Usuário convidado
28 de dezembro de 2023
There's been a surge in pricing at some NZ backpackers, spurred by a shortage of beds in Auckland this season post-covid lockdowns where many backpackers in the city shut down. In Auckland, this has resulted in an actual hostel shortage and a surge in pricing from $20-40 per night at most hostels to $60-70 per night. In Tauranga/Mount Maunganui, where there is no shortage of beds (certainly not at Pacific Coast which had a least one fully empty dorm on the night of my stay), this pricing has been matched. An 8 bed dorm in a windowless internal room cost me $65. I think the pricing is greedy. What to do? There are so many better coastal areas around the North Island (try Hawkes Bay, Gisborne or even Whakatane/Ohope), with ample access to the ocean and a truer representation of the best of the 'kiwi' way. Free of the wealthy pretensions and over-development of Mount Maunganui: bypass Tauranga, its horrendous traffic and concrete conglomerate shopping malls and go elsewhere for better value in a better environment. Case in point: the next night in another beautiful town in Hawkes Bay I stayed in a four bed dorm with a 1st level view of the ocean, just minutes walk from the town centre. The cost? $30. Back to Pacific Cost Backpackers itself: kitchen and bathroom facilities are good, with the opening up of the kitchen to the outdoors a nice touch. Outdoor seating in the paved carpark/washing line area at the rear is limited, a few more tables out there would be nice. There's a $30 key deposit that the hostel insists on taking in cash. This can be an inconvenience if one is leaving early prior to reception opening: in my case I didn't get a key for my room or the front door. The hostel should consider offering an option to hold the deposit on card such that the amount can be debited should keys not actually be returned, allowing people to depart outside of reception hours while still being able to come and go as they want to. Otherwise they can consider adding key-code entry for their front door at least.
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