Wanaka Backpackers Bothy

UPDATE: I received my refund. Extremely bad customer services. Zero empathy from the manager, my reservation was cancelled without any warning, and my questions were ignored. On top of this all, the manager was threatening and blackmailing me, saying he will tell all other accommodations in the area know about me so I won't be able to find a place to stay..crazy, right? Whole story below I initially booked a dorm bed to come on my own, but life changes, and childcare arrangements fell through. I called Bothy and spoke to 2 different receptionists who were very positive about accommodating me and my son. They said they would ask their manager and call me back. This did not happen. I decided to send an email trusting there will be some notes about my request following two phone conversations, so I went straight to the point and asked what options are there for us. The manager had no idea of what I was talking about and went straight into accusing me of booking the cheapest room and that he would prefer people who stay for the whole conference instead of only 3 nights. He immediately cancelled my booking. I felt discriminated, and my request for upgrades was ignored. I was not offered any alternative bedroom options to stay.
Apr 24th, 2023

Apr 23rd, 2023

Mar 7th, 2023

tl;dr: After experiencing every hostel in Wanaka, id say Bothy is the best. Mostly because of the atmosphere: it kinda feels like a family, the longer u stay the better it gets. My experience as a guest: Owner and staff put quite a lot of effort into the hostel. Small quality of life improvements like an updated weather forecast, provided oil and salt for cooking as well as free laundry detergent and really good and stable wifi. Whole place is getting cleaned every day. And most important, ur not just a number - if u need advise or have any special requests, they really try to help u as best as they can. As an employee: After traveling for 4 weeks with wonderful people i met at the hostel, i came back to Wanaka for work. Application was quick and uncomplicated, work easy and well organized. Living together with the other staff members was awesome. Operated on a fair concept: the more effort u put into work, the more rewards u get, trying to make the hostel a lovely place for everyone. Im not getting payed to make this review btw, usually dont write any at all. im just so grateful for all the beautiful experiences i got there. Thank you very much!
Mar 3rd, 2023

Feb 18th, 2023