Before you arrive
Check-in times, cancellation, what's at the hostel, longer stays and how to reach us.
Check-in opens
Check in any time from 8am to 12.30pm.
Check-out
Please check out by 10am.
The office closes for a break
No check-in between 12.30pm and 3.30pm.
Check-in again until 8pm
The office is open from 3.30pm to 8pm.
Arriving late
Late check-in is fine if you tell us your arrival time when you book. If your plans change on the way, call 03 548 7950 or email stay@tasmanbaybackpackers.co.nz.
CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before arrival. After that, or if you don't arrive, the first night is charged, and a prepaid one-night deposit isn't refunded.
Booking onlineYou book through SmartBooking, which shows live prices and availability. Prices change with the dates, so the booking page shows today's price for every room.
Card detailsWe'll never ask you to confirm or re-enter card details through WhatsApp or a link in a message. A message like that isn't from us.
Questions people ask
- Are bedding and towels included?
- All bedding is supplied in every room. Private rooms come with towels and soaps. In the shared rooms, towels are free on request.
- Are the dorms mixed?
- Yes, the dorms are mixed.
- Is it warm in winter?
- Yes. Every room has a heater, the shared areas have heat pumps, and the log fire in the lounge is lit every night in winter. Private rooms get feather duvets in winter, and shared rooms have extra blankets and hot water bottles.
- Is it quiet?
- Evenings are the social time, with Off-Line Time from 7 to 9pm (join in if you like) and pudding at 8. The walls are a bit thin, so you may hear other guests, but there are plenty of places to study, work, journal or have time alone.
- Is there wifi and somewhere to work?
- Yes. The wifi is free, super-fast and reliable, and there are plenty of places to work or study. In winter there's also a dedicated space for digital nomads and online study.
- Is there parking?
- Yes, free parking at the hostel.
- Can I cook?
- Yes, there's a guest kitchen. There's a guest laundry too.
- Can I stay for a few weeks?
- Yes. We have weekly rates for international travellers, and we're happy to help you find work in Nelson. Book your first few nights online, then email or call us about weekly rates. More about longer stays
- What is the hostel like?
- A colourful house with a log fire, a garden with hammocks and a big world map in the lounge. In the owners' words: “We are not a Flashpackers – relationships and caring for each other come first. Our walls are a bit thin, the furniture is second hand – so if you come stay, please know this and come for the vibe, the relationships you will build, the care you will feel.”
What's at the hostel
- Bedding included in every room
- Free, super-fast, reliable wifi
- Guest kitchen
- Guest laundry
- Free parking at the hostel
- A heater in every room, heat pumps in the shared areas
- Space to work or study, and places to have time alone
- Log fire, lit every night in winter
- Garden with hammocks, and little lights outside at night
- Guitars, other instruments and games, free for guests to use
- Free hot chocolate pudding and ice cream every night at 8pm
- 7–9 Off-Line Time every night, optional
- TBB Connect, the guest WhatsApp group for organising things to do
Longer stays, work and study
Stay a few weeks or even a month. It's a good way to start your time in New Zealand, or to take a break halfway through.
Weekly rates
For international travellers.
Working online or studying
A dedicated space in the winter months, with special rates, mostly in quieter times.
Finding work
There's usually lots of work in Nelson all year round, from cafés and admin to horticulture, the port, fishing companies, painting and construction. We're happy to help you find work.
- Book your first few nights online.
- Email us your dates and the room you'd like, and we'll tell you the weekly rate.
10 Weka Street, Nelson
0.6 km from the city centre.
Follow along on Instagram and Facebook, or watch the video tour on YouTube.