Empire Hotel Backpackers

Very cosy and familiar backpacker. Very good service and super nice stuff. Always good company and everything you need for a great stay available. My wife, daughter and I had a great time. Thank you very much!

We stayed for 3 nights - 2 adults and 3 children.Per the kids: it was great staff, a million staff, best staff. Big rooms. Nice kitchen. Beautiful building. Clean bathrooms. Homey feel. Everyone is nice times a million.Per the adults: easy parking, lockable rooms. Very high ceilings which kept the rooms nice and airy. Lovely staff who went above and beyond - specifically Vivian and Marshall. They and the owner, Bruce, fostered a homey atmosphere which made everyone feel really comfortable. The bathrooms were good and clean but if they redo them as some point, I'd suggest installing showers with temperature knobs lower down so the kids can more easily reach them on their own. All in all, a great place to stay. 10/10

Absolutely awesome place. Best backpackers in Oamaru in my opinion. Vivian and Bruce are amazing people :-) highly recommend this place

Very small hostel, very cosy. The room was a bit small and wifi is hard to connect depending on the smartphone. 10/10 would go again if i ever go back to Oamaru.

Mix up with the beds when we arrived, but we got upgraded because of this so very happy with the service!

Really nice building and staff. Lots of parking on the street when I arrived. Check-in was very easy. Kitchen was big and has an air fryer. Toilets and showers are clean and seem sufficient for the number of people there. The bed I had was not the most comfortable, the mattress and pillow was really thin. Other than that, it was a pretty good place to stay.

Great and value for money. The hotel is clean with confortable bed (including heating mat). Stayed for a night and had a good warm night sleep.

So technically I haven’t stayed yet, but we are here for tonight… VERY impressed. Bruce is a cool guy, very cheap accommodation for my daughter and I. Free wifi access… great shower/ bathroom facilities…. Great place to chill out while you are in Oamaru! THANK YOU!

Wonderful small-town hostel in a historic building with friendly and interesting staff. Lucky that some places like this still exist. Interesting place with a lot of character and comfortable common areas. Only problem was the very thin mattress on my bed (maybe some of the others were better, but by the time I noticed late at night, it was too late). Not the place to stay if you want something shiny and modern, obviously, but great if you prefer warmth, character, and a personal touch.

Reviewing this place far and wide because I had such a lovely time here. This hostel is in one of the heritage buildings in the town and has loads of original features. Everyone here is very friendly and helpful. Would recommend to anyone passing through Oamaru!