Sketchy reports for Silver Fern Backpackers — HostelPunk
Silver Fern Backpackers

Auckland · New Zealand

Silver Fern Backpackers

Punk Score
8% GODAWFUL
High confidence 1,183 reviews
Seriously don't stay here please
Sketchy reports 18 reports

18 reports · 3 recent reports · 1052 text reviews scanned

Why this surfaced

Repeated, deduplicated traveler-review reports matched these incident categories:

One report can match more than one category. Counts describe review reports, not independently verified incidents.

These are reports in traveler reviews, not independently verified incidents. Duplicate review text and strong repeat-reviewer identities count once.

Category matches are automated. Relevant passages are exact review quotes selected from concrete incident wording, not hidden model rationales. If none appears, treat the match as suspect and check the full review.

Evidence reviews

  1. Review 1 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Theft / access / security Relevant passage The location Mold in showers, staff entered my room and left my door propped open with a bin while I was gone so anyone could have entered, fight occurred on our first night between other occupants, my friends had someone else’s things in their room on arrival, they switched our rooms from double beds to bunk's, turn l…
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    The location Mold in showers, staff entered my room and left my door propped open with a bin while I was gone so anyone could have entered, fight occurred on our first night between other occupants, my friends had someone else’s things in their room on arrival, they switched our rooms from double beds to bunk's, turn lock didn’t work
  2. Review 2 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Boundary violations / harassment

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

    • Violence / coercion / drugging Relevant passage Nothing I was assaulted by a staff member who also assaulted another guest, I witnessed another staff member assaulting a different guest.
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    Nothing I was assaulted by a staff member who also assaulted another guest, I witnessed another staff member assaulting a different guest. Not enough bathrooms or toilets. Wifi was garbage. Staff were unprofessional. Kitchen was disgusting.
  3. Review 3 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Violence / coercion / drugging

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    Cheap Cleaning staff Maori guy with face tattoo's absolute psycho threatens to bash guest very unstable guy
  4. Review 4 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Theft / access / security Relevant passage My bag was moved out of the way, under a sink, and someone stole my tin of chai tea and spilled a bag of rice.
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    Cheap. Worst hostel I’ve stayed in, compared to Italy, most of New Zealand, and Greece. Spent 1 night to pick up a car. Multiple long-term occupants act like they own the place, you can’t unwind anywhere and don’t feel comfortable as a woman. Other woman I’ve talked to expressed the same. Rooms have a permanent mildewy-musty smell, so the windows were left open but someone started singing bad opera at the top of his lungs at 4 in the morning. I stashed my pantry goods out of the way, on top on off a shelving unit, then couldn’t find it the next morning because someone else put their bag there. My bag was moved out of the way, under a sink, and someone stole my tin of chai tea and spilled a bag of rice. Couldn’t wait to leave. Not worth the ~$20. Lylo was much much better!
  5. Review 5 Hostelworld

    Automated category matches

    • Theft / access / security Relevant passage My headphones were stolen.
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    31 Dec 24 a guy was smoking in our room. He was a friend of someone in the room and didn’t even stay on the property. He was drunk, bottle of vodka and a smoke in his hand saying he’s going to stab someone, I went to reception and asked to relocate room which I was able to do as me and my partner felt unsafe. Another guy in the room told us to f**k off as we were packing, it was a horrible environment. We changed to a bigger room and felt safe but got no discount. My headphones were stolen.
  6. Review 6 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Violence / coercion / drugging Relevant passage the violence just outside the front door (one girl in my room got kicked in the stomach by some random homeless guy and another guy god punched in the face), and a staff member got his bike stolen right in front of his face.
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    I didn’t like anything about it. What I didn’t like about it???? Where should I start? Why do they advertise on every picture smiling white blonde females? I was the only white female the whole time I was there. That’s not an issue for me but to advertise that the staff are white and the guests are white isn’t true. The smell, the crack heads/meth addicts living next door who scream outside your window all night and blast garbage music. the violence just outside the front door (one girl in my room got kicked in the stomach by some random homeless guy and another guy god punched in the face), and a staff member got his bike stolen right in front of his face. They have ex-convicted felons who stay there. They volunteer to be the room cleaners, and They smell like booze and piss. They come into your room unannounced to make beds and vacuum every day even though the carpets are disgusting and need to be burned. People steal your food in the kitchen and the staff do nothing about it. There are mentally psychotic individuals living at Silverfern long term. One girl would take a shower at 12am and laugh live the joker for hours, then there’s a big fat guy who laughs to himself and gets drunk and threatens to kill people. That same pathetic excuse for a human took my phone and threw it on the group after screaming at me for standing up for the other people around us. You could call the police but the Auckland police are completely incompetent and they don’t seem to give two shizzles about foreigners.
  7. Review 7 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Theft / access / security

