Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel
Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Did you already book this hotel?
Tell us so we can help you plan.
About
#8 of 14 hostels in Paihia
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
The Pickled Parrot is recently UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT! The new owners welcome you to come and relax, take time out and enjoy our chilled environment. The Pickled Parrot is small personal hostel set in a sub tropical garden paradise, just 2 minutes walk from the beach and outdoor activities. 10 minutes walk from the intercity bus station, wharf, post office, shops and cafes. We are a NON PARTY hostel with very clean accommodation (all linen, duvets, sheets etc provided) well equipped and excellent kitchen facilities, BBQ all linen provided. We can accommodate you in our provide double or twin rooms or 2,4 & 6 person dorms.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Beach
Bicycle rental
BBQ facilities
Baggage storage
Clothes dryer
Street parking
Wifi
Complimentary tea
Outdoor dining area
Canoeing
Diving
Golf course
Hiking
Horseback riding
Snorkeling
Tennis court
Windsurfing
Canoeing offsite
Fishing
Tennis court offsite
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
Washing machine
Room features
Microwave
Oven
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Electric kettle
Kitchenware
Hair dryer
Room types
Mountain view
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Quirky Hotels
Budget
Languages Spoken
English, Dutch, German
Location
9 Greys Lane, Paihia 0200 New Zealand
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 64 out of 100
64
38 Restaurants
within 1 kilometer
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 70
- 31
- 8
- 9
- 8
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
It's the attention to detail that sets this apart from other hostels. Everything was kept very clean, tidy and organised, and the owner was very helpful and friendly. Having the label and basket system for food kept in the kitchen and fridge made it easy to keep track of our food. Having fresh vegetables in the garden that can be shared and little bits and pieces that you might have forgotten at home in the shared kitchen/dining area were lovely touches. We stayed in a private room with a double bed as a couple, and the bed was very comfortable. Shared bathroom facilities were clean and tidy. The shared kitchen/dining area, deck and cute garden has plenty of space and is a comfortable haven to relax in after a day of sightseeing. Short walk to Paihia town centre and the ferry over to Russell. Lots of people staying at the hostel were hiking the Te Araroa (TA) trail and it seemed like there were plenty of resources to help on the hike.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Cherry Knight, Owner at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel
Responded Feb 11, 2021
Thank you for your amazing review, we are so glad you enjoyed your stay here. We too enjoy greeting people, tending to the gardens and making a space for people to relax & chill. Regards The PP Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a lovely stay, hosts were very friendly and helpful.
Facilities are clean and well maintained. Cute vegetable garden and great outdoor dining area. Showers and toilets are just like home (not the typical backpacker style). They have to be the friendliest hosts we've met.
Facilities are clean and well maintained. Cute vegetable garden and great outdoor dining area. Showers and toilets are just like home (not the typical backpacker style). They have to be the friendliest hosts we've met.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very welcoming and accommodating owners who are super easy-going and approachable. Really big lounging and dining area which was great for our big group to hang out together. a nice outdoor area, really nicely kept with plenty of room to chill out with friends. Nice and comfortable sleeping set up, meets all your needs and more. I highly recommend staying at the Pickled Parrot.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The pickled parrot is indeed a chilled hostel, the facilities are fine and the location is good. However based on our experience I would not recommend it. We had booked a cabin and were downgraded down to a 2 bunk dorm without any prior communication. We booked in Aug 2019 which I understand now was under old management but the booking was for Dec 2019 and to my knowledge the new owners took over in Oct 2019 so more than enough time to sort out existing bookings and contact us regarding any possible issues. The lady behind reception (which I assume is the new owner) didn't seem fazed at all that we were unaware of any changes and was unapologetic. She simply replied "it's better than no room" and due to the time of year, all other accommodation nearby was fully booked so she knew we had no choice but to agreed. If there was availability elsewhere we would of taken it. From then on out we received a smug attitude which made our stay quite uncomfortable. Safe to say we'd book elsewhere if we were to go to Paihia again.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Cherry Knight, Owner at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel
Responded Feb 11, 2021
While I hear your grievances, you arrived in the height of the season we had been left with a prev owners booking system that failed to show us ALL the booking, we had multiple people then up with no ref or they had not shown in our system. I think we were constantly trouble shooting these issues due to the prev owners booking issues not highlighted until guests arrived with no visiable bookings we had daily multiple trouble shooting situations we were constantly battling. I also stand by we did our upmost best to get some sort of resolution even though not the ideal for either of us. And while i get you did not have prior knowledge of your change of booking, we also had no ref point you were turning up. That was something even though we took over in October cannot plan for the lack of visibility of what the true booking situation was. i still stand by i got you a bed, though not what you booked you didn't pay the full rate. You were disgruntled regardless of our efforts to accommodate you the best we could, and if you felt our attitude was a little off, perhaps that was a reflection or viewing point of your understandable disappointment that you didn't let go of after your arrival and continued until you left. i hope this explains our situation better. The PP Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stayed for one night on recent trip up north. Great hostel, very friendly and helpful welcome. Excellent suggestions for things to see and do locally. Didn't use, but kitchen looked decent if were cooking. Nice and quiet at night for a good sleep!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2021Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very cute grounds and cute rooms. Colourful and fun vibe and great location, just walked everywhere in Paihia. Cherry is also lovely, helpful and accommodating. Signed the wall and were so glad we could stay.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Cherry Knight, Owner at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel
