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Based by the Lake - Hostel

2.0 star property
Hostel perfectly located for exploring Taupō

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Photo gallery for Based by the Lake - Hostel

Restaurant
Deluxe Double or Twin Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets
Interior
Exterior
Restaurant

Reviews

7.4 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Housekeeping
  • Kitchen
  • Laundry
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant

Explore the area

View in a map
7 Tuwharetoa Street, Taupo, North Island, 3330
  • Place, Taupō Museum and Art Gallery
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, Taupō i-SITE Visitor Information Centre
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, Taupō Marina and Boat Ramp
    ‪6 min walk‬
  • Airport, Taupō Airport (TUO)
    ‪11 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Shared Dormitory

Shared Dormitory | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Shared Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

View all photos for Double Room

Double Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Double Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Double or Twin Room

Deluxe Double or Twin Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Deluxe Double or Twin Room

7.6 out of 10
Good
(5 reviews)
  • Lake view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Basic Triple Room

Basic Triple Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Basic Triple Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bunk Bed

About the neighborhood

Taupō

Heart of Taupō.A stay at this Taupō Central hostel places you steps from Taupō i-SITE Visitor Information Centre and within a 5-minute walk of Taupō Museum and Art Gallery. Taupō Marina and Boat Ramp and Lake Taupō are also within half a mile (1 km).
View more Hostels in TaupōOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Taupō Museum and Art Gallery - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
  • Taupō i-SITE Visitor Information Centre - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
  • Taupō Marina and Boat Ramp - 6 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • Spa Thermal Park - 3 min drive - 1.4 miles
  • Taupō Hot Springs - 4 min drive - 2.0 miles

Getting around

  • Taupō Airport (TUO) - 12 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Fast and Fresh Bakery Cafe - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Dixie Brown's Cafe - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Cafe Baku - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Piccolo - ‬3 min walk

About this property

Based by the Lake - Hostel

Hostel perfectly located for exploring Taupō
There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. WiFi is free in public spaces. Based by the Lake - Hostel also features a vending machine, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and laundry facilities.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this Taupō hostel.

  • 34 guestrooms or units
  • Self-service laundry
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Front-desk safe
  • Pool or billiards table
  • Newspapers in lobby (free)
  • ATM
  • Elevator
  • Smoking in designated areas
  • Microwave in a common area
  • Refrigerator in a common area
  • Bar or lounge
  • Dining venue
Based by the Lake - Hostel offers 34 accommodations. This Taupō hostel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Guests can make use of the shared/communal kitchen. Bathrooms include showers. Change of towels and change of bedsheets can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.

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  • Laundry
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Property amenities

Family friendly

  • In-room refrigerator
  • Laundry facilities

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

Things to do

  • Billiards/pool table
  • Hiking/biking trails
  • Skydiving

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Elevator
  • Handrails in stairways
  • Visual alarms in hallways
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to elevator
  • Wheelchair-accessible public washroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Shower

Food and drink

  • Cleaning supplies
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Refrigerator
  • Shared kitchen access
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

More

  • Heating

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open Sunday - Thursday (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM) and Friday - Saturday (8:00 AM - 5:00 AM)
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Staffed front desk, smart lock

Pets

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Cribs (infant beds) are not available.

Property payment types

Important information

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, debit cards, and cash
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. No onsite parking is available. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, debit cards, and cash. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit in each accommodation. Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.

National rating

Property class, provided by our rating system, is based on property type, amenities, and services.

Property is also known as

Based by the Lake
Based By The Lake Hostel Taupo
Based by the Lake - Hostel Taupo
Based by the Lake - Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
Based by the Lake - Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation Taupo

Frequently asked questions

How close is Based by the Lake - Hostel to the airport?

Based by the Lake - Hostel is 4.9 mi (12-min drive) away from the Taupō Airport (TUO) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

Does Based by the Lake - Hostel have an airport shuttle?

Airport shuttle services are not available at Based by the Lake - Hostel.

Does Based by the Lake - Hostel offer free breakfast?

Based by the Lake - Hostel does not offer free breakfast.

Is there a casino at Based by the Lake - Hostel?

