Exterior
Check availability

Reviews of Piwaka Lodge and Backpackers

2 out of 5
Piwaka Lodge and Backpackers
75 High St., Picton, Marlborough

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 57 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 34 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 98 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

J

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Laurie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Hyewon

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kenjia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Taylor

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

6/10 Okay

Yan

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Room amenity shower is communal
Was expecting a room with shower turned out there were only 4 communal shower/toilet combined for up to 52 people. Included continental breakfast was good though. There are only 5 onsite carparks although you can park on the roadside.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We arrived after midnight and still got an incredibly warm welcome. Superb room, really clean and comfortable and super friendly staff. Highly recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shannon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Absolutely my favourite place to stay in Picton. The unique configuration of the buiding and the personality of Nicci and the staff make it feel safer, warmer, and more like home than any other backpackers' I've stayed at, anywhere in the world.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Seth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean, bright, big kitchen, breakfast, plenty of hot water in showers, staff were great !!

8/10 Good

Adrienne

Liked: Staff & service, amenities
The owners and staff are truly fantastic! Hospitable, helpful, and caring. Building itself is a bit run down, but I think that's somewhat typical for hostels in the area. everything was in working order. One thing to note is the property is entirely pet friendly, which makes me really happy because I LOVED having their dog around. Unfortunately I'm allergic to cats, so had some trouble but the staff helped keep me away from them and allergies at bay the best they could.

10/10 Excellent

Pamela

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

ENZO

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nicci was super friendly and helpful. The location is very convenient. The property was very clean and tidy
Response from Nicci on 28 Nov 2022
Was lovely to meet you EnzoThank you for the awesome reviewsafe travels and have a great Christmas

8/10 Good

Airi

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022
Response from Nicci on 28 Nov 2022
Thanks so much for choosing to stay with me here at PiwakaHave a lovely Christmas

10/10 Excellent

Ross

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great people and location!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022
Response from Nicci on 21 Oct 2022
thank you !

8/10 Good

Johana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ann

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
It was quiet clean and quite private you had the choice to mingle or stay in your room. I travelled with my dog and the room I was given made it easy access inside and outside. Donot judge a book by its cover.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from Nicci on 10 May 2022
Thanks so much Ann was lovely having you stay

4/10 Poor

Jos

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Convenient location but property run down
We stayed at Piwaka lodge for one night prior to doing the Queen Charlotte track. The location of the accommodation was great but otherwise we were disappointed with our stay. Once we arrived we found out that our advertised "ensuite" bathroom was shared with another room. Then we found out that there's no key to our room, apparently the previous guest took it with them. As a result of that we had to move to another room that had shared facilities. The property needs an overall upgrade as it's quite run down and the cleanliness of the property wasn't great either.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from nicci on 8 Feb 2022
Hi Nada- as explained none of our rooms have ensuite bathrooms- the best being the jack n jill shared between rooms 12 and 14... sadly yes a guest had walked off with key so I upgraded you to a family room. Im sorry you were disappointed with your stay and the lodge wasnt up to your expectations. At $34 per person inc breakfast , and our constantly high reviews re cleanliness etc we think thats pretty fair... you may be better suited to a motel in future.. keep well and all best for coming year

2/10 Terrible

Laszlo

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Diane

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Relaxed atmosphere. Nicci was lovely
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Johanna

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The lady that greeted us at 10.30pm with our sleeping children was the loveliest lady I have ever met at a hotel/backpackers. So helpful and kind and super homely. Definitely going back. Thanks I never got to thank her properly.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021
Response from nicci on 20 Oct 2021
Thanks so much for the lovely review..was lovely to have you all stay

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Friendly. Easy walking distance to town. Great breakfast.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021
Response from nicci on 19 May 2021
thank you !

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family, Business traveller, Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our stay at Piwaka Lodge was excellent and our hostess was awesome. It was a lovely warm family setting in a beautifully set up facility. We will definitely recommend Piwaka Lodge to those wanting a top notch stay in Picton. 5 Star accommodation...
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2021
Response from nicci on 6 May 2021
Thank you so so much for the lovely review and for staying with me here at Piwaka. All the best- Nicci

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Friendly host nicci
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021
Response from nicci on 4 May 2021
thanks so much

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Unique atmosphere, accomodating staff to arriving late.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021
Response from nicci on 14 Feb 2021
thanks so much for staying and the lovely review

10/10 Excellent

Bill

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2020
Response from nicci on 15 Dec 2020
Thanks so much for staying with me here at Piwaka Bill.. have a lovely Christmas

