Almond House Backpackers

Very nice hostel run by a very dedicated and helpful owner. The rooms are clean and nicely decorated. There is a kitchen, washing machine, dryer and a living room to hang out. Towels and breakfast are included. The hostel is located in 15 minutes walking distance from Nelson city centre.

Not sure about all the 5 star reviews on this place. The owners/management are non existent and the place is run by some pretentious 20 something kids from Europe. Very unprofessional and catty. I could tell they did not enjoy the arrangement they had gotten into. Communication was poor, bikes are for hire (not free like some reviews suggest), and location is quite inconvenient when the main bridge is out. Breakfast is a joke, dorm rooms are small and storage is minimal. Basically look elsewhere because Nelson is full of great hostels and this one is not one of them. The only positive I can give this place is the old guitar has some good tone and sustain and was fun to play around with while enjoying some local brews. Only useful if you happen to stay here by accident.

I stayed in a four bed female dorm for 2 nights and had a really pleasant stay.
+ Walking distance to the i-SITE, grocery store and main strip
+ Quiet and contained, with female only dorm option
+ Wood fire in the main Lodge
+ Free bread on offer for breakfast
- I didn't feel the family-run vibe while I was there. At the time the hostel was managed by backpackers and there were a few things that could have been improved to suit the branding, like more social interaction with guests
- cleaning in the toilets and kitchens could be improved

We had a short stay at this hostel. Prices were reasonable and the room was good. It's a cozy and small hostel instead of the crowded big backpacker hostels where too many people run around.
Can recommend staying here if you look for something calm.

I am not happy with the customer service of this establishment. I could not contact them via phone both on my initial booking and when I needed to cancel. I was told I was calling outside their open hours. I could not leave a message as there was no answer service. I booked and then needed to cancel. I tried phoning twice the day before my scheduled nights stay to cancel, (I sent call log screen shots to prove it). I also tried to contact them through the 'chat' facility on the website the night before my arrival, but logged out of the website before seeing the replies which was to email them. I do not have email on my phone so could not have emailed anyway. Unknown to me the 'chat' does not get seen by a real person. Screen shot of that message also provided as proof. I managed to speak to someone the morning of my booking to cancel. My credit card was charged as I did not cancel within the 24 hours of the booking and there is a total no refund policy even after a text conversation with the owners. Totally unfair.