Sweet little hostel, not as modern as some others but had a homly lived in feel. this did not make you feel uncomforatble here but part of the furniture and very relaxed considering its a city hostel. Long termers could be clicky but when an effort was made they proved to be a weath of knowledge, willing to share not only their experiences but their lives in Auckland. Rooms a good enough size, bunk beds best i have slept in. Not enough or very modern bathrooms however, but nice to have a seperate male and female bathroom. Lovely outside area, good recycling facilities. expensive internet but a free phone. Lovely big tv wiht comfy sofas and well equiped if a littel hard to navigate around kitchen. This is made up for by a great big table that i wanted ot take home! Good parking and friendly helpful staff. ot perfect but where is in N.Z ( apart from Global Village Greymouth) overall very lovely place.

We arrived at the Brown Kiwi late at night and didn't have much issue with the late check in. We did have an issue in that our double room was in the backyard, and we had to walk through the courtyard to use the restroom. We have experienced this before, but the weather was a little suspect so it made it tougher. The front desk was relatively helpful in booking a rental car and suggesting things, but the crowd there was very clicky. We are american and some of the long term residents were rude to us (based solely on our nationality). This is the only hostel I visited in New Zealand that I would not stay at again.

I can't disagree with the negative comments in the previous post, however, I enjoyed my stay. The place has a friendly vibe, a nice garden, and an ideal Ponsonby location. My boyfriend and I stayed in a second floor double. It was run down, but I appreciated the quiet nights, and a big window at the head of the bed where I could feel the breeze and listen to the rain.

The Brown Kiwi was a friendly place, but a bit worn down these days. I stayed there because of other reviews, and reading about it in Let's Go New Zealand. I wasn't just backpacking, so had more stuff with me than backpackers, and the room was very small. The price was $58 NZ to get a double room to myself, and it was a very SMALL and run down room. I could have paid just a bit more in some spots for a much nicer room. The staff was great, the other guests were great, but it was difficult to negotiate the stairs to my room with heavy bags (I know--I had too much stuff....partly since I was bringing things over to NZ for my daughter who has moved there), and the room was threadbare and the carpets are very run down. The garden in the back is pleasant, and it's easy to walk up to Posonby Road for eating and wandering....but I wouldn't stay there again. I guess it depends what you're looking for, but I can't imagine that it looked the way it does now with the nice reviews it received a few years ago.