The Hostel shuffle in Wellington

Random book in bag

An experience in a hostel on my last trip away left me with the idea that I should share the experience with my thoughts on the event that had occurred and maybe show this is not exactly the norm for any place that you should stay in. I have spent 10 years travel on and off going through hostels and this experience was the first time I had what I am writing about occur. It was an interesting experience for Wellington, New Zealand. I had some dates booked and this place was my second choice to stay for the reason I couldn’t visit my usual hostel as it had been booked out on the dates I wanted. I chose this one for the convenience to locations like the bus and the National Archives. I have had past experiences here that left me disappointed like stripping every bed in the dorm and on my return finding I had to choose a new bed and since I hired a towel, to be inconvenienced by their time period to get a new clean towel.

Names mean something

Here is the story as follows

A Wellington hostel upon checking in told me that they would be moving me several times while I am staying with them. I am not worried about being informed, but I did find it annoying though. A comment was used that my booking is different from other people’s bookings. I do not know if it is because of group bookings as this place had a few school groups and elderly people groups stay there. The first day that I had to move, I could stay in my room as I was going to be out all day. The second time I was able to move rooms at 8am and was not told of any other move. Others in my room were told that they had to move the next day, which I thought was annoying. I was happy not to be moving anywhere. The third day however, I was out all day doing my thing at the NZ National Archives and returned.  I needed coins for the washing machines and went up to my room. My belongings were not there when I walked in. There were other people in the room, which is never unusual and said my stuff wasn’t there as they must have been there when the room had been cleaned. I had thought it strange as my keycard still worked for that particular room. It could have turned into a nightmare for the young ladies in the room especially when the time was after 5pm. I ended up going back down stairs to reception as I was wondering what was going on. I wanted to know where my belongings had ended up.

I spoke to the same reception lady who gave me the change for the washing machines. I told her which room I was in and she looked at my details and realised I had to move rooms, but my belongings were in storage lockers, which were luckily next to the reception area. I was not charged for the storage facilities luckily enough. I did move to my new room, which was already full of people and the only spare bed was the top bunk. These people were workers who spent time on construction sites within Wellington. I was actually leaving the next day, but they all had to move into another room due to some group booking and move back several days later. I had been worried for my towel that I had paid $2 for rental and a $10 deposit on. Plus I had my passport within the depths of one bag as well.  I had been more concerned about losing my deposit on the towel as $10 is $10 and can go pretty far especially if you are travelling. That includes the $20 for the key deposit and would add up to $30 all up in cash that I can get returned to me on checkout. I never became angry with them over this event as its too much energy to waste and being angry would not have gotten me anywhere at all and could have gotten me removed from a safe, secure environment. No idea if there is any sort of Blacklist. The towel and passport were the first things I looked for once I had my bag out of the storage locker

There is a reason I have not really mentioned my electronics as I did have them in my bag, but my day bag at that time. Since I was in the National Archives, I wanted to save my phone camera photos to my external storage and was using my computer for that. Besides they had powerpoints as well so I had those on me too. It meant my most valuable assets were under my personal protection. The first room I had stayed in did have a locker, but the previous two did not so as expected anything could happen, but the rooms were secure from outsiders unlike other hostels I have been in where room doors can be opened by anyone.

On the mention of power points, one in my original room was actually loose. Loose as in I had to be careful removing my power devices from the wall without the powerpoint coming with my powercords after pulling them out. If I really wanted to I could have fit my fingers behind the point to touch the cables. This is life and I have honestly had worse. Worse is bringing bedbugs home with you from a dodgy hostel. I had that from a Sydney one in Pitt Street that I think no longer exists and another at a Base X hostel well over 6 years ago.

The random finds occurred once I had moved to my new room. I needed to get the washing done before I left so I waited for the other people to get out of the shower as the room shared one bathroom between 6 people. I came across a book I knew one of the others from the night before had left. It had been about Nelson Mandela and magically appeared within my main bag. I would have kept it, but space in my bag was a luxury that I really needed and the book was thick. I left it in the room for someone to take it and read as I was not requiring it at that time, also not in the best condition either. Space in the whole room was cramped so I had to make sure I was packed and ready to leave especially when I was stuck on the top bunk. When I did checkout and eating breakfast, I discovered a tag that had two names ‘Room 501, Luke (or Bradley)’. My name isn’t Luke and they had moved my bag so that could have become a huge, huge problem. Its well and good to joke about it, but this could have been incredibly serious if something had gone wrong. I think I lost a pair of socks along the way or even underwear as that part of the bag was open.

Things to keep in mind

They could have called or even emailed me to let me know about the changes. I should have been told about the last change.

I don’t know the legalities or my responsibilities, but they could have left a message stuck to the door for me to contact reception ASAP or not even touch my bags as they were under the bed.

This is actually a massive security breach and could have had a vastly different outcome.

Next time I will have bag tags with my name on them.

Travel is full of experiences and it wont stop me in any way at all, but I do research where I want to stay next. Usually I head for the nearest YHA. I could be full of resentment and anger, but you have to move on. Learning experiences are bound to happen and this time my trip was full of them