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Chillawhile Backpackers Art Gallery

1 Frome St, Oamaru 9400, New Zealand
Hotel amenities
Chillawhile Backpackers Art Gallery
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18 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    7
    9
    0
    1
    1
Date Rating
Sydney, Australia
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
9 hotel reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
39 helpful votes 39 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 April 2013

Had a private room next to reception. It smelled wAter damaged and was extremely cold. The bed was uncomfortable. There were very loud and rough looking drunks being noisy all day and late in to the evening. The staff were friendly and the common room was cool with lots of artsy and fun stuff as promised but I'm a bit... More

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Redmond, Washington
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
12 hotel reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 March 2013

This was one of my top hostels during my trip in NZ. Maybe the bedrooms were far from the best, and the number of showers is very limited, but the hostel has a very good vibe. The walls are full of paints done by mainly everybody. Their lounge room is full of musical instruments, there is a piano, guitars and... More

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Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 March 2013 via mobile

I stayed in a 4 bed dorm for 1 night. This was one of the better hostels I stayed in in New Zealand. It had a cool and relaxed feeling, fun artwork on the walls and a reasonably friendly atmosphere. Noise and cleanliness levels fine in comparison with other youth hostels. This is a basic hostel with a bit of... More

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Krasnoyarsk, Russia
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 February 2013

Very nice atmosphere, good music and with piano. With a touch of Tuscany. The house is a art gallery as well and has a lot of small things to explore. Love it. - the only bad point maybe, you have to walk about half an hour on the main road to the "center".

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
20 hotel reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 September 2012

Yes I like this warm hostel and the receptionist too. She is very friendly, show us around the hostel and offer herself to help us on our big luggages as we stayed upstair. A homely style kitchens, bathroom and toilet. There're only 1 toilet and 1 shower upstair and 2 small kitchens. It was freezing cold in the bathroom as... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Christchurch, New Zealand
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 June 2012

Chillawhile is a nice place to stay, is full of art, music and lot of activity~ happy can joining them for dinner and have a chat with different country, share the different cultural and experience, good experience.. Really enjoy at here!!

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
5 hotel reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 June 2012

once i saw the last review i just had to comment, this place is great, what a hostel should be not too loud not too quite a place for people to have fun ! and i really don't know how close sacha is used to having a bath room though there is one with in 10m of every room, i... More

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London, United Kingdom
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
12 hotel reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 April 2012

Felt like a commune. Our room was on the main floor right next door to reception and incredibly loud until very late at night. Joint bathroom quite far from the room, and kitchen standard can barely be ranked average. Would not choose to stay here again.

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Chillawhile, Owner at Chillawhile Backpackers Art Gallery, responded to this review
7 May 2012

Chillawhile Hostel radiates a communal environment, not quite like a commercial venture. Sometimes when experienced older backpackers stay with us whom backpacked the world when they were young - they tell us that they are astounded because they found some where like it use to be. It is what so many people love about Chillawhile, however if that is not... More

Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
5 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 March 2012

Chillawhile Backpackers is in a beautiful Victorian house.There's an art gallery and very nice communal area. I really liked the atmosphere of the place, it was so relaxed and homelike. One of the best hostels I've evere stayed at.

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Haywards Heath, United Kingdom
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
15 hotel reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 July 2011

A truly unique place - fantastic welcome, amazing staff, enormous room for our family. We enjoyed the true "backpacker" community spirit at the Lucky Pot Supper. The building has wonderful character and the artwork is varied and displayed beautifully. There was a wealth of information shared about the local area and we immediately felt "at home" here. The kitchen was... More

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Highfield Mews, Oamaru
Great value on a similar hotel
Oamaru, South Island
5 of 5 stars 128 Reviews
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Additional Information about Chillawhile Backpackers Art Gallery

Address: 1 Frome St, Oamaru 9400, New Zealand
Region: New Zealand > South Island > Oamaru
Amenities:
Free Parking
Hotel Style:
Ranked #6 of 8 Speciality lodging in Oamaru
Price range (per night): S$54 - 82
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Oamaru’s creative BBH hostel - social clean accommodation which offers a friendly environment with music and art, a six minute drive to the little blue penguins and ten minute drive to Yellow Eyed Penguins.Chillawhile has featured in travel books and programs – one of which includes Getaway Australia as Oamaru’s creative hostel destination in New Zealand and this is what Lonely Planet say… Unleash your creative spirit at this funky and colourful hostel in a restored two-storey Victorian residence. Guests are encouraged to draw and paint, or create sweet soul music on the hostel’s guitars, pianos, didgeridoo and African drums. With all that creative energy, there’s definitely a laidback social vibe, and Chillawhile is one of NZ’s best and most unique hostels.Chillawhile Backpackers Art Gallery is an age restricted youth hostel.Dormitory Rooms are age restricted 18 years to 38 years. This is a guideline for us and used at our descrection.The hostel is age restricted to 50 years young guests and under, grandparents travelling with younger families are welcome to stay with us in our family rooms. ... more   less 
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Chillawhile Backpackers Art Gallery
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