General:
typical 'youth guest hostel' with a few long-term guests; lots of German boys & girls in their late teens or early twenties; crowd seemed a bit unfriendly towards more international guests but that can change every week;

Rooms:
ok, but not more. worn down, 2 rooms are at the back - they are better but also more expensive, would not recommend the smelly 'dormatory rooms'. be prepared to share (freezing cold) bathrooms.

Staff:
Guy at reception is pretty, helpful (but german). lol.

Summary:
if you are laid back and relaxed, then go for it. if you want to have a warm and cosy guesthouse - keep on looking, thats not your place. location is quite central, you can walk to bars; starbucks around the corner.

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.