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice stay
Very nice location, walking distance from the store and restaurants. The facility has only few showers, so the wait time to take a shower may be long.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location, staff, outdoor seating area and breakfast
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Shlomo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely staff that go above and beyond what you expect. Free, GIANT, breakfast with freshly made scones and muffins. Free, unlimited, strong WiFi. The beds were clean and comfortable and the bathrooms were as well. Location is very central to Picton; short walking distance to hikes, bars, cafes, and rental car companies. The best part, however, was definitely the staff :) would 10/10 recommend this place!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from nicci on 15 Dec 2020
apologies for the VERY late response.. thanks so much for staying with us Have a lovely Christmas

10/10 Excellent

Harmonysez, Hamilton

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely stay before we caught the ferry the next day. The host was so nice, giving instructions on where to catch the ferry and the special porridge she makes is yum! Highly recommend
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Conveniently located with off street parking, the bunk in the dorm wasn't the most comfortable but typical of a hostel (I was a little concerned I'd fall out as there was no safety rail), the dorm room did have a wash basin which was handy, but the winner was the welcoming host and her amazing breakfast! I am already planning to stay again
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from nicci on 25 Jan 2020
Thanks so much for staying with us

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nikki was an excellent host, breakfast was amazing and the rooms were super clean and tidy lots of amenities close by. Had a great stay
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Nicci on 25 Jan 2020
was lovely having you stay Nicci

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
we arrived on Christmas eve and they were awesome and welcoming , mixing us in with the family and others. we had a room that was quite comfortable and away from the action. we want them to know how we aprreciated the C. morning breakfast and hospitality in the bustle of it all.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from nicci on 6 Jan 2020
was lovely to share christmas with you..hope you had a lovely new years thanks so much for the lovely review

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from Nicci on 25 Jan 2020
thank you and safe travels

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It's the only hostel where I felt like home, and belongs to the list of hostel that I wish I had stayed more !
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from nicci on 26 Dec 2019
thanks so much for your lovely words.. safe travels and please come back x

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
For a backpackers lodge this was excellent. Ideal for travellers of all ages. Nicci was a super host really taking care of all her visitors - home made muffins for breakfast every morning!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from nicci on 13 Dec 2019
thank you so much for staying with me here at Piwaka..safe travels and have a lovely christmas Nicci

10/10 Excellent

Melissa, Chicago,IL. USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The host was fantastic. I really enjoyed my stay there. This is the best place I’ve ever stayed at. She makes dinner and breakfast everyday. She makes you feel at home. It was clean, cute and cozy.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from nicci on 13 Dec 2019
thanks so much for the lovely review..was awesome getting to meet you and I hope you have a lovely christmas Nicci xx

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Having never stayed at any backpackers site before the staff and guests were friendly and helpful. Very clean, organized and lovely accommodation close to everything.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Very friendly staff. I knew we had share bathroom, but didn't really like the Jack & Jill style, as one could hear everything through to the adjoining bedroom. Lovely owner. I wish her well.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Graeme

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Reasonable price in a good location
Very convenient location and a reasonable price. Owners recently taken over property and working to get all rooms up to scratch. Owners are very helpful and trying to ensure guest stays are satisfactory. No issues with our stay.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from nicci on 19 Feb 2019
thanks so much for staying with us Graeme.. hope to see you again

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Second time in this little hotel. Does the owner ever sleep? She is always available, always very helpful, making people breakfast, whilst cleaning and tidying....
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from nicci on 26 Jan 2019
lol! I assure you I do...a little :p Thanks so much for staying with us here at Piwaka Nicci

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location and friendly new owners!
We stayed in one of the Queen-Bed rooms with a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. We overall enjoyed our stay, and the location was great! The new owners were great and super friendly. While we were there, we heard someone tell the owner they wouldn't be having breakfast because they were gluten-free and the owner went out to the grocery store and picked up some stuff just for them!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019
Response from nicci on 26 Jan 2019
Thanks so much for your lovely review. I try to accommodate most things as not fair for someone to go hungry because I cant give what they need I hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in NZ Nicci

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Room comfort
Good
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Caroline, New Plymouth NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Within walking distance from ferry. Large place with plenty of space and facilities. Unlike in other places towels and breakfast are provided!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from nicci on 14 Jan 2019
thank you for staying with us here at Piwaka safe travels

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice/clean backpackers, with all the necessary facilities and seperate rooms for families. Ideal for an overnight stay. The bonus is a free continental breakfast is provided (basic cereals, milk, toast, butter & spreads).
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from nicci on 8 Jan 2019
thanks so much for staying with us here at Piwaka and taking time to write a review safe travels