ABOUT US

All about our central, lakefront, family friendly accommodation in Queenstown

 the Absoloot HISTORY

On the 1st April 2010 we began work to create a new hostel experience in beautiful Queenstown, New Zealand. We took over the old Thomas’s Hotel on the lakefront and gave the town something it was crying out for – a brand new, fresh, and exciting budget accommodation option that would provide everything a person needs (without the price-tag normally associated).

As a family-owned and operated business, we spent 3 months living and working on-site in the existing building.  Not a surface was left untouched, and we brought some life back into the old girl with an all new design, catering to solo adventurers, families, couples and groups alike.  Those first few years were a learning experience, and we listened to our guests to understand what we got right and what we got wrong.  We also realised the existing kitchen from Thomas’s Hotel days was not going to cut it in the long term to deliver the best experience for our guests, so within a couple of years it was decided that an upgrade had to happen!

Unfortunately it took a few years to get there due to some red tape in local council, and working with our landlords as an upgrade to the whole facility needed to take place.  It took about 2 years before we were able to start the upgrade, so in 2015 we shut down for 3 months again and began work on upgrading our facilities and giving our guests what they (and we) wanted!

We removed our tiny kitchen from behind reception to create our new Lounge-room.  We loved our original lounge on the 2nd level – which we installed in 2010 – but with this new area we would be able to keep the guest lounge open 24hrs for night owls, and we outfitted it with book exchange, board games, a travel ‘nook’, and multiple TV’s so guests could play Playstation or Nintendo Wii whilst other guests could still enjoy a movie, Netflix, Neon or SKY Sports on our smart TV.

We then relocated the Kitchen to the 2nd level where the Lounge room was, taking out a corner room and re-instating what was originally a room in the original building.  This created the space you now get to enjoy, with the best view in town from the best guest kitchen in New Zealand!  Outfitted with multiple modern hot-plates, ovens, fridges, and everything you need to bring out your inner master-chef.  Free spices to sprinkle over your creation, free tea/coffee/hot chocolate to enjoy in the morning, and free instagram-worthy views to make your friends jealous.

Brand new double-glazing was added to every window to replace the secondary glazing already there, so we could help guarantee a better nights’ sleep.  And finally we removed a room on the first level to install a brand new shared bathroom, including removing the bathrooms from 3 rooms.  So we still have the same amount of showers and toilets (plus extra basins), but we created a cheaper room type for solo’s or groups on tighter budgets, and the shared bathroom that everyone in the hostel could use if someone was hogging the bathroom in their room.

Finally, we installed wall-mounted power-points and LED reading lights for every bed in the building, to replace the existing options we had.  This means that every guest has multiple power-points to charge their devices, and an LED reading to help those night owls or early-risers to get things done without waking up their room-mates.

After a few more very successful years, in 2019 we decided we could do even better – enter Absoloot Hostel QT! A brand new name, brand new logo and swish new website to appeal to the guests who are after the Absoloot experience; Adventure, Atmosphere, Experience, Location, Views and Smiles.

If that wasn’t enough we also gave our private rooms a makeover and stripped out all the metal bunks from our dorm rooms.  In their place we installed extremely sturdy and comfy wooden bunks, hand made from sustainable materials to give our guests the most comfortable stay possible.  All 96 bunkbeds are equipped with privacy curtains, personal reading light and power-points, lockable storage for every bunkbed, and we raised the underside height to give guests more space for bigger luggage items.

Spectacularly located on the Whakatipu lakefront, Absoloot Hostel QT is designed for you – whether your a solo-adventurer who is here to have their next epic experience and meet their next travel buddy, a family who wants a holiday in Queenstown with all the modern conveniences in a budget-friendly package, or a couple who wants a lakefront private room in a well-outfitted and convenient location – Absoloot Hostel Queenstown has you covered.

We’re now 14 years young, and there will be plenty more experiences, friends and lessons in the years to come.  We’ll continue to grow, and we hope we can help you make the best of your experience in the adventure capital of the world. 

SO Come and join us on our journey & experience Adventure on your doorstep while we take care of the rest!

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Copyright © 2010 – 2020 Absoloot Hostel QT|site by nz webtech|T&Cs | a: 50 Beach Street, Queenstown, 9300, NZ | p: +64 (0)3442 9522 | e: [email protected]