This is a large, multi-story hostel located towards the end of Queenstreet (the main strip). It's a bit of a walk up the hill on Queen Street coming from the Intercity bus interchange, though. It has clean rooms and a kitchen. The lounges are pretty relaxed, and there’s a decent sundeck/patio. The staff was cordial enough, but I got the impression that they didn’t exactly love their jobs, but then again, who does? The atmosphere was nothing special; it just felt like a university dormitory. Make sure you have your key if you stay out late; otherwise, you may have the enjoyable task of trying to convince the night security guard that you're staying there (being drunk and obnoxious and banging on the front door doesn’t work).
It’s an okay place to stay if you’re just staying for a day or two. If not, I'd recommend staying at a hostel in one of the suburbs. The Brown Kiwi in Ponsonby is a friendly place, and the Lantana Lodge in Parnell is quite mellow.
We moved after 2 nights of staying at this YHA. I would never have guessed that a side street could be so noisy. Every morning we were woken up by rubbish trucks, cars honking, or people just talking outside. We vowed never to stay here again.