Duke Backpackers, Greymouth, NZ

We were here for a night stay, arriving from Arthur's Pass and before heading to Fox Glacier. On the way from Arthur's Pass, we paid a visit to Shantytown before checking in at Duke Backpackers. If you are driving, you can park your car behind the building.

Before we booked our beds with them, we had read reviews of the hostels in Greymouth and decided to stay here based on the good reviews about them and the free breakfast and soup.

This is the reception area. When we arrived, there was nobody but a short while after a call, the Manager came. I can't recall his name now. He was very friendly and helpful. He upgraded us to a twin room for free and that was really a pleasant surprise to us. Well, the hostel was not fully occupied at that time. It was quite quiet and I only saw a few guests here and there. After completing the administrative part, he showed us around the hostel and also recommended places for us to visit. We were given half an hour of free wifi each. When he found out that I could not stand the cold weather, he gave me another two duvets to keep warm at night. It was really thoughtful of him.

The twin bedroom has a small window and a small basin. The room is a little small and only one person can walk at a time. Well, it was a free upgrade so no complaints at all :-). I did peeped into some of the empty dorms and they looked quite spacious to me. The room has a heater on timer basis but the heater is not that strong and took a while to warm the room.

This is the corridor, a little dark but it is ok for me.





Rooms are numbered according to the number on the picture. Room 2, Room 10, Room 9 and Room 3 below. Interesting idea.

The bathroom is a little small but clean. Washrooms are clean too. There is also a small pantry upstairs for us to make hot drinks.

The dining area and the lounge is together. The lounge has limited seating area as you can see. I am not sure what it will be like if the hostel is full. Definitely not that comfortable to rest and relax with people eating nearby but since the hostel was quite empty at that time, we didn't experience this problem. There is also a fireplace that keeps the place warm in winter.

The hostel served free soup every evening and the soup was delicious. This was really a bonus as I have not come across any other hostels that served free soup on daily basis. They also provide free breakfast which is the usual coffee/tea and toast.

The kitchen is large and clean. It is also very complete.

Here you are .... this is the Manager that I was talking about. Don't worry, I have his permission to post his photo on my blog. Overall I am very satisfied with my stay at Duke Backpackers. Service is fantastic, free wifi, free breakfast and free soup. It is really a bargain. If you are looking for a budget accommodation in Greymouth, do check them out.