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Based by the Lake - Hostel

2.0 star property
Lakefront hostel in Taupō with restaurant and bar/lounge

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for Based by the Lake - Hostel

Restaurant
Deluxe Double or Twin Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets
Restaurant
Interior
Exterior
Nestled by the lake, Based by the Lake - Hostel offers a warm and lively atmosphere with laundry facilities, a bar, and restaurant. Take advantage of in-room WiFi to plan your next adventure like hiking or skydiving nearby. With helpful staff on hand and amenities such as billiards/pool table plus luggage storage you're sure to feel right at home.

Reviews

7.4 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Laundry facilities
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant

Main amenities (11)

  • Daily housekeeping
  • Restaurant and bar/lounge
  • Front-desk safe
  • ATM/banking services
  • Vending machine
  • Microwave in a common area
  • Refrigerator in a common area
  • Self-serve laundry
  • Free newspapers in the lobby
  • Luggage storage
  • Hiking/biking trails

Feel at home (4)

  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Laundry facilities
  • Elevator

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 4 of 4 rooms

View all photos for Shared Dormitory

Shared Dormitory | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Shared Dormitory

Highlights

Heating
Refrigerator
Private bathroom
Toaster
Stovetop
Shared/communal kitchen
Cookware/dishes/utensils
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

View all photos for Double Room

Double Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Double Room

Highlights

Heating
Refrigerator
LCD TV
Private bathroom
Toaster
Stovetop
Shared/communal kitchen
Cookware/dishes/utensils
  • 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)

Highlights

Heating
Refrigerator
LCD TV
Private bathroom
Toaster
Stovetop
Shared/communal kitchen
Cookware/dishes/utensils
  • 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)

Highlights

Heating
Refrigerator
Private bathroom
Toaster
Stovetop
Shared/communal kitchen
Cookware/dishes/utensils
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bunk Bed

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The price is $62
$72 total
includes taxes & fees
Nov 10 - Nov 11
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About the neighborhood

Map
7 Tuwharetoa Street, Taupo, North Island, 3330

What's nearby

  • Taupō Museum and Art Gallery - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Taupō i-SITE Visitor Information Centre - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Taupō Marina and Boat Ramp - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • A.C. Baths - 4 min drive - 2.9 km
  • Taupō Hot Springs - 4 min drive - 3.2 km

Getting around

  • Taupō Airport (TUO) - 12 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪The Vine Eatery - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Dixie Brown's Cafe - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Fast and Fresh Bakery Cafe - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Piccolo - ‬3 min walk

About this property

Based by the Lake - Hostel

Based by the Lake - Hostel offers a great location, putting you within just a 10-minute walk of Lake Taupō. Guests looking for a bite to eat can check out the restaurant, and the bar/lounge is the perfect spot to grab a drink at the end of the day. Fellow travelers say great things about the helpful staff.

At a glance

DONE

Hotel size

    • 34 rooms
DONE

Arriving/Leaving

    • Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
    • Contactless check-in available
    • Minimum check-in age: 18
    • Check-out time is 10:00 AM
    • Contactless check-out available
DONE

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
DONE

Required at check-in

    • Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
    • Government-issued photo ID may be required
    • Minimum check-in age is 18
DONE

Children

    • No cribs (infant beds)
DONE

Pets

    • Pets not allowed
    • Service animals welcome
WIFI

Internet

    • Free WiFi in public areas
    • Free WiFi in rooms
LOCAL_PARKING

Parking

    • No onsite parking
DONE

Other information

    • Designated smoking areas

Property amenities

Food and drink

  • Restaurant
  • Bar/lounge
  • Shared microwave
  • Shared refrigerator

What to do

  • Hiking/biking trails
  • Skydiving
  • Pool table
  • Ecotours nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Horse riding nearby
  • Skiing nearby
  • Scooter/moped rentals nearby
  • Hot springs nearby

Services

  • Laundry facilities
  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Luggage storage

Facilities

  • ATM/banking
  • Safe-deposit box at front desk

Accessibility

  • Elevator
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible public washroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to elevator
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Visual alarms in hallways
  • Handrails in stairways
  • Well-lit path to entrance

Room amenities

Home comfort

  • Heating

Sleep well

  • Bed sheets provided

Freshen up

  • Shower only

Stay connected

  • Free WiFi

Food and drink

  • Refrigerator
  • Shared kitchen access
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster
  • Cookware, dishes, and utensils

More

  • Daily housekeeping
  • Cleaning supplies

Fees & policies

Policies

Guests can rest easy knowing there's a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit on site.
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards and cash.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard
Cashless transactions are available.