No, there is no casino at this hostel.

What time is check-in at Based by the Lake - Hostel?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime.

Is there free parking at Based by the Lake - Hostel?

Free parking is not available at this hostel.

Does Based by the Lake - Hostel have a pool?

Based by the Lake - Hostel does not have a pool.

Does Based by the Lake - Hostel have a restaurant?

Yes, there is a restaurant on site.

Does Based by the Lake - Hostel have a spa?

There are no spa services available at this hostel.

How close is Based by the Lake - Hostel to downtown Taupō?

Based by the Lake - Hostel is 0.2 mi away from Taupō.

Based by the Lake - Hostel Reviews

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 38 out of 115 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 34 out of 115 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 24 out of 115 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 8 out of 115 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 11 out of 115 reviews

7.8/10

Cleanliness

8.2/10

Staff & service

7.2/10

Amenities

7.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Convenience the only reason we stayed here

We stayed here last year and booked again well ahead of time and were given a room on the noisy side and up on the top floor and the lift only goes to the first floor, it's got more run down since our last stay, no knob on toilet cistern, no teaspoons, no plug for hand basin and kitchen very rough
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025

6/10 Okay

Paul

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A good back packers, but be aware of 3 flights of stairs if an issue for you. Shame it is opposite the party pub with lousy loud bands.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

2/10 Terrible

Myrthe

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I don't recommend staying here at all. The noise from other rooms (slamming doors, thin walls) and the noise from outside make for an awful stay. If you do decide to come here, bring earplugs or construction headphones. Even then you'll be vibrated out of your bed. The facilities are sparse and dirty. The kitchen is grimy, disgusting, and missing chairs. Almost all the plastic chairs for the balcony are missing a leg or are completely broken. Sparrows are regularly flying in and out of the kitchen to pick away at breadcrumbs, and leaving birdpoop behind: on the tables, on the counters. We will never return here.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Nicholas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good service
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Raman

Traveled with family and small children
It is good the price we paid for. It’s noisy and small room with bathroom which was nice and clean. Its value for money, no complaints!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jemma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Liliana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Property was fine, room was clean and was fine. What I didn't like much was the kitchenette as the fridges weren't completely clean.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Emma

Stayed 1 night in May 2024

6/10 Okay

Melanie

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

4/10 Poor

Jenna

Traveled with partner
The windows in our room were left open and the ceiling was covered in sandflies because of this. The room smelled quite bad, and there were no forks or spoons available to use in the kitchen.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Satbir

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything was perfect
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jackie

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Easy access to the township. An affordable stay, great value for money.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rose

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very central, easy parking and good service
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

2/10 Terrible

Erick

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

8/10 Good

Donna

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
There were a couple of things that we didn’t enjoy about staying here, and that was the loud music and noise coming from the nightclub over the road, and the squeaky floor boards upstairs, when people walked up & down the corridor during the night, apart from that, everything else was ok.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

priscilla

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Wendy

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Very basic but all that we needed. We had an amazing view of lake and everything right at our doorstep. Only drawbacks were that there was no fridge in the room, the plumbing from the room next door was very noisy and there is no lift (we were on the third floor). All in all it was good value for money and suited our budget.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Sabine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hostel was pretty much ok. I had a private room and it was like a hotel room. The kitchen was a little bit run down but ok. Unfortunately was my room close to the main AC or something very noisy during the whole night.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

6/10 Okay

Chesson

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Noise from pub below until after midnight. Then street cleaning noises in early morning meant we didn't get a good night's sleep.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

2/10 Terrible

Karl

The booking was cancelled by the hostel. They advised the room booked was not available and the reception is not staffed after 10 pm despite it being listed as staffed from 8am- 5am
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Tony

Good place to stay in an excellent location. Ear plugs are included in room and were needed due to street party noise
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Helen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

Awesome location

Awesome location with everything you need
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Helen

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort

Close & easy

A 2 night stay for the Taupō Summer Concert. A perfect place to stay as parked the car. & left it for the weekend as everything was walkable.
Broken fan base
View from our balcony in 305
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Samara

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024