Sequoia Lodge Backpackers

My car broke the morning I should have been on the ferry. Alex and Nicky helped me change the ticket, got my car to the locals mechanic at the best price. Told me what things to do in Picton. I ended up spending four days at the hostel and I’m definitely going back! Really a nice and cosy atmosphere, good kitchen and on a cold evening they have a nice and warm fireplace.

Well-run hostel that is clean and has amazing stuff. Nice atmosphere during the daily pudding meetings.

Quite a cute hostel but unfortunately a school bus trip was on the same stay on the night I stayed and I was put in a room with teenagers which made me uncomfortable. The kids were screaming and laughing past a time where the hostel should be quiet, the other guy in my room has to shout at them to get them to shut up. I brought this up to the owner the next day and said I didn’t feel comfortable sharing a room with people under the age of 18 and that I should’ve been told before I had paid but the owner got very defensive claiming the boys in the room weren’t part of the trip but I knew they were as they had told me! He told me I should’ve come got the night manager but honestly I feel like guests should be warned before they stay if there’s a huge group of kids staying in all the rooms who are under 18. Definitely wouldn’t have stayed if I was told, had a terrible nights sleep and then in the morning had the kids moving my stuff from where I was sitting when I went to make a cup of coffee. Left sleep deprived and anxious from having to complain and have it thrown back in my face, just an apology would’ve made me feel a little bit better and I could’ve left on a better note. The owner seems like someone who is nice at first but if you say anything out of turn that he doesn’t like then he will switch on you. I hate having to write a bad review but I feel that if the owners are rude then they should be called out on it online. I do wish them the best for their business going into the future, just maybe listen to your customers and a partial refund would’ve made a huge difference. I’ve worked in hostels before and we always had the power to refund parts of people’s trips out of common decency, should’ve stayed in the car! 🤦🏻‍♀️