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    Showers are great, hot, unlimited. Worst hostel we've ever been to. People steal your food from fridge or shelves. Kitchen is okay, but zero cutlery found - apparently residents steal it regularly. There are permanent residents living in this hostel and they act very superiorly to you. Everything is outdated - the floor is covered with carpet and is absolutely disgusting, dirty everywhere. The location is great, but there's constantly dodgy people meeting outside the building, smoking, doing drugs, drinking excessively. We didn't feel safe walking in or out. You can't lock yourself in the room. Ventilation of the whole building is so bad that everything stinks. We were shocked that a facility like this operates for such money. Also, no towels.
  8. Review 8 Hostelworld

    Automated category matches

    • Boundary violations / harassment

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

    • Theft / access / security

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    To start this place is more like a prison than an accommodation. The moment you walk in there are bars on the reception and locks everywhere. The smell is like old curry, and the whole place is dirty. There were many people that looked like they lived there. At one point I noticed a male staff member that went into the female restroom while there was a person in there, and he did it knowingly. Overall I would not suggest any backpackers to stay here.
  9. Review 9 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Boundary violations / harassment Relevant passage Walking distance of most public transport I did not like how the manager pooja and Jake take sexual harassment complain so lightly as I was harrassed and stalked and how the south indian crowd run the place and leave so much filth in the kitchen and doesnt clean up for next persons use after using the kitchen facilitie…
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    Walking distance of most public transport I did not like how the manager pooja and Jake take sexual harassment complain so lightly as I was harrassed and stalked and how the south indian crowd run the place and leave so much filth in the kitchen and doesnt clean up for next persons use after using the kitchen facilities and that the south indian men would constantly in your face . Numerous complain about the south Indian mens behaviour there still the manager wouldnt do anything about it instead keep them there to gain popularity and use them for personal gain. It's like pooja and Jake has 2 sets of rules . One for the south indian men and one for the rest of the travellers. These men should be detained in detention centers and not backpackers. Coz most of them are refugees.
  10. Review 10 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Boundary violations / harassment Relevant passage Always would just look ways to fight the staffs and try to pick on innocent travellers and harass them and just be a house menace.
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    I liked the level of cleanliness,the friendly front desk team,the housekeeping and cleaning staffs and the overall atmosphere and great ambience of the place. The Friday & Saturday evening get together . Most importantly the kind and caring nature of Front desk staff. Exceptionally professional. I didnt like a room mate called Sarrah who was a bit mature woman and a very problematic and delusional and theiving character. Always would just look ways to fight the staffs and try to pick on innocent travellers and harass them and just be a house menace. An alcoholic and substance abuser. A person that should have been allowed to stay in house. Her real place was rehabilitation.
  11. Review 11 Hostelworld

    Automated category matches

    • Boundary violations / harassment

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    If you’re a female solo traveller, I would not recommend staying here. There is a certain audience this hostel attracts and it is not welcoming for young females. I was stared at by lots of men when I was walking around the hostel and it felt creepy and unsafe. They say there is security but I didn’t see a security guard for the entire time. The staff were really friendly and helpful so I can’t fault them.
  12. Review 12 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Boundary violations / harassment

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    Nothing. This was the worst hostel I’ve ever stayed in. It’s dirty and smells of piss. There are a lot of creepy old men and women staying there. They wouldn’t stop staring and making comments to me. It made me feel so uncomfortable. I had to leave early because I couldn’t stay there. When I first arrived there was an old man standing outside the women’s bathroom and he was making weird noises to me. This place is not safe for women and solo travellers. It’s full of alcoholics and pervs. Please avoid. Everywhere was dirty and disgusting.
  13. Review 13 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Boundary violations / harassment