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

Does Based by the Lake - Hostel offer free cancellation for a full refund?

Yes, Based by the Lake - Hostel does have fully refundable room rates available to book on our site. If you’ve booked a fully refundable room rate, this can be cancelled up to a few days before check-in depending on the property's cancellation policy. Just make sure to check this property's cancellation policy for the exact terms and conditions.

Are pets allowed at Based by the Lake - Hostel?

Sorry, pets aren't allowed, but service animals are welcome.

Is parking offered on site at Based by the Lake - Hostel?

Sorry, there's no onsite parking at Based by the Lake - Hostel.

What are the check-in and check-out times at Based by the Lake - Hostel?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime. Check-out time is 10:00 AM. Contactless check-in and check-out are available.

What is there to do at Based by the Lake - Hostel and nearby?

Have fun with onsite activities like skydiving and hiking. Additional recreation nearby includes hot springs and ecotours.

Are there restaurants at or near Based by the Lake - Hostel?

Yes, there's an onsite restaurant.

What's the area around Based by the Lake - Hostel like?

Based by the Lake - Hostel is in Taupō Central, a short 8-minute walk from Lake Taupō and 5 minutes' walk from Taupō Museum and Art Gallery.

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Reviews

Based by the Lake - Hostel Reviews

7.4

Good

7.8

Cleanliness

7.2

Amenities

8.2

Staff & service

7.4

Eco-friendliness

7.4

Property conditions & facilities

Popular mentions

Room
Service staff
Location
Lobby
View
Elevator
Refrigerator
Parking
Shower
Bar

Reviews

10/10 Exceptional

Nice friendly staff, cozy private room

10/10 Exceptional

Easy access to the township. An affordable stay, great value for money.
Jackie, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Great digs for a short stop over, was a bit noisey at times due to thin walls but would stay here again and the staff were ever so helpful and informative thanks.
Siu, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Very tidy, friendly staff very helpful.
Shane, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Good service
Nicholas, 3-night trip

8/10 Very good

Central location with easy safe parking, room was w at Ely what was required. Very clean, fresh and tidy. Staff were amazing.
Christine, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

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!
Raman, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Nice.
Dragana, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

It was ok
Craig, 1-night trip

4/10 Fair

What you would expect for the price. Except the noise from the nightclub across the road is unbearable.

10/10 Exceptional

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, 2-night trip

8/10 Very good

Right in the acti e night life so was quite noisy. Up 3 flights of narrow stairs. Small sized room but adequate for overnight stay. View of the lake yes over the back of the local bars.
1-night trip

8/10 Very good

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.
Wendy, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Great management and maintenance crew. Great location Good price Very peasant environment I was lucky for staying three nights I had a room with a view. May be they gave me a favour. I will be a loyal customer if I travel to Taupo again. I wish them the best in coming Christmas and New year.
Vahid, 3-night trip

8/10 Very good

Taupo Central

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.
David, 2-night trip

8/10 Very good

No parking your information does NOT SAY BACKPACKERS if I’d known that I would not have booked or stayed

8/10 Very good

Good overall near the lake

We had requested a twin room as we are sisters but had one large double bed. Not terrible but we would have preferred separate beds. The room was lovely and so were the amenities. The lobby could use some upgrading considering it’s the first thing people see when they walk in. Good overall and near the lake
Evelyn, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

The overall experience was good. I would expect a lift service available when staying on 3rd floor. For someone with weak ankles, it wasn’t ideal walking up and down 3 flights of stairs every time we went out or used the communial kitchen.

6/10 Good

No hot water on my second morning Side tables very wobbly
Patricia, 2-night trip

4/10 Fair

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.
Jenna, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

What we were mainly disappointed in was the parking for guests. There is a parking area 1 property further on and you have to be very lucky to get a parking spot. We ended up parking 2 streets over and had a long walk back to our accommodation late at night. Very unsafe for 2 womaen. We were told thst wr were in the middle of town and there would be nightclub noise...never did we think it would be as loud and deafening as it eas. Oribably we should have realised how bad it would be when we saw ear plugs in our tea and coffee vontainer.
Sheryl, 1-night trip

4/10 Fair

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
4-night trip

6/10 Good

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.
Paul, 2-night trip

2/10 Poor

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.
Myrthe, 2-night trip

6/10 Good

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.
Liliana, 1-night trip