My wife and I spent two weeks bicycle touring throughout the South Island in February. We camped and motel'd and this was the best place we stayed. After a wet, miserable and windy day, our stay here was like heaven. Our welcome from Colin was warm, friendly and well beyond what you would normally expect...even in New Zealand. We stayed... More

I loved this place. Close to Porters ski field. It has real character. Very clean, and no sense of rush about the town. One of the best YHAs in NZ, where they are all of a high standard. Highly recommended.

We were on our way to the West Coast but decided to spend the night here on the way. We were made very welcome and found the motel unit to be very well equipped. Although an older building it lacked nothing in decor or facilities and we had more than enough space for all our gear without feeling at all... More

Smylies accommodation is awesome. Colin, Keiko and family are the friendliest hosts you will ever come across and Keiko cooks up a storm in the kitchen. I stayed five nights and spent three on the snow at Porters learning to snowboard. I borrowed gear from Smylies and hired my boots and board from Porters ski field. For the five nights,... More

Did not stay to much yet in hostels, but in my opinion Smylies has everything you need for a very reasonable price. Stayed for 5 nights during winter when snow was up to my knees almost. Every day the woodfire in the living room was heated so hot that I even didn't have to use the electric fire in my... More

We stayed at Smylies on our first night in New Zealand. I'm surprised to read the other reviews which are so positive! I suppose the place is cosy in the sense that it has a fire in the kitchen and is pretty quaint, but it's certainly not warm! We were staying in the 'Office' room which has 2 beds and... More

I kind of can't say how much I like Smylies. Colin and Keiko are lovely, Springfield is a great little town with all the services you really need, and the place is cosy, homey, lived-in and feels like your aunty's house in the country rather than a hostel. The bunk rooms are small and cosy, with decent beds and mattresses,... More

I stayed here for one night. I had asked for a private room and was given a dorm bed with the promise that nobody else would stay in there (promise was kept). The room was a bit worn but clean, and beds were made. It was a bit cold there though and given the size of the room it took... More

We stayed one night at Smylies on our way to the mountains. Our hosts were very welcoming, so much so that we ate dinner with them at night, and then breakfast the following morning. The studio room was a good size, and all the facilities were great. The price is also very reasonable. Would definitely recommend.