We took ata boys Hockey Team to Taupo for tournament week and stayed at Rainbow Losge. The facilities were superb, the staff were very friendly and helpful and we could not have asked for a better place to stay. The rooms, dorm rooms, we're of a decent size, the beds were really comfortable and the boys commented on how nice the place was. We go away every year and this is one of the nicest backpacker type accommodations we have been to.
It is really close to town, easy walking distance, and supermarkets and all manner of shops are really close by. It is even just a short walk to the lake.
Thanks so much to the lovely staff who made our stay so enjoyable.

Me and my husband stayed here, its a really cool place. The staff are lovely and really friendly, its a good location and the rates are reasonable. The rooms are clean as are the bathrooms. The kitchen is really big and they have various different things going on most nights, from movie nights to pizza nights. This is a quirky little hostel with lots of character and i would definatley stay again.

We stayed here in a double room for two nights back in February 2012. To try and start with the positives about this hostel, I should say that the guy who runs it was very friendly and helpful towards us, as he provided a free pick up from the Intercity coach station (we just had to call him when we arrived) and even went as far as to give us a free drop-off back at the coach station on the day we left. Also this is probably one of the cheapest hostels in Taupo, so it is a good option if your budget is limited. However, this is pretty much where the positives end. We actually stayed here for the first time about five years ago, when we first visited New Zealand and to be honest we weren’t very keen on it then and our recent stay did nothing to improve our impression. We hadn’t planned to return here but the hostel we wanted to stay at was fully booked and we were left with little alternative. The room itself was probably the smallest double that we’ve experienced as there was barely enough room to get in and out of bed and certainly nowhere to put your things other than on the floor or under the bed. The room looked very tired and shabby and also had a rather strange and unpleasant smell to it each time we returned, meaning we had to try and air it out quite regularly. The sheets and duvet cover also looked a bit questionable as they had several (hopefully old) stains on them. The rest of the hostel followed in the same vein really, as it looked like no maintenance work had been carried out in the five years since our first visit – and it looked tired back then! We didn’t cook anything in the kitchen (other than a bit of toast for breakfast) as all the surfaces and equipment just didn’t look particularly clean and the people staying there didn’t seem too keen on washing and drying their own dishes! The communal lounge/dining area is also pretty shabby, as are the bathrooms which weren’t massively pleasant to use. We also found that the morning cleaning was done in a fairly obstructive way as all of the bathrooms were out of action at the same time for over an hour (without warning), meaning we were caught out and had to brush our teeth over the kitchen sink one morning. I’m pretty puzzled as to how many good reviews there are of this hostel – I can only assume that most of those reviewers have stayed in en-suite rooms, which are located in a separate and newer building and I think are a lot nicer than those in the main building, which share bathroom facilities. All in all, I think it’s a shame that this place has not been given more care and attention as it could be a nice hostel if some money was invested to give it a face lift. I personally wouldn’t stay here again, but if you want somewhere cheap to sleep and are planning to eat out, then maybe it could be for you!

I stayed here for a few days and I liked it overall. I had been here back in 1997 and then returned many years later. Of course, I could see a difference...the place could use a bit of an update. However, it is a good hostel with many benefits. Lots of common space where you can relax and meet people, and something going on every evening. The rooms were good...some come with an ensuite. The staff is very nice and helpful and the hostel also books activities around the area. Overall a good choice.