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Koanui Lodge and Backpackers

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lo7la
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3 out of 5
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2
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Editor Pick

Decent Low Budget Option

  • July 8, 2009
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Red Mezz from Inverness, Scotland
Decent Low Budget Option

The difficulty with staying in Blenheim on a budget - is that it's almost impossible to do so. This is a beautiful area (though the town itself is fairly ordinary at best) and if you are going to spend any time in the amazing Marlborough wine country, then it would be my personal recommendation that you do so in at least a small amount of luxury, and enjoy some of the many amazing B&Bs and lodges out amongst the vineyards, as well as some of the great local food and wine options.

However - if you are on a budget or simply passing through and do want to take advantage of the area, then you can certainly do worse than the Koanui Backpackers.

The difficulty in staying in Blenheim on a budget is there are only about three budget accommodation/hostels in the area. And two of those only have a few rooms. When you add to that the large number of backpackers in New Zealand as well as the huge swell of migrant workers - then actually finding accommodation becomes very difficult.

It also means that it is a bit more costly than in other places in New Zealand.

Koanui is, in many ways, a tricky one to review. It has some very distinct ups and downs, so I will just break them down and let the reader decide which might be the most useful for them.

The upsides:

Firstly, the room we stayed at was excellent. For budget accommodation it was very, very good. There were only a few rooms in the Koanui available, but the double ensuite room was hotel quality. The bathroom was excellent, very clean and up to date. The room was well put together, very clean and well equipped. Better than any other hostel we stayed in. There was even a TV and some wine glasses. As well as towels and hand towels. We had a sliding door and a balcony and some degree of temperature control - and all in all couldn't complain about the room in anyway.

The staff also were very good. It was a husband and wife who owned it. We had no problems with our booking, were welcomed in and had a very nice chat before we checked into our room. All was well there.

The location was pretty central - being just about walking distance into town, and just a couple minutes walk from a McDonalds and a grocery store.

Unfortunately, the location also (in my opinion) ranks in the downsides.

Downsides:

The location - the mostly central - isn't very nice. It is right on a main road, and though there is some parking out back, it's not in the nicest area and though I wouldn't go so far as to say 'seedy' - certainly this is not a nice spot to be enjoying your purchases from wine country in the evening. And the McDonalds and grocery that are near by are really unpleasant and flooded with seasonal workers and backpackers - making for a deeply unpleasant atmosphere.

The price - even though the room itself was hotel quality - it was also the most expensive hostel we stayed at anywhere in New Zealand at $80 pn. This on its own wouldn't have been too bad given the quality of the room, had it not been for the rest of the hostel.

The main downside of Koanui for me was the rest of the hostel. Though there was a kitchen and common area, we didn't go near them - as most of this apartment block-like hostel was filled with long-stay seasonal workers. It meant that you felt like you were staying in an apartment building with lots and lots of students and backpackers who lived there. The kitchen - though basically clean - was in constant use and it was all living space rather than a common room. There were always live-ins lounging in every available outdoor space, with their doors open and the contents of their rooms often spilling out onto the landing.
The courtyard below had a pool table, also always in use - and the games being played there went on loudly late into the night.

Also - though our room was upstairs - it was above the lounge - so the live-ins got very noisy at night, and it was hard not to hear all of it.

I have very mixed feelings about this stay - but if you don't mind the backpackers or the price - or are just looking for a decent room to sleep in, then this could do very well for you.

From journal The Relaxed and Stunning Beauty of Marlborough Wine Country...

Editor Pick

Koanui Lodge and Backpackers

  • September 29, 2006
  • Rated 3 of 5 by lo7la from Elmhurst, Illinois
As far as location and comfort go, Koanui is one of the top hostels in Blenheim. It's a BBH (budget backpacker hostel) member so its standards are pretty high. The rooms are clean and neat, and the kitchen is pretty well stocked. The main "living room" has a large TV with SKY and a wide selection of videos and DVDS to choose from. It's a pretty quiet hostel based on the fact that it's mainly a workers hostel. If you are in the area to fruit pick or do vineyard work this is a top place to stay. They do have contacts and can arrange to find you work (proper working visa necessary, of course). The main house is where you'll find most of the working backpackers. There is a second complex (the "lodge") with its own kitchen and lounge/TV room, this seems to be where they put most of travelers just passing through.

Our double room had a sink and a TV in the room. It was pretty small but then again what more do you really need in the room? It had a chest of drawers and a cupboard and linen. However for the dorm rooms you will need your own linen or to hire some for $2.

Highlights of the hostel are the free pool table, barbecue, and laundry facilities complete with dryers. There are a few car park spaces in the back and off street parking is also free. There are two computers hooked up to the Internet but it's expensive and slow and you are better off trying an Internet place in town. The grocery store is only a 5 minute walk and town is about 10 minutes. The largest dorm style room is 6 beds and I never really noticed a line for the showers, they do have quite a few around. They owners are pretty friendly and they give discounted rates to those staying weekly. You'll get $2 to $5 off the price if you are BBH card carrying member. (and they are pretty strict about showing your card for the discount)
Dorm beds run about $20-22. Singles- $45, doubles- $50 and en suite-$62.

From journal The Fruit Fields of Blenheim

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