Responded Feb 11, 2021
Thanks, were glad you enjoyed your stay!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I have never been treated so rudely as I was by the owner of this hostel. As somebody who has stayed at hostels in over 25 countries I consider myself well versed in hostel etiquette. If a guest or group doesn't fit in with the crowd you could at least expect a bit of professionalism when asked to leave. Especially from somebody who repeatedly told me this was her business and she couldnt afford to loose customers. Because I wasn't renting one of the most expensive rooms... Traveling with two young children is hard enough with out having to find last minute accomodation during the height of the season and being subjected to a snotty diatribe in the courtyard in front of a host of hungover complainers. Get some earplugs and Buck up. Rose, consider renovations so the walls seperating rooms directly off the SHARED kitchen and SHARED living space aren't "paper thin." Your lack of insulation isn't my fault, nor was your late night party session. As for my kids, I've traveled extensively with my children and have had nothing but praise of their behaviour but even I can't predict when a small child will fall and cry disturbing others most deserved sleep. I'm so sorry it was so difficult for all of you to briefly coexist with other humans. Then making us pay full price with little to no effort to find us new accomodations. If you insist upon discriminating upon young guests I suggest you make it a posted policy. Also the nails sticking up through your rotted stair case are dangerous and your vegetation could use some tending.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great place, great location. The hostel is clean and the rooms are quite big and functional (best rooms we had in NZ.) The kitchen was great, well stocked but quite small but somehow works. It is always full but its okay and the vibe is great. There is a free breakfast but that is if the kitchen is clean, unfortunately both days we stayed it wasn't, which was a bit disappointing. There is a communal pc which you can use.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2013Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My partner and I reserved one of the private double rooms for two nights at the end of our New Zealand trip. Our room was alright as well as the facilities, bathrooms and kitchen area clean. Kitchen is very very small but had enough to make meals. What really was disturbing was the last day. We checked out before 10 and were just relaxing on the porch couch, not disturbing anyone, when Rose the owner came over and told us we could leave our bags but check-out was 10 and we needed to get off the property. I was a bit confused as any other hostel or hotel in the world doesnt mind previous customers simply relaxing in the common area after checking out until their flight, bus, or checking into the next hostel. I tried to ask what the problem was and she continued to ignore us and insisted we get off the property and could come back later to get the bags we left but were not allowed to stay, even though there was no one else sitting outside that we were bothering. We were so annoyed we just got our bags and left. As the owner of the hostel, I would expect much better service that would bring people back. If you stay, just know when it says 10am check out you better be off the property or you will get a lecture and kicked off.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2016Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Stay somewhere else
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here long weekend of the wine and food festival. One member of our stay was sick in the hostel overnight but cleaned it up as soon as he woke up in the morning. Despite our apologies the manager labeled us all as 'disgusting human beings' in front of the entire backpackers and continued to harass us via text message throughout the day whilst we were trying to find a matress to replace hers ( despite the fact that it was unnecessary considering a tiny smell on the matress). Even still we were apologetic and the threatening texts were extremely unprofessional. At the end of the day it's a backpackers. A friend of ours was sick and we were treated like we were vultures. If you would like to be monitored like you are in a school ground them by all means stay here otherwise avoid this place. Please see photo for text evidence.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2015Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No results found. • Try changing or clearing your search to read questions and answers.
ALSO KNOWN AS
the pickled parrot backpackers hotel paihia
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandNorthland RegionBay of IslandsPaihia
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingPICKLED PARROT - BOUTIQUE HOSTEL - Reviews (Paihia, New Zealand) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel
Which popular attractions are close to Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Nearby attractions include Paihia Harbour (0.8 km), St Paul's Anglican Church (0.6 km), and The Cabbage Tree Shop (0.8 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free parking, a golf course, and laundry service.
Which room amenities are available at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Top room amenities include a refrigerator, a view of the mountains, and an oven.
What food & drink options are available at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Guests can enjoy barbeque facilities, complimentary tea, and free instant coffee during their stay.
Is parking available at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Yes, free parking and street parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Third Wheel Coffee Co., Terra Restaurant, and JFC Paihia.
Is Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.9 km away from the centre of Paihia.
Are any cleaning services offered at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Yes, laundry service and self serve laundry are offered to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, German, and Dutch.
Are there any historical sites close to Pickled Parrot - Boutique Hostel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Pompallier Mission and Printery (3.5 km), Waitangi Treaty Grounds (2.7 km), and Flagstaff Hill (4.3 km).