With a stay at Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers, you'll be centrally located in Wellington, within a 5-minute drive of Interislander Ferry Terminal and Lambton Quay. .This hostel is 0.1 mi (0.2 km) from Wellington Central Business District and 0.3 mi (0.5 km) from Old St Paul's.
Wellington Central Business District - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
Lambton Quay - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
Beehive - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
New Zealand Parliament Buildings - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
Sky Stadium - 13 min walk - 1.1 km
Getting around
Wellington Station - 1 min walk
Wellington Intl. Airport (WLG) - 19 min drive
Restaurants
Mojo Featherston - 2 min walk
Concorde Café - 5 min walk
Coffee Supreme Midland Park - 6 min walk
Trax Cafe & Bar - 2 min walk
Master Kong - 4 min walk
About this property
Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers
Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers offers 108 accommodations with safes. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is provided daily.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 108 guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Conveniences include safes, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Make use of convenient amenities, which include complimentary wireless internet access and a vending machine.
At Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers, enjoy a satisfying meal at the restaurant. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge.
Featured amenities include express check-out, a 24-hour front desk, and laundry facilities.
Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers has a restaurant on site.
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transport
No on-site parking available
Food and drink
A bar/lounge
A restaurant
Family friendly
Laundry facilities
Conveniences
24-hour front desk
ATM
Laundry facilities
Lockers
Safe at front desk
Vending machine
Guest services
Housekeeping (daily)
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Front entrance ramp
Lift
Well-lit path to entrance
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
Wheelchair-accessible lounge
Wheelchair-accessible path to lift
Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
More
Art Deco architecture
Smoke-free property
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Towels provided
Entertainment
Cable/satellite channels
More
Heating
Safe
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Early check-in subject to availability
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 10 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
Late check-out fee: NZD 10
Express check-out available
Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
At check-in, guests must provide a record of full COVID-19 vaccination
COVID-19 vaccination record requirement applies to all guests aged 12 and up; guests must have received complete COVID-19 vaccination at least 30 days prior to check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Access methods
Staffed front desk
Pets
Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available
Payment types
Important information
Fees
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:
Deposit: NZD 20.00 per stay
We have included all charges provided to us by the property.
Optional extras
Late check-out fee: NZD 10 (subject to availability)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
National rating
Property class, provided by our rating system, is based on property type, amenities, and services.
Property is also known as
Downtown Backpackers
Downtown Backpackers Hostel
Downtown Backpackers Hostel Wellington
Downtown Backpackers Wellington
Hotel Waterloo Backpackers
Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers Wellington
Hotel Waterloo Backpackers (formerly Downtown Backpackers)
Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers Reviews
Reviews
7.6
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Rating 10 - Excellent. 243 out of 1000 reviews
10 - Excellent
243
Rating 8 - Good. 407 out of 1000 reviews
8 - Good
407
Rating 6 - Okay. 220 out of 1000 reviews
6 - Okay
220
Rating 4 - Poor. 72 out of 1000 reviews
4 - Poor
72
Rating 2 - Terrible. 58 out of 1000 reviews
2 - Terrible
58
7.6/10
Cleanliness
8.0/10
Staff & service
7.0/10
Amenities
6.8/10
Property conditions & facilities
Reviews
4/10 Poor
Melinda
15 Jan 2026
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Melinda
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
8/10 Good
Qingyi
5 Dec 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Two bedrooms share a toilet and bath room in a separate corner. My bedroom has a sink with two faucets, with hot and cold water.
Elevators were a trip to ride. Very conveniently located across from the main rail station. Water was blisteringly hot, beds were comfortable enough for a good night’s nap.
Clean, comfortable and close to train and ferry. The Gastro Pub attached/in the Hostel serves very good food in good portions. Enjoyable again.
Anthony
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
6/10 Okay
Kathryn
Travelled with partner
28 Nov 2025
Liked: Staff & service
We were able to check in late (our boat docked at 1am) felt save with a buzzer entry. Room was basic but fine. Windows were okd so a fair bit of street noise was present all night
Kathryn
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
6/10 Okay
Carol
Travelled with family
26 Nov 2025
Liked: Staff & service
A bit run down but suitable for cheap, one night stop over.
Hotel rooms are not the same that are shown in photos it’s a old rooms with dirty smell, no trolly at reception to carry bags to room. No parking for cars available on site. Everthing is fake photos that are shown when we are booking on site. Windows are single glass old frame to much noise can’t sleep with kids. Overall i thought expedia is a good site to book good hotels but i thought i am not using expedia in future for booking.
Gurpreet
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
8/10 Good
Paul
24 Nov 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
For the price, it was good. Very old building with single pane windows, in a windy city like Wellington, you can really feel the draft in some places.
Overall however I would stay in a private room here again.
Paul
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025
10/10 Excellent
Mayette
Business traveller, Travelled with group
24 Nov 2025
Liked: Cleanliness
Mayette
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
8/10 Good
Daniel
24 Nov 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff was friendly and helpful. The building was vintage but in decent repair. The location is excellent.
Clean room with broken window so very cold. In need of an update. Staff all friendly and helpful. Great location. Fridge and microwave and kettle in room plus shared kitchen
Dawn
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
8/10 Good
Colleen
13 Nov 2025
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Colleen
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025
8/10 Good
Elise
Travelled with family
11 Nov 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
The room was very clean and well laid out. The cleaning staff that I bumped into in the hall were so lovely.
I wouldn’t recommend this place for someone that is a light-sleeper - as the building is very old, the sound proofing on the windows is non-existent so you can hear everything from the road below.
Elise
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025
6/10 Okay
gaelle
9 Nov 2025
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
You get what you pay for.
That said, great location.