's plenty of good stuff to do around if you have a car (Cathedral Cove & Hot Water Beach). There are also some shops and pubs not too far from the lodge.
What made me put up to 5/5 is the free Kayak rental! Not for the activity itself, just that it's really nice not to charge people for this! Cheers guys.
For the rest:
Bedrooms themselves are somewhat standard but do their job and seems to have different setup (family, friends, couples...), plus it's clean and tidy. Shower and toilets are kinda small but still clean and working as it's supposed to be.
Wifi is just okay, but you don't really need it: just throw your phone and go explore this magnificent nature :D
Small detail, but I also really like the painting of the structure, which allows you to recognize it from afar.
Best thing at the Beach Backpackers Lodge, facility wise, is the huge kitchenette/lounge that allows you to cook, store your food and spend some time relaxing. Enough space to allow plenty people to live and share good moments. They also have everything you need when it comes to laundering and washing your stuff.
Second best thing is the staff:
Really welcoming, friendly and tolerant. I really had a good feeling while speaking with them. Good folks!
Third best thing : the location
The view is nice and the sea is just across the road
While it doesn't seems like there's much to do in Whitianga, there's plenty of good stuff to do around if you have a car (Cathedral Cove & Hot Water Beach). There are also some shops and pubs not too far from the lodge.
What made me put up to 5/5 is the free Kayak rental! Not for the activity itself, just that it's really nice not to charge people for this! Cheers guys.
For the rest:
Bedrooms themselves are somewhat standard but do their job and seems to have different setup (family, friends, couples...), plus it's clean and tidy. Shower and toilets are kinda small but still clean and working as it's supposed to be.
Wifi is just okay, but you don't really need it: just throw your phone and go explore this magnificent nature :D
Small detail, but I also really like the painting of the structure, which allows you to recognize it from afar.
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Date of stay: May 2018Trip type: Travelled with friends
Rooms
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.
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LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandWaikato RegionCoromandel PeninsulaWhitianga
NUMBER OF ROOMS
1
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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Frequently Asked Questions about On the Beach Backpackers Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to On the Beach Backpackers Lodge?
Nearby attractions include The Lost Spring (0.6 km), Buffalo Beach (0.5 km), and Studio/gallery Augustin (0.8 km).
What are some of the property amenities at On the Beach Backpackers Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and laundry service.
What food & drink options are available at On the Beach Backpackers Lodge?
Guests can enjoy barbeque facilities during their stay.
Is parking available at On the Beach Backpackers Lodge?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to On the Beach Backpackers Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include Stoked Restaurant, Snapper Jack’s, and Buffalo Beach Takeaway.
Are any cleaning services offered at On the Beach Backpackers Lodge?
Yes, laundry service and self serve laundry are offered to guests.