It was very homey, our host was absolutely sweet (she even brought zucchini from her own garden for us to use and looked up the proper forecast for my hike), and the kitchen was very well equipped. There's a cozy garden and a lovely community area where you eat. Several books on great hikes and a very clean bathroom area too. The hostel is very close to a gas station and a supermarket, which is perfect. Feels a lot like a youth hostel in it not being luxurious, but that being the entire charm of it. I absolutely loved my stay!

The solo room is pretty small. I booked it to get a good night's sleep before the Tongariro Crossing (as most do), but I'd go for a group room if I werd to book again. That is pretty much it.

"5 star hostel" is exactly how I would describe Riverstone. The checkin instructions were clear and we were well accommodated despite arriving in the evening. Sandra was absolutely lovely, taking an interest in every guest and their travel plans, and helping where possible with advice and timings of shuttles. This is an excellent place to stay for the Tongariro Crossing, as most guests were doing the same - we were able to discuss weather conditions and organise transport from the hostel. If you are planning to do the crossing, make sure you can rearrange some plans in case the conditions are bad - this is what I had to do. There are tonnes of other places within day-trip distance, so staying here for 3+ days would be very easy! There are maps and lots of other information at the hostel. The facilities were comfortable, with a lot of seating and cooking areas, meaning it wasn't cramped with the guests. You may have the pleasure of meeting Gingy the cat, or Jack or Missy the dogs, who were all lovely characters. I would definitely stay here again!

Of course, other guests define the hostel experience, so be prepared for socialising! Had a lovely chat with a couple of people there. Also if you're not easy-going, reach out in advance: we didn't get any info until the evening we were checking in (but this was fine for us).

Booking was a breeze. We arrived late and did not meet the owners or staff, but a self assured ginger cat was present and supervised us. The room had "ensuite" without any toilet, which I would have liked but this was clear at the time of booking. The clean and well appointed kitchen was great and opened on to comfortable outside deck with tables, chairs, outside furniture. The provision of tea and real ground coffee and plungers was superb.

We could not find a compost bin, but the recycling and rubbish was v well organised. We would have liked to know the name of the cat. The bed was very creaky - even just to get into - and could do with tightening up. More light on the combination lock at night was needed - it was hard to read the digits on it.

This was one of the most amazing hostel experiences I have ever had! It doesn’t really feel like a hostel but more as a vacation home! The hostel has a lage and homey feeling living room/ kitchen and an amazing outside deck. A huge bonus is the hostel cat that is very friendly and will come to you when it wants cuddles and attention. Sandra the hostel oner is an amazing person. She is very kind and helpful even when you have a little freak out because you misunderstood the intercity times 😂 The accommodations is nice and clean and you have everything you need. If you want to do the crossing she can help you with the shuttle bus and more information.

This hostel was amazing. Sandra and Duncan were amazing hosts and owners and I met so many wonderful people who were also staying here. The facilities were excellent, with a super clean and well-equipped kitchen and bathroom, and lovely communal spaces inside and outdoors. Everyone was so lovely and friendly, and Sandra also has amazing knowledge and recommendations of the local area. This place felt like home! Would 10/10 recommend a stay here if you’re in the Turangi area. Thanks for everything 😊

Everything was great! The only small thing was the bunk beds were a bit squeaky but that’s pretty minor and all being updated anyway.

Close to the shops and food vendors. Very helpful friendly owners. Great facilities, very clean and homely. We felt very welcome. Best thing of all was Ginge the fabulous Orange and white cat. Ginger welcomed us, showed us our room, and checked on us regularly to make sure we were happy with everything, even stayed on our bed for a while each morning, we were enchanted with him. Sandra provides coffee tea and raw sugar, we felt very at home. Security was good too.

Need a slightly better light over the entry keypads for old people like us.

The room was clean, tidy and we had our own access, which was a nice bonus. Generous supplies in the kitchen, kitchen facilities are very well thought through. Lovely outdoor area and a super friendly cat wondering about. Great home feel!

As our room was a converted garage, bathroom is truly tiny. That was ok, but we could really use some towel rails - it was hard to hang anything as there is literally no extra space. Another thing - we had hooks for hanging bikes sticking out of our ceiling, which is clearly the legacy of the garage conversion, but is very much out of place now. We did use one of them to hang towels due to lack of towel rails in the bathroom, but that was quite awkward and blocking half the room, so pretty sure this wasn't the intended use :)

Our room was clean and spacious. The bed was comfy and the bathroom was clean. The room has a heater which was helpful. The shared kitchen was great - lots of space and fully equipped. It was a lovely place for guests to hang out. Although we arrived late, the check-in instructions were very clear. Other guests were helpful too. Parking was at the back of the lodge - although it was tight, I was amazed at the number of cars parked in it.

It’s the second time I stay here and I love this place. It’s cozy, comfortable. It has everything you need. We got a private room with a bathroom. We got all possible towels, there was free shower gel and dry shampoo. It’s very clean there as Sandra cleans thoroughly every corner. And she is super friendly, helps with whatever you need. The common room is big enough for everyone, big kitchen with double cooking area. There is also a terrace with sofas and table.

Some of cooking stuff like pans or cooking utensils are in a pretty bad shape and need to be changed.

We loved our stay at Riverstone Lodge! The lodge was extremely clean, the rooms were sizeable and comfy, and the lodge itself was super cozy. The kitchen had everything you could possibly want - coffee, french press, dishes, oven, microwave, etc. There were tons of games in the common room. The check in and check out process was super easy. The lodge is walking distance to a number of restaurants. Everything was great! We wished we could have stayed longer.