Rotorua Downtown Backpackers
Location: 1193 Fenton Street, Rotorua, nz
Star Rating: 8.3 Stars
Property Type: Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
About this Property
Modern Hostel in the Heart of Rotorua
Convenient Amenities: Enjoy free unlimited WiFi, fresh linen, and an extensive movie collection. Relax in the outdoor oasis with BBQ facilities and complimentary pasta, rice, tea, and coffee.
Prime Location: Situated just steps away from the I-Site and major bus lines, our hostel is surrounded by bars, restaurants, and stores. Explore nearby thermal parks, Maori villages, museums, and Lake Rotorua with ease.
Comfortable Accommodation: Choose from private or dormitory-style rooms, all equipped with heating and linen. Private rooms feature fans and desks, while shared bathroom facilities are easily accessible.
Book your stay now at Rotorua Downtown Backpackers for a memorable experience in Rotorua!
Important Information
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Policies
Check-in: 01:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Check-out: 10:00 AM
Amenities & Facilities
- Parking
- Non-smoking rooms
- BBQ facilities
- Luggage storage
- Fax/photocopying
- Tour desk
- Facilities for disabled guests
- Shared lounge/TV area
- Shared kitchen
- Staff adhere to local safety protocols
- Fire extinguishers
- Smoke alarms
- CCTV outside property
- 24-hour security
- Security alarm
- Television in common areas
- Free wired internet
- Internet access
Rooms Available
-
Bed in 4-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Rooms are 10 square yards.
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Heating
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Trash cans
-
Bed in 8-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Shower
- Hair dryer
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Toilet paper
-
Bed in 8-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
-
Double Room
This heated room is equipped with fans and clean linen. Includes access to shared bathroom amenities and all hostel facilities and amenities.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Fan
- Heating
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Trash cans
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
-
Twin Room
This heated room is equipped with fans and clean linen. Includes access to shared bathroom amenities and all hostel facilities.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Fan
- Heating
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Trash cans
-
Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Rooms are 8 square yards.
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Fan
- Heating
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Trash cans
-
Bed In 8-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
This room is equipped with heating, ceiling fans and linen. The refurbished room has an en suite attached.
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Sofa
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Trash cans
-
Bed in 6-Bed Female Dormitory Room
Rooms are 8 square yards.
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Hair dryer
- Fan
- Heating
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Trash cans
-
Bed in 10-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Rooms are 10 square yards.
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Fan
- Heating
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Trash cans
Guest Reviews
- Alexia (9/5): - Vraiment génial ! Le personnel est gentil et chaleureux, cuisine bien équipée aussi Il faisait vraiment froid dans la salle de bain
- Tj (10/5): - Awesome staff
- 鳳英Fong-Ying (6/5): -
- dumillier (10/5): Le personnel était très sympathique et accommodant ! Merci à Febin et sa femme qui avait toujours un mot gentil et une - Le personnel était très sympathique et accommodant !
Merci à Febin et sa femme qui avait toujours un mot gentil et une intention.
Tout était propre et nettoyer très régulièrement.
L’emplacement est parfait car très centrale.
On recommande !!
- Zheng (6/5): -
- Amanda (8/5): - Location, helpful staff No mirror or storage in room
- Paulin (10/5): -
- Sanna (8/5): - Good place, good location and good price. The bedding was very stained
- Puliyadda (6/5): Nice place to short stay - Very good Provide breakfast
- Malyaj (6/5): -
- Rebecca (10/5): Amazing location and friendly staff - The location was amazing! I didn't even realise Rotorua had a downtown the past couple times I'd been through, and this time I had a great time walking around and discovering all the restaurants, cafes, parks, and walking trails right around the hostel. I especially enjoyed the great restaurant options next door and a couple doors down that I could visit without leaving the shelter of the awnings since it was pouring a couple days I was there! The staff were very friendly as well, and the communal spaces were great.
