Based by the Lake - Hostel places you in the centre of Taupo, steps from Taupo i-SITE Visitor Information Centre and within a short 5-minute stroll of Taupo Museum and Art Gallery. Highlights at this hostel include a restaurant and in-room free WiFi. .At the hostel's own lounge bar, you can stop for a drink. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi in public areas, laundry facilities and a microwave in a common area. .In proximity to this Taupo hostel you'll find Lake Taupo.
Taupo i-SITE Visitor Information Centre - 3 min walk
Taupo Museum and Art Gallery - 5 min walk
Taupo Marina and Boat Ramp - 6 min walk
Spa Thermal Park - 4 min drive
Taupo Hot Springs - 6 min drive
Getting around
Taupo (TUO) - 12 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 4 min walk
Malabar Beyond India - 2 min walk
Dixie Brown's - 2 min walk
Kfc - 2 min walk
Vine Eatery & Bar - 1 min walk
About this property
Based by the Lake - Hostel
Lakefront hostel with restaurant and bar/lounge
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 Taupo hostel.
34 guestrooms or units
Self-service laundry
Storage area for luggage
Front desk safe
Pool or billiards table
Newspapers in lobby (free)
ATM
Lift
Smoking in designated areas
Microwave in a common area
Fridge in a common area
Bar or lounge
Dining venue
Based by the Lake - Hostel offers 34 accommodations. This Taupo hostel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Guests can make use of the shared/communal kitchen. Bathrooms include a shower. Change of towels and change of bedsheets can be requested. Housekeeping is provided on a daily basis.
Languages
English
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transport
No on-site parking available
Food and drink
A bar/lounge
A restaurant
Things to do
Billiards/pool table
Hiking/biking trails
Skydiving
Family friendly
In-room refrigerator
Laundry facilities
Conveniences
ATM
Free newspapers in lobby
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Safe at front desk
Shared microwave
Shared refrigerator
Vending machine
Guest services
Change of bedsheets (on request)
Change of towels on request
Housekeeping (daily)
Outdoors
On a lake
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Handrails in stairways
Lift
Visual alarms in hallways
Well-lit path to entrance
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
Wheelchair-accessible path to lift
Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Shower
Food and drink
Cleaning supplies
Cookware, dishware, and utensils
Hob
Refrigerator
Shared kitchen access
Toaster
More
Heating
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in and check-out are available
Minimum check-in age - 18
Check-out
Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out
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)
Guests will receive smart lock details
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.
Cots (infant beds) are not available.
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 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 on-site 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 all accommodation. Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.
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
What is the cancellation policy at Based by the Lake - Hostel?
Based by the Lake - Hostel offers free cancellation on select room rates. Check out the cancellation policy for more info.
Is there a free airport shuttle available at Based by the Lake - Hostel?
No, Based by the Lake - Hostel does not offer an airport shuttle service.
Is there a bar or restaurant at Based by the Lake - Hostel?
Yep, they've got a lounge bar and an onsite restaurant.
What time are check-in & check-out at Based by the Lake - Hostel?
Check-in begins at 2:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:00 AM.
Are pets allowed at Based by the Lake - Hostel?
No, only service animals are allowed.
Based by the Lake - Hostel Reviews
Reviews
7.6
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers 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. 37 out of 111 reviews" "
10 - Excellent
37
Rating 8 - Good. 34 out of 111 reviews" "
8 - Good
34
Rating 6 - Okay. 23 out of 111 reviews" "
6 - Okay
23
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 111 reviews" "
4 - Poor
7
Rating 2 - Terrible. 10 out of 111 reviews" "
2 - Terrible
10
8.0/10
Cleanliness
8.2/10
Staff & service
7.4/10
Amenities
7.4/10
Property conditions & facilities
7.6/10
Eco-friendliness
Reviews
10/10 Excellent
Jemma
2 Sept 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Jemma
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024
6/10 Okay
Liliana
3 Aug 2024
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Noise from pub below until after midnight. Then street cleaning noises in early morning meant we didn't get a good night's sleep.
Chesson
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
2/10 Terrible
Karl
3 Feb 2024
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
Karl
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
8/10 Good
Tony
2 Feb 2024
Good place to stay in an excellent location. Ear plugs are included in room and were needed due to street party noise
Tony
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
10/10 Excellent
Helen
31 Jan 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Awesome location
Awesome location with everything you need
Helen
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
10/10 Excellent
Helen
29 Jan 2024
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.
Helen
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
8/10 Good
Samara
25 Jan 2024
Samara
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
8/10 Good
Craig
18 Jan 2024
Liked: Staff & service
The Lake view from the third floor accommodation was excellant.
But the lift which only went up one floor was in very poor shape, soon after elevating the lift, the system jerked quite violently, giving my partner and I quite a fright.
We booked 2 ensuite rooms for 2 couples. The location was excellent. Checkin was great and the staff were pleasant. The rooms were tired but clean. My only negative is that it was very hot in the rooms especially at night and there was only a fan in one of the rooms that we booked. The staff told us that there were not enough fans for everyone.
Great spot! Nice vibe. Huge kitchen with stuffed fridge worried me a bit on arrival (that it would be loud/party) but everyone was just friendly and chill. Very clean and nice environment, great location in town. Laundry facilities were always busy but I guess that can't always be helped on some dayes
Cecilia
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
2/10 Terrible
Anne
7 Jan 2024
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
Awful night at BATL .. situated next to a noisy late live music bar which was open until 3AM... no sleep until and other guests were complaining also. I was wearing ear plugs also. Terrible night and ruined my next day as had full itinerary planned but had to change plans. Very let down, will never stay again and would state to anyone who wants some normal sleep NOT to stay here at all.. oh yes and kettle didnt work so that was just the last straw this morning when i left very early.