Like a jazzed-up IKEA: This is the budget hotel chain we’ve been waiting for

CHECK-IN

LyLo Auckland’s self check-in and lounge .

As someone whose hostel days are firmly behind him, I’m a touch apprehensive about my stay at LyLo Auckland, the flagship property of a new budget hotel chain by hospitality giant EVT. Thankfully, it bears no resemblance to the tired, run-down hell-tels of my youth. A colourful mural by Auckland-based street artist Flox welcomes guests into a spacious lobby with a self-service check-in desk and several eye-catching breakout areas. There’s a cosy library nook with mid-century furnishings, a comfortable lounge with a shrub-covered wall and a communal dining/co-working space. Other facilities include a well-equipped kitchen, a self-service laundry and a sofa-filled chill-out zone upstairs.

THE LOOK

Imagine a jazzed-up IKEA – concrete floors, exposed girders, suspended lightbulbs and Instagrammable neon signs encouraging guests to “Work hard, travel harder”. There are lots of fun, quirky touches, such as a 1965 Vespa in the restaurant and a pair of typewriters in the library, above which is written “Dear Mum & Dad, please send money…” (sadly, it doesn’t work). Clearly, the decor is aimed at millennials but the communal spaces are fun and well-designed and at no point do I feel out of place as a more…ahem…experienced traveller.

THE ROOM

One of the double rooms at Lylo.

There are three room types: private sleeping pods in dorms of four, six, eight and 10 (including female-only rooms); double rooms with shared bathrooms and private twins and queens with their own ensuite. Sleeping pods come with an electronic storage locker and are thoughtfully equipped with a light, mirror, charging points and a privacy screen.

Private pod rooms.

My ensuite is clean and functional, with a queen bed, shower room, TV and safe. The room’s unadorned walls and simple, blue-and-white colour scheme are surprisingly subdued compared to the vibrant communal areas. Presumably, that’s deliberate – a ploy to encourage people to get out and mingle.

FOOD + DRINK

Food in-house from Miss Lucy’s.

For many cost-conscious travellers, the overriding appeal of a hostel is the ability to self-cater. LyLo’s industrial-grade kitchen ticks all the boxes, with two large fridges plus stove tops, microwaves, toasters and utensils. Alternatively, there’s Miss Lucy’s, a light-flooded, high-ceilinged space on the ground floor that serves refreshingly affordable meals (gourmet pizzas, pies and burgers all under $NZ20/$18) and drinks (wines, beers and cocktails from $NZ10). It’s also the property’s main social hub with lots of events, including quiz nights, Latin dance parties and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.

OUT + ABOUT

Located on the edge of Auckland’s CBD, the hotel is 500 metres from the Sky Tower, five blocks from the main shopping thoroughfare, Queen Street, and a 15-minute stroll from Viaduct Harbour. You’re not in the centre of the action, but close enough that most of the city’s big drawcards are within walking distance or a cheap taxi ride. There’s a handy 24-hour convenience store down the street and the City Works Depot precinct across the road has trendy cafes, eateries and bars.

THE VERDICT

Fun, funky and functional. With outposts opening soon in Queenstown and Christchurch plus plans for a Sydney property, LyLo is the budget accommodation disrupter we’ve been waiting for.

THE ESSENTIALS

LyLo Auckland, 54 Cook Street, Auckland CBD, New Zealand. Rates for individual pods start from $NZ65 ($60) per night, double rooms from $NZ109 and ensuites from $NZ189. Groups can book an entire pod room from $NZ293. See lylo.com

THE SCORE

★★★★½

HIGHLIGHT

Teaming up with a Kiwi and a retired Queensland couple for the weekly quiz night in Miss Lucy’s. Miraculously, we come third.

LOWLIGHT

Having to move rooms because of an Olympic-level stomper upstairs (the noise insulation between floors could be better).

Rob McFarland was a guest of LyLo Auckland.