- Milo (10/5): -
- Ben (10/5): Highly recommended if you need a place to stay on a budget - Excellent customer service Nothing
- Maria Susan (7/5): - We heard the cleaners vacuuming around 11pm which woke us up.
- Guest (5/5): -
- Kathlene (7/5): - Location was great. Central, an easy walk to the lake and many eating places around. When we were there our room was between several rooms occupied by a group of teenage boys that were fairly loud til the late hours and early in the morning. It might be good if the private rooms were away from the dorm rooms.
The showers were a bit hit or miss as to weather it had any water pressure, or any water coming out at all. The sink taps were constantly running and couldn't be turned right off, which seems like a very big waste of water.
It would be good if there were some designated parking spaces.
- Thi Ngoc Tram (10/5): -
- zormir (9/5): - ΚΑΘΑΡΌ Κ ΣΕ ΤΕΛΕΙΟ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΜΕ ΆΝΕΤΟΥΣ Κ ΠΟΛΛΟΎΣ ΚΟΙΝΟΧΡΗΣΤΟΥΣ ΧΩΡΟΥΣ.
- Yvan (9/5): -
- Ching Jung (8/5): - 距離市中心很近,房間舒適,工作人員友善 公共廚房有一點亂
- Sarah (10/5): Top - L’emplacement, très central. Lit très confortable. Personnel très accueillant, souriant!
- Lea (8/5): - The staff is super friendly and responsive. The location is amazing as well !!
We had a problem with a terrible roomate (who don't know how to share a room/respect people) and they fixed the issue very quickly, moved us to another dormitory for the other night and bring the informations to the manager (it was not the first time they had issue with her). So thank you so much again for your help😍👌 The showers need some work, the pressure keep going on and off
- Still (5/5): okay - wasnt for me -
- Couture (10/5): -
- mariaplac (10/5): - didn't get his name but the guy that took care of us during our stay made us feel welcome and let us sit in the common room while we waited to check in. he also let us keep our bags there after checkout while we waited for our bus. it was a very rainy day and it made a big difference not having to carry them around which was very kind of him. good staff makes all the difference. Thank you.
also, amazing comfy bed. window kept opening up during the night which should be checked but we usually sleep with a window open so it honestly didn't bother us.
- Luis Humberto Rivero Lopez (10/5): Rotorua April 2026 - Great location in downtown, just one block away from the i-SITE and Intercity bus stop. Standard facilities for the price. Big rooms and bunk beds (you don't hit your head against the bed above like in other hostels 😅), lockers under the bed, enough outlets, and a nice view. Well-equipped shared kitchen with everything you need to cook. Showers with hot water.
The receptionist was really kind and helped with everything, even looking after my backpack after checking out. A good place to stay in Rotorua to enjoy the best of this magic town. I will definitely come back!
- Nishino (10/5): -
- Braian (10/5): - Everyone in reception is really kind. They keep everything clean at all times. Excellent location. Cheap. Is a great place to stay in Rotorua. 10/10
- Anick (7/5): - La chambre était propre. L'auberge était bien située dans la ville. La cuisine était petite et mal organisée. Il n'y avait pas de congélateur.
- Harumi (8/5): -
- Shabina (10/5): A great place to be and will advise everyone to try this place - The location was great. The staffs exceptionally friendly and helpful. It is a great place to be. I will recommend it. The cleanliness level was very good as the staffs clean the general areas all the time. Loved everything about the place. Nothing that I didn’t like.
- Ivan (9/5): I really enjoyed my stay at Rotorua Downtown Backpackers and will be back next time I'm in Rotorua. - The central location, great value for money and friendly staff. I can totally recommend this hostel for a stay in Rotorua. Nothing really, it fulfilled all my requirements.
