Auckland · New Zealand
Utopia 31 Hostel (Formerly Frienz Backpackers)
Suspicious-review evidence
≈45 possibly bought · 149 top-rated reviews scanned
Explain how it works
We compare every 5★ review's word count against the global distribution. Hostels where unusually many top-rated reviews are suspiciously short — way under the typical length — start to look like the staff (or a boost-my-listing service) is padding the score with throwaway praise.
The detector flags reviews that are both top-rated and below a length threshold, then estimates how many of them statistically shouldn't exist. For this hostel we scanned 149 top-rated reviews and 1% were suspiciously short.
Length z-score: 8.59. A z-score measures how far this hostel's distribution of 5★ review lengths sits from the global average, in standard deviations. 0 = perfectly typical. 1–2 = slightly unusual but within normal noise. 3–5 = strongly anomalous. Anything 10+ means the pattern is so far from the global norm that it's effectively impossible to get there organically.
This is a heuristic, not a verdict — it surfaces hostels worth a second look, not proof of fraud. Read the actual reviews below and judge for yourself.
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Confirmed paidSignal trace
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Reward tied to a review
review, because they give a discount
Beds are super loud anytime someone moves at all and also less comfortable than sleeping on a carpet floor. Had one of the staff come into the dorm room to at 10:40pm to bother someone about leaving a review, because they give a discount to people who post review on the website.
Canada MALE 25-30 -
Reward tied to a review
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Confirmed paidSignal trace
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Reward tied to a review
reviews are reward
Awful hostel. Do not stay here, seems cheap but just pay a bit more to stay somewhere decent. Creaky beds, bad kitchen and limited social space. Good reviews are rewarded with cheaper long stay rates, that’s the reason the rating is so high.
England FEMALE 25-30 -
Reward tied to a review
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Confirmed paidSignal trace
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Reward tied to a review
discount for good review
Would have been better off sleeping on the airport floor, beds are absolute rubbish, you can hear the club in the basement from the 3rd floor. Just the regular old crappy hostel, but trying to advertise itself as decent and definitely not worth the amount they charge per night. Management gives rent discount for good reviews so no wonder they stand at 7ish.
France MALE 31-40 -
Reward tied to a review
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Confirmed paidSignal trace
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Reward tied to a review
discounted stay for good reviews hence the rating
Worst hostel I’ve stayed in. This hostel gives discounted stay for good reviews hence the rating. Stayed a week, not once did they change the kitchen tea towels or sponges. Dishes dirtier then when I started. Flies in kitchen. Uncomfortable beds to the point it hurt. Pillow flatter then a pancake. Not a social hostel at all. This hostel genuinely made me feel depressed and questioning my New Zealand trip. Please stay somewhere else in town!
England FEMALE 25-30 -
Reward tied to a review
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Confirmed paidSignal trace
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Reward tied to a review
pay for, do not trust the rating
This hostel is really not what you pay for, do not trust the rating on the website. The beds are super hard, you have to keep turning during the night to be able to sleep. The turning wakes everyone up since te beds are super squeaky as wel. A night club was underneath the window keeping us entertained with loud bass music al night. There were no power sockets next to the bed so you can’t charge your phone overnight and the staff is neither friendly or helpful.
Netherlands FEMALE 18-24 -
Reward tied to a review
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Suspiciously shortSignal trace
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Review-authenticity complaint
reviews are overinflated
The reviews are overinflated by bots. It’s a bit sketchy but nothing horrendous, just not even close to worth itms high rating. Go to Lylo instead.
England MALE 25-30 -
Review-authenticity complaint
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Suspiciously shortTranslated to English
The first time staying in the hostel was much better than I imagined, although the room was occupied by many people, but very quiet, the room is also very clean.
第一次住hostel比想象中好很多，虽然房间住了很多人，但是非常安静，房间也非常干净。地理位置很好，超市餐厅都离的很近。
Hong Kong China FEMALE -
Suspiciously shortTranslated to English
I would recommend it to you, super recommend
super recommend
Japan FEMALE 18-24 -
Suspiciously shortTranslated to English
A decent hostel
Decent hostel
New Zealand MALE 18-24 -
Suspiciously short
Pretty good
Germany FEMALE 31-40 -
Suspiciously short
Very Good
Germany MALE 25-30 -
Suspiciously short
It's awesome
China FEMALE -
Suspiciously short
Good place !
France FEMALE 18-24 -
Suspiciously short
Everything was perfect
Spain MALE 25-30 -
Suspiciously short
Very good hostel
Spain MALE 25-30 -
Suspiciously short
out of expectation
Germany MALE 31-40 -
Suspiciously shortTranslated to English
All is well:)
All good :)
Germany COUPLE 25-30 -
Suspiciously short
Awesome time there.
China FEMALE -
Suspiciously short
Recommend to all
Thailand MALE 18-24 -
Suspiciously short
Recommend to all
Germany FEMALE 18-24 -
Suspiciously short
Always like home.
Czech Republic MALE 25-30 -
Suspiciously short
Love Frienz always!
England MALE 18-24 -
Suspiciously short
very Wonderfull experience
Republic of South Sudan MALE 18-24 -
Suspiciously short
It's all good
England MALE 25-30 -
Suspiciously short
absolutely recommend to all
Japan FEMALE 18-24
HostelPunk native reviews
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