On Our Taupo and Rotorua adventure week we tried to stay in as many different places as possible so here are our fav places to stay:
BASE TAUPO: Highly recommend Base Taupo. Having stayed in Base before this is a prime example of the good standards they have in New Zealand. Just great hostels. The staff are more than willing to help and are very friendly, BRILLIANT location, a lot of the activities in Taupo will pick up outside Base so you never have to walk too far for those hangover days :) All Base hostels have their own bars which offer good value food, cheap drinks in happy hour and fab nights!!! Its a backpacker bar so you kind of know what to expect but Base do it well. There is a 0 tolerance on drinking in rooms which I know some people would moan about but do you know what, the bar downstairs is brilliant and really social and taupo has great nightlife. Don't worry about preloading in the hostel room just get on it in happy hour and use the base vouvher book you get given (2 for 1 on loads of drinks!!) Good wifi as well $4 for 24 hours or $12 for a week. Very impressed!!
FINNS GLOBAL: This is opposite Base so location is still great. The bar downstairs is more expensive than Base Bar. The woman at reception is lovely and from reading the comments in the comment book and looking at the way other guests spoke to her, its obvious she is a big deal to long termers there and she looks after them. She seems to care a lot. I was impressed, I really liked it.
DEBRETTS: This is not a backpacker place unless you wanna treat yourself (I would!!) They have fab accommodation but they also have thermal spa pools and private spa pools and a water slide (instantly turn into a child when theres a water slide!!) plunge pools....its sooo good. and you can go at night which is lovely. Again....its what every backpacker needs after a hard weeks backpackering. :)