- Ivy (6/5): Good location, good service, not that clean but good for short stay - The service was good the cleanness and facility not that good, also could be very noise even not in bunk rooms
- Guadalupe (10/5): -
- kazushige (9/5): 便利で快適 - バス停や湖畔に近くて、私の予定にや都合に最適な立地環境でした。 エアコンが無いため、扇風機で代替の対応という点で、音だけです。
- QUEENY (4/5): - Overall it’s a good location which is very close and nearby to restaurants and parks. I’m honestly quite disappointed with my stay due to poor management and the lack of proper handling of guest disturbances. During my time here, there was a large group of local students staying at the property who were extremely noisy throughout the entire day and night. Their behaviour was very disruptive — doors were constantly being slammed, loud shouting and screaming could be heard along the corridors, and there seemed to be no consideration for other guests trying to rest.
What made the experience more frustrating was the absence of management intervention. Despite the ongoing noise and disturbance, no staff appeared to step in to remind the group about maintaining basic quiet hours or respecting shared spaces. The noise level affected my ability to rest and relax, and I strongly believe other guests were equally disturbed.
A comfortable stay should include a peaceful environment, especially during nighttime hours, but unfortunately this was not the case here. Better supervision, clearer house rules, and more proactive management would greatly improve the guest experience. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and implements measures to ensure future guests can enjoy a more restful and pleasant stay.
- Max (10/5): - Nice Staff
Nice rooms
Nice shared facilities
- thomas (4/5): -
- Brian (8/5): Convenient - Great location - clean Unusual noises in the building, couldn’t pin point it
- Megan (6/5): Great location and staff, wish it was cleaner. - The common areas were clean, huge tv, very cozy hang out spot. The kitchen seemed to have decent storage. It was a little small but never seemed crowded. Staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful.
All in all the atmosphere was very good and the room was decently quiet. Bed was nothing special(very standard for hostel. Squeaking metal bunk bed)but bedding was clean and cozy. The shower in the ensuite bathroom seemed to have black mold. The surfaces such as the window sill(right by my head on the top bunk) was extremely dusty and had a lot of dead bugs. The window also had a small crack. Weird white marks all over the walls(I think possibly from their mopping solution for the floors??).
- Sofia (8/5): -
- Loonen (9/5): -
- Ariella (8/5): - The location was great, right in the middle of the town and near the waterfront and thermal pools park. The room was clean and well kept, as was the kitchen. The staff were super lovely and helpful. The kitchen was pretty small so moving around meant bumping into anyone else cooking.
- Terri (8/5): - Great staff, amazing cleanliness and good location (right in downtown Rotorua)
- Claudia (8/5): -
- Michele (8/5): -
- Marco (8/5): Abbiamo dormito nella stanza piccola con solo letto a castello, minimal ma per devo dire che lo staff è gentile e l' -
- Hannah (10/5): -
- Lynn (10/5): -
- Van Elewyck (8/5): -
- Julie (9/5): - Location . Very clean and staff really helpful Too many bunks in the room. Top bunk couldn't sit up without hitting your head on ceiling
Shower facilities too small and poor water pressure
- Nika (9/5): -
- Kha Yen (10/5): Overall value. - Good location A little pack.
- Mendell (8/5): -
- Isabelle (8/5): Bon rapport qualité prix - Lit confortable! Rien
- Kaitlynn (10/5): -
- Johanna (10/5): Oikein miellyttävä majoitus! - Siisti hostelli, jossa parhaat sängyt tähän mennessä! Korkeat ja tulevat kerrossängyt, hyvät patjat.
Ruokailutila oli todella tunnelmallinen. Ystävällinen henkilökunta.
- Lola (8/5): -
- Ioana (1/5): -
- HYEONSEOP (9/5): -
- WAI YEE (9/5): -
- Piotr (8/5): Nice and clean place, very well located - Friendly personnel
Excellent localisation
- Shahid (10/5): - Everything was perfect! Location was in the center.
A guy Abhi was very helpful there.
