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 - 0.1 miles
Lambton Quay - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
Archives New Zealand - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
Beehive - 5 min walk - 0.3 miles
New Zealand Parliament Buildings - 6 min walk - 0.4 miles
Getting around
Wellington Station - 1 min walk
Wellington Intl. Airport (WLG) - 19 min drive
Restaurants
Mojo Featherston - 2 min walk
McDonald's - 1 min walk
Sir Breadwins - 6 min walk
The Thistle Inn - 4 min walk
Flamingo Joe's Bar & Eatery - 3 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 transportation
No onsite 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.
Elevator
Front entrance ramp
Well-lit path to entrance
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
Wheelchair-accessible lounge
Wheelchair-accessible path to elevator
Wheelchair-accessible public washroom
Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
More
Art Deco architecture
Smoking not allowed
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
Property 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
Property class
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 travelers 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. 251 out of 1000 reviews
10 - Excellent
251
Rating 8 - Good. 397 out of 1000 reviews
8 - Good
397
Rating 6 - Okay. 217 out of 1000 reviews
6 - Okay
217
Rating 4 - Poor. 75 out of 1000 reviews
4 - Poor
75
Rating 2 - Terrible. 60 out of 1000 reviews
2 - Terrible
60
7.6/10
Cleanliness
8.0/10
Staff & service
7.2/10
Amenities
6.8/10
Property conditions & facilities
Reviews
Verified
8/10 Good
Lisa
Mar 1, 2026
Excellent location, will stay again if in Wellington
Needed a cheap place to sleep for a night sleep. Bed was comfortable and room was clean but pipes were loud and could hear noise from other rooms most of the night. Good for price though.
Kara
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2026
Verified
8/10 Good
Natkrita
Feb 1, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
The lady staff is really helpful and kind.
Kitchen is clean and tidy compared to the age of building.
Natkrita
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2026
Verified
8/10 Good
Gwynell
Feb 21, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Across road from railway sation. Clean well presented. En suite good.
Old but did the job for me. In the city, right opposite train station so pretty convenient if that’s where you want to be. Ensuite bathroom was clean enough. Sink is a bit tiny so awkward to fill jug up for hot drink but manageable enough. Was able to get a park outside on street which is free from 8pm to 8am the next day so that was good.
Tahari
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2026
Verified
8/10 Good
Jordyn
Oct 12, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Very friendly staff
Jordyn
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Verified
8/10 Good
Daniel
Nov 24, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff was friendly and helpful. The building was vintage but in decent repair. The location is excellent.
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
Verified
6/10 Okay
Qitian
Apr 8, 2026
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Decently clean with nice staff, but basically no amenities beyond the basics. Also there was no table so you'll either have to eat in the air or on the floor.
Qitian
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2026
Verified
6/10 Okay
Carol
Nov 26, 2025
Liked: Staff & service
A bit run down but suitable for cheap, one night stop over.