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

    • Theft / access / security

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    Cheap and central Dirty bathrooms, door didn’t lock, creepy man asking which room we were in and staff doing nothing about it
  14. Review 14 Booking.com

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    • Theft / access / security

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    Everything about this place is awful, criminals and creepy men everywhere all the time (literally all day and night), it smelled like death and sweat, most unsafe place to be and if you're a woman avoid at all costs. There are gangs in the streets around, the floor in our room looked like a murder scene and no windows in the whole floor, pictures do not match with the reality, everything is broken and moldy, tiny kitchen, one toilet and shower only, you can't lock your door from the outside so anyone can walk in and take your stuff. We left the day after we got there, two nights early, and obviously did not get our money back. Receptionist was nice. This place is NOT presentable.
  15. Review 15 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Theft / access / security

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    Some of the staff are nice. Dirty ,shabby, poorly managed place. People drinking alcohol, loud conversations, or sleeping in common areas. Stranger sneaked into the room in the middle of the night and sleep on the floor, (7 people in a 6-bed room) no one in the facility to take care of it until 9am.
  16. Review 16 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Theft / access / security Relevant passage Not bad for the price, good location There's a thief, and the front desk of the hostel knows who stole it, and the housekeeper at this hotel steals things
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    Not bad for the price, good location There's a thief, and the front desk of the hostel knows who stole it, and the housekeeper at this hotel steals things
  17. Review 17 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Booking / payment / trust

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    nothing positive I felt deceived. it was the worst experience of my life. I felt deceived. it was the worst experience of my life.It was the worst night I've ever had in my life. I arrived at night around 9 pm, very tired from an exhausting and long journey. At the reception, the bad faith started when I paid for 4 nights for the price of 3. Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize this and trusted the establishment, only realizing it the next morning. When I walked through the hostel I started feeling regret, the place seemed to be falling apart and there were strange people everywhere. When I went to take a shower it was a struggle with the cold, almost freezing water leaving me almost sick with the flu. the bathroom was the filthiest I've ever seen in my life, it made me sick just to step in there. When I went to the room the nightmare only got worse, strange people lying on the floor and a horrifying stench. I felt like vomiting. I thought about leaving and sleeping on the street on a park bench. but I resisted and stayed there because I was very tired and carrying 3 heavy suitcases with items worth some money. Unfortunately, there was no place to store my bags and I had to leave them next to the bed under constant surveillance. I didn't feel safe there regarding my personal possessions. When I got into bed I realized that it and the sheets smelled really bad, I couldn't cover myself... the stench was the worst smell I've ever felt in my life. the bed was next to a window that needed to be left open or everyone would suffocate. this window was at the parking lot level and people could see smoking and using various drugs next door. the smell of cigarettes completely entered the room. the other guests were not at all polite, passing gas, burping all the time, eating food with a horrible and strong smell during the early hours of the morning. Some turned on the dawn light all the time, even when someone went and turned it off.
  18. Review 18 Booking.com

    Automated category matches

    • Theft / access / security

      No concrete supporting passage was automatically identified for this match. Check the full review before relying on it.

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    Water Safety management sucks …. The monitor is dedicating, you’re stealen everything just as long as they could found i don’t know what people lived here, stealing everything and can’t get it back anymore!….

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Facilities

🍳 COOKER 👕 Laundry 🌅 Outdoor Terrace 🅿️ Paid Parking
Other facilities (27)
Bicycle Parking Jobs Board Airport Transfers Luggage Storage Shuttle Bus Housekeeping Reception (Limited Hours) Internet Access Book Exchange Board Games Wi-Fi Smart TV Linen Included Key Card Access CCTV in Common Areas Fire Extinguishers First Aid Kits Smoke Alarms Smoke Detector Common Room Lounge Room Social Balcony Vending Machines Filtered Water Dispenser Free WiFi Free Internet Access Free Luggage Storage

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