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The Cats Pyjamas
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About
#3 of 3 hostels in Whitianga
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Home away from home, The most centrally located backpackers hostel in Whitianga. We are 2 minutes walk from beach,shops, cafes,bars,restaurants and the tourist information I-Site. Take the ferry to Cook's Beach and you can also reach Hotwater Beach and Cathedral Cove by bicycle,Shuttle during the Summer or hitch-hike. As there is so much to see and do, we suggest to plan to stay for more than one night, so you can experience all the area has to offer. Includes fully-equipped kitchen (tea/coffee, herbs & spices), Outdoor Courtyard, Satellite TV, WIFI, BBQ's. Bus stop out front and off street parking available. A warm welcome awaits you from the Manager Wendy, however, the cat no longer lives here!!!
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Property amenities
Free parking
Wifi
Paid wifi
Non-smoking hotel
Self-serve laundry
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Quaint
Budget
Location
12 Albert Street, Whitianga 3510 New Zealand
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.
Grade: 97 out of 100
97
Auckland Intl Airport
83.1 km•
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Car Hire
38 Restaurants
within 0.5 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
Arrived at close to closing and staff was very helpfull. Wife and I stayed in the double. Property was clean and safe. Nice garden area to hang out with other guests. Very clean. Kitchen and common areas well equipped.
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Date of stay: April 2017Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
Nice common areas and lounge with large confy sofas, the kitchen was a bit small though. Only bummer was the cleanness of the common areas which were kind of a mess (ok, there was a birthday going on, but still...)
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Date of stay: January 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
Shared accommodation. Only booked because we needed somewhere relatively cheap to stay. 10 ppl in one dorm is too many. The room was small with little space to keep your things so when we arrived other people's things were everywhere including on our beds. Owner simply pointed at our beds without any attempt to clear them.
Ok for the price, but I wouldn't stay there again. Literally used it as a place to crash and that's it. Decent communal areas. Kept clean. TV. Wifi if you pay for it. Found it was like this throughout NZ.
Ok for the price, but I wouldn't stay there again. Literally used it as a place to crash and that's it. Decent communal areas. Kept clean. TV. Wifi if you pay for it. Found it was like this throughout NZ.
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Date of stay: May 2013Trip 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.
This hostel is more like a free for all than a place that is properly run. This in itself isn’t massively an issue, except that they need to sort their problem with ants effectively as they are living in the wooden table in the living space- we didn’t see this issue resolved despite raising it to staff. The people we met here were really nice and the redeeming factor to our time spent in Whitianga. We all played a lot of the Sherlock game which if you do decide to stay, despite my strong advice not to, you should play. To top off our stay we received the lovely gift of bed bugs which have lovingly bitten me all over my arms, hands, legs and feet (even the soles), which was only realised after we left the hostel and arrived in Tauranga. Had to spend a solid day in the laundry room there which ruined our one and only day in Tauranga, so thanks for that cats pyjamas! (We're not the only people to get bed bugs here, speaking to a guy in rotorua who also got them in the same hostel so they do have a problem there).
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Find somewhere else to stay!
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip 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.
Loved my stay here so much. The new manager was so sweet-- she even drove me to a road nearby where I could hitchhike from when I left, completely unasked for. The rooms were clean and comfy, the courtyard was pretty, and the kitchen was clean and well-stocked.
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Date of stay: May 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.
Response from catspyjamas2015, Manager at The Cats Pyjamas
Responded 20 May 2015
Thank you so much for your great review. I loved having you stay :) I hope your jacket arrived before you left. All the best Wendy
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed here for two nights and we loved this place. It was so homely! And we had a lovely warm welcome from the owners and their daughter Rhiannon who seemed to be running the show whilst we were there. Location was right in town close to bars, restaurants, shops etc. Kitchen & facilities were all good, a really fun place to stay... I want to go back!
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Date of stay: January 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Rooms
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.
The new manager is just awwwwesome! Its hart to describe....it has to be expirienced !!! You will stay longer than you planed to and she'll make it not easy for You to leave. The hostel is nice, clean and well located (beach, Shops,...) If you're an easy going person with your heart at the right place: you belong here!!! Legend 👍
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Date of stay: May 2015Trip type: Travelled with friends
Cleanliness
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.
Response from catspyjamas2015, Manager at The Cats Pyjamas
Responded 23 Jun 2015
Thanks so much Mira for the lovely review, hopefully I will see you again one day :) Safe Travels x
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
It was just awesome to stay here !:)
A lot of things changed here and everything is clean.
We were a group of 3 people and we enjoyed staying here the most in whole New Zealand. The new manager here is just amazing and we had a great time with her :)
I would definitely recommend this place.
A lot of things changed here and everything is clean.
We were a group of 3 people and we enjoyed staying here the most in whole New Zealand. The new manager here is just amazing and we had a great time with her :)
I would definitely recommend this place.
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Date of stay: May 2015Trip type: Travelled with friends
Cleanliness
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.
Response from catspyjamas2015, Manager at The Cats Pyjamas
Responded 20 May 2015
Thank you so much for your awesome review!. My first week as Manager and I get the best guests so much fun : ) Safe travels x Cheers Wendy
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I recently stayed here for 4 nights, over new year. I was very impressed with the friendly hosts and the standard of cleanliness of the facilities, and the nightly rate makes this a very economical place to stay. The location is fantastic, within a very short walk there is the town centre and the beach. I have stayed in many backpackers over the years and was very pleased with the cats pyjamas. When I return to Whitianga l will stay here again without hesitation.
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Date of stay: January 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Response from catspyjamas2015, Manager at The Cats Pyjamas
Responded 21 Jan 2015
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay. We are very pleased that you enjoyed your time with us. Please come back and see us when you are next in Whitianga. .Happy travels!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Considering there is absence of YHA and dearth of other budget accommodations in a far away place like Whitianga (which one clubs with day trek to Cathedral Cove), had chosen this hostel. While the location of this hostel is pretty good (just a few meters from the beach), the place itself leaves a lot to be desired. Ensuite has pathetic bathroom facility, does not even have basic things like soap or towels, the caretaker guy is hardly available at reception and the questions are not quite satisfactorily met with. Kitchen is not quite clean and the vibe is kind of dark. Little off place to be at with a different vibe, not saying its bad but to each his own. Would suggest to check for yourself before booking online. A bit of exploration of town provided me with other better options for stay next morning itself.
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Date of stay: October 2019
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Check other budget stays just besides this hostel before booking online
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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"Stayed in a dorm and also a private room. Both very small and simple but all you need from a reasonably priced hostel."Read full review
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandWaikato RegionCoromandel PeninsulaWhitianga
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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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Claim Your ListingTHE CATS PYJAMAS | Hostel Reviews (Whitianga, New Zealand) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about The Cats Pyjamas
Which popular attractions are close to The Cats Pyjamas?
Nearby attractions include The Lost Spring (0.4 km), Mercury Bay Museum (0.2 km), and Longshore Marine (0.3 km).
What are some of the property amenities at The Cats Pyjamas?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free parking, internet access, and self serve laundry.
What are some restaurants close to The Cats Pyjamas?
Conveniently located restaurants include Blue Ginger, That Curry Place, and The Espy Cafe.
Is The Cats Pyjamas located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.4 km away from the centre of Whitianga.