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Published: August 27th 2012
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When I was arriving in Rotorua in the Crash Palace Backpackers, I ran into the middle of the renovation phase. Everything was in a status of chaos. The entrance area was full of paint pots, shelves and wardrobes. Furthermore the reception desk was covered and surrounded with tools. Only one kitchen was useable during this time. Chris, the owner of the Crash Palace, was telling me how everything would be painted, but I couldn’t imagine how it would look like.
After a while, the hostel took a new and modern shape on with its very own flair and ambience. The yellow building has two floors with 21 rooms and now approximately 60 beds. The downstairs renovations included the living room and dining room, as well as the kitchen and some rooms. Both the living room and the dining room are now coloured in a combination of green and a pleasant Baltic Sea black/grey, which are separated by the red coloured reception area.
The living room has comfortable sofas and chairs as a sitting corner. Furthermore a TV with a DVD player and Sky channels are free to use. You can also borrow a DVD from the really huge
DVD collection with about
180 movies, which are ranging from romance and comedy to action and thriller. You can also use the
board games like Monopoly, Pictionary, Risk, Trivial Pursuit and many more. The hostel is also providing a
book exchange, were you can borrow and exchange books. Currently they also even have French and German books for example, but also books in other languages. Everything is free to use. Moreover there is a massaging chair as well as a
pool table, which could be used. In comparison to the previous living room, it has now a clear concept and a neat organisation.
The reception area is also better organised with a clear structure. The wall full of posters vanished and turned into 2 neatly organized shelves with a selection of brochures of touristic activities in Rotorua and its environment. These are decorated with photo frames of popular tourist attractions. The Crash Palace staff can also
organize and book tours for you. They can give you advice on things to do for free in Rotorua as well as some
inside tips for cool activities and regional spots. Next to the reception you can find
lockers, which are additionally kept under
surveillance by a camera to assure a high level of security for your valuables. Moreover you can also get a range of beers from the bar behind the reception, as well as mixed drinks, wine and non-alcoholic soft drinks.
To be always up-to-date the Crash Palace is providing a small
internet room with 4 computers, which are all equipped with webcams and microphones (really good for skype). The internet cards from Global Gossip for the internet are available at the reception, where you can also your card up. If you have your own laptop or smart phone, you could also use the
Wi-Fi, which is available in every room in the hostel.
Also available at the reception is a
laundry service with washing, drying and powder for only $6. Moreover you can also hire a hair dryer, towels and adapters; and you can use the facial mud mask for free. The reception is opened every day from 7.30am to 10.00 pm, but also a 24 hour check-in is possible on request.
The dining room provided tables to sit down to enjoy your meal, as well as a vending machine with snacks like crisps, chocolate bars and popcorn.
The kitchens are both completely new renovated with all things you need like cutlery, plates, bowls, pots, cups, glasses, tin openers, toasters etc. The usage of herbes and spices like salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, mixed herbes etc. is free. Furthermore
tea, coffee and sugar are for free, as well as
pasta and rice. The
kitchens are open 24 hours and are cleaned every morning. Like in every other hostel the customers have the responsibility to keep the kitchen clean by washing, drying and putting away their dishes. Furthermore the hostel is offering
free spaghetti bolognaise in winter and free barbeque in summer every Friday. Additionally you can have
pancake on every sunday for free.
In the whole hostel you can find plants and unique self-made paintings, which are giving the rooms a
comfortable and warm, home-similar ambience and atmosphere.
The outdoor area has many seating possibilities, so that you can relax outside and enjoy a glass of wine or a cold beer at warm summer evenings. Furthermore they have a hot and steaming
spa pool outside, also free to use. The pool might be sometimes a bit too hot, but the staff can easily cool it down for
you. The hostel has many free parking spaces in front of the building, but they have also an
off-road parking area behind the hostel.
With 21 rooms, the hostel is providing everything from 10 bed dorms, female dorms, 6 and 4 bed dorms to double, twin and single rooms. Even family and ensuite rooms are available. All rooms have windows and a really good heating system, which is working geothermally. You also have mirrors in every room and you have asmall desk or a table with chairs in most of the double and in all single rooms. The facilities like showers and toilets are shared facilities, placed in both floors. They are cleaned every day and therefore clean and hygienically all the time.
The Crash Palace is a typical hostel for backpackers, but also s
uitable for big school groups, sport teams or any other kind of group bookings. All in all it’s a comfortable place with friendly people and
nice and helpful staff. As an additional bonus the hostel is just 2 walk minutes away from the Pack’n Save supermarket and the Tamaki Maori Village, the Rotorua museum, art galleries and the Polynesian Spa are in immediate vicinity
of the hostel. Moreover they have a lovely cat and 2 adorable dogs. For every backpacker who is staying in Rotorua (doesn’t matter if only one night or for long-term), this hostel is highly recommendable.
Just have a look on the Crash Palace’s homepage:
http://www.crashpalace.co.nz/
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