White Elephant Backpacker
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55, Whakarewa Street Tasman, Motueka 7120 New Zealand
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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.
Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
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About
#6 of 19 Speciality lodging in Motueka
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Base yourself in this friendly Motueka backpackers and lodge while you visit New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park & the Tasman and Nelson regions.Come and enjoy this elegant homestead or our new accommodation units with private bathroom and verandas, nestled in this Motueka backpackers’ mature garden setting.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Hiking
Meeting rooms
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
Wifi
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun terrace
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Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Location
Full view
48Car recommended
Grade: 48 out of 100
27Restaurantswithin 1 km
5Attractionswithin 1 km
79Reviews0Q+A8Room tips
Reviews
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Popular mentions
Don't go there , especially if you are a night shift worker or just a late eater... the kitchen is closed from 9:30 pm and the tenant ( the women) will come and check that all the dishes are done at 9:30 and not 9:35, and will kick you off the kitchen !!! Really not the friendliest tenants! She likes drama and gossip and i had the feeling she doesn't really like backpackers which is quite a paradoxe ! Even if the backpackers there are mostly really nice ,would definitly not recommend because of the management ! I spend all the lockdown and more at the tasman Motor camp , between mapua and motueka, which had no kitchen restrictions, lovely tenants , and was much more nicer than the white elephant .
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Date of stay: February 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
Helpful
We have stayed in many hostels throughout NZ and the world (pre covid). This is a very old run down hostel with poor management. It was probably reasonable many years ago but has been exploited well beyond its years and not been upgraded by the management for a long time. We had friends staying in the dorm and we stayed in the private cabins. All the rooms were dirty... Very dirty... Imagine cobwebs everywhere and dirt all over the floors, curtains falling off the rails. All things that can be rectified quite easily if the owners were actually interested in customers. There are only 3 toilets & showers to share between approximately 30 people in the main house which were also very dirty with significant mold and mildew everywhere. These and also the kitchen facilities are shared with the private garden rooms which adds another 30ish guests. There are also additional people camping in the grass areas in the backyard. Alongside multiple camper vans (with people staying in them too!) which adds yet more people onto the numbers above. In my opinion there simply is not enough facilities for the volume of people they are pushing through them. The managers appear to be very aggressive and unhelpful to all guests irrespective of whether they are a long term tenant or short term guest... I passed a girl in the hallway wanting to ask the manager/owner a question at 805pm. The owner was incredibly rude and told her that her question would have to wait until tomorrow at 9am as the office was closed at 8pm. On another occasion another guest tried to tell the manager that her shoes had gone missing and the manager was not interested at all and told her that it was her problem. Everytime we ran into the owners we were made to feel unwelcome and a hindrance when any question was asked of them. Even something as simple as where to put dirty tea towels was met with sarcastic responses and made us feel very unwelcome. We chose this hostel based on the reviews on TripAdvisor and there were no obvious alarm bells from what I read before booking... Please take this as a warning and stay away from the White Elephant. There are many better hostels in New Zealand and Motueka and I would suggest ANY other would be better.…
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Lovely self contained cabins in a spacious garden setting. Nice touch of milk in a glass bottle on arrival. Great base between tramping trips very accommodating when plans changed due to the weather. Lovely hosts will definitely come again.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
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Second visit here. Stayed in garden room which had two beds and en-suite and fridge. Slightly noisy next door when they used their bathroom but otherwise great. Very well priced and super clean. Lovely setting, beautiful building and everything we needed.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
Helpful
White Elephant backpacker hostel has been for me like a home. I spent here two months meeting lovely people. The facilities are very good and the garden is just beautiful. The price is very good as well. Here I've learnt how to play the guitar on the veranda, I've so many things about life and relationships. Also while staying here I had a serious ingiury on my knees and the owners, Pam and Rex, looked after me for a whole week providing crutches and medicines as I couldn't move from my bed. I'll be grateful for that for the rest of my life. Both the owners are very nice and relaxed people, they put love in keeping the house tidy and they provide everything is necessary for the guest to better enjoy their stay. Highly recommended!! Enjoy :)
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Date of stay: August 2019
Value
Rooms
Service
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
US$52 - US$56 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandNelson-Tasman RegionMotueka
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about White Elephant Backpacker
Which popular attractions are close to White Elephant Backpacker?
Nearby attractions include Motueka Sunday Market (0.8 km), Pethybridge Rose Garden (0.5 km), and Ricky Baker – Guthrie Bowron (0.8 km).
What are some of the property amenities at White Elephant Backpacker?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and meeting rooms.
Is parking available at White Elephant Backpacker?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to White Elephant Backpacker?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Smoking Barrel, Sprig & Fern Motueka, and Chokdee Motueka Thai Cuisines.
Is White Elephant Backpacker located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.6 km away from the centre of Motueka.
Are any cleaning services offered at White Elephant Backpacker?
Yes, laundry service and self serve laundry are offered to guests.
Are there any historical sites close to White Elephant Backpacker?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Michael Macmillan Sculptor and Country Homeware (15.4 km).