We had a private room and it was all good
- Francesco Tidu (10/5): -
- Yarden (10/5): - Very nice staff
- cheyla (8/5): -
- Laura (10/5): - Cocina bien equipada con café y té gratis. Baños limpios y con secador de pelo. El personal muy amable
- corbo90 (7/5): - Posizione centrale a Rotorua. Ci sono un sacco di servizi utili per chi viaggia molto. Bagni in comune puliti. Quasi nulla, a parte essere stati svegliati alle 4 di notte da alcuni ragazzi ubriachi ospiti della struttura, a cui abbiamo chiesto più volte di andare a parlare nella sala comune.
- Kristin (8/5): - Great Location and the staff were all so friendly and helpful
- Chiara (8/5): -
- Sing-Yue (8/5): 乾淨整潔 - 廁所、衛浴及房間非常乾淨。 在大馬路邊有點吵,房間照明非常暗。希望能增加掛衣服的掛鉤以及照明。
- Barbora (7/5): - Terasa a ponuka brožúr aktivít Pevná sprcha, bez sieťok proti hmyzu, vŕzgajúce postele.
- Theo (7/5): -
- L4062OLpatrickb (6/5): Solid choice - not too fancy - Average, clean, and not too fancy hostel
Pros:
Central location
Clean
Sufficient kitchen and bathroom utilities
Cons:
Cooking, eating, and chilling area bit separated - difficult to socialize
Solid but not too fancy
Lacking power point at bed (center power points in room available)
- vincent (8/5): - Tres bien localisé au centre ville Le personnel ne connaissait pas grand chose de la ville ni des activités à faire.
Attention stationnement payant dans les rue du centre ville si vous avez une voiture
- Janna (7/5): Für die Durchreise ok; für länger nicht - - Die Lage
- Nettes Personal - Die Gemeinschaftsräume sind ungemütlich und zu klein. Sie laden nicht zum Verweilen ein.
- Das Zimmer (6-Bett-Zimmer) war zu klein.
- Keine Lampe am Bett
- Charlotte (10/5): -
- olvhöj Kirkegaard (10/5): - Bra plats, bra personal, välskädat .
- Matilde (9/5): -
- Achini (5/5): Passable. - Affordable and good location. Cleaners were cleaning the bathrooms often. We had to wait 20min and ended up having to go looking for a staff member so we could check in. General grime/dirt in the kitchen/bedroom/corridors. Kitchen was very small and cramped.
- Rose (8/5): -
- 方 (7/5): -
- Byeongnyeon (8/5): -
- Alicia (7/5): - showers were good, nice vibe and overall worth it and would stay again The kitchen was quite small in comparison to how many people they were housing. The lockers were very small but were in a good spot.
- Rina (8/5): -
- 方 (7/5): 还是比较满意的 - 位置最佳,住宿条件可以,干净程度可以 洗澡的水流量太小了,水温不能调节,感觉有些冷
- Cong (5/5): -
- Ben (7/5): -
- Chloe (10/5): -
- Pratistha (7/5): -
- Jonas (8/5): -
- Harrie (10/5): -
- Jo (7/5): -
- Margaret (7/5): I needed accommodation at the last minute and it was great - Location
- WAI YEE (9/5): Wonderful staff, clean, convenient bathroom, nice kitchen. Grat location! Good value, fun. - The cleanest hostel of all the hostels I stayed, staff were cleaning the kitchen, bathroom few times a day, vacuuming etc. very impressive! No individual light nor phone charge out at each bed.
- Francisco Agustín (10/5): Genial - Muy bueno todo. Ambiente social, instalaciones limpias y ordenadas
- Kaiwen Yu (10/5): -
- Kerstin (7/5): -
- Miguel Ángel (7/5): Good value for the price. However, temperatures of the rooms and showers could be regulated. - The beds are comfortable. The staff extra clean around and tidy up. Feedback: Maybe showers that can regulate the temperature. The small glass windows in the bathroom could also be changed so guests can close or open them (Not just fixed open).
Maybe the fridges more organized. Per room number for example.
- Sabrina (8/5): -
Photos