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HI - Nanaimo - Painted Turtle Guesthouse

HI - Nanaimo - Painted Turtle Guesthouse

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HI - Nanaimo - Painted Turtle Guesthouse

121 Bastion St, Nanaimo, V9R 3A2, Canada

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Overall Rating 87%

From 6 Reviews

Hostel rating (6)

Rating category Satisfaction percentage
Staff 85%
Cleanliness 90%
Location 93%
Security 83%
Service 90%
Comfort 80%
Green rating 78%

Basecamp Vancouver Island! Hop on a ferry or floatplane then stay 2, 3 or 5 nights in Nanaimo to experience the best of Vancouver Island.

10 or more people?
hi-nanaimo-painted-turtle-guesthouse

Nanaimo Hostel

Hostel Nanaimo

Hostelling International

Welcome to our hostel

HI-Nanaimo Painted Turtle Guesthouse is a fully renovated 1913 heritage building. Located in the heart of the waterfront/arts district in downtown Nanaimo, it sits amongst trendy cafes & restaurants, pubs & clubs, art galleries, bakeries, street performers and local points of interest. The Guesthouse is well appointed and has achieved the highest standard available under the Hostelling International group.

All features have been designed with the active traveller in mind, and we have thrown in a few special features: private bathrooms, FREE internet (terminals and wireless), free luggage storage and a living area that includes kitchen and dining facilities, a cosy fireplace and free games.

The Painted Turtle is so close to everything that within 5 minutes you can walk to the Port Theatre, Harbour Lynx and BC ferry terminals, the 4km Harbourside Walkway, the Old City Quarter shopping district, outdoor and indoor recreation facilities, and other key tourist attractions.

Prices

10+ guests?
Clear dates

Prices are members' prices

  • Available

  • Limited

  • Unavailable

Dorms - Per guest per night

Beds

Private - Per room per night

Rooms

  • Available

  • Limited

  • Unavailable

Important info

  • Government-issued photo ID is required to check in.

  • Children under the age of must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

  • Unaccompanied children under the age of 18 can be accommodated only with a letter from a parent or legal guardian providing permission for the child's unsupervised stay.

  • Children under the age of 5 are unable to be accommodated in shared dormitories

  • Children under the age of 5 stay free.

  • Membership can be purchased on arrival at hostel.

  • Rates quoted assume guests are members of Hostelling International or a National Youth Hostel Association.

  • Pets are not permitted in the hostel.

  • Additional tax is payable at check-in.

  • Prices and product availability is as accurate as possible but may be subject to change during checkout

Facilities

Facilities

Leisure & Fitness

  • Common room
  • Disco
  • TV room

Accessibility

  • Not suitable for wheelchair users

Food & Drink

  • Licenced Bar/Pub
  • Self-catering kitchen

Facilities - Internet Access

  • Computers - Charges Apply
  • Wifi - Free
  • Internet Cafe Nearby - At or next to the hostel

Facilities - In-Hostel Services

  • Basic Shop
  • Car parking nearby - At or next to the hostel
  • Booking Centre for HI hostels worldwide
  • Conference Facilities
  • Cycle Rental
  • Cycle Storage
  • Laundry Facilities
  • Library / Book Swap
  • Lockers Available - In Room
  • Luggage Room - Available during hostel reception times
  • Sports Equipment Storage
  • Travel / Tour Desk
Opening times

Opening times

Open all year

Reception:
From 07:00 to 22:00
From 08:00 to 21:00
Check-in:
Open 24 hours

Get in touch

Get in touch

Tel. (250) 753-4432

Fax. (250) 753-4434

stay@paintedturtle.ca

Main attractions

Main attractions

  • Port of Nanaimo Harbourfront (Less than 500 m)
  • Vancouver Island Conference Centre & Museum (Less than 500 m)
  • Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park (1 to 2km)

See the full list of attractions

Reviews

Reviews

Clean hostel, good kitchen and common room. Location is perfect down town. Individual lockers in the rooms would be nice.

83%

Avatar for Lonneke

Lonneke,

Sun 17 Sep 2017

Hello, Thank you for the feedback. We will look into getting larger lockers in the rooms, however, it is a bit tough with having small rooms. But with your feedback, we know that it is something that our guests would like to see in the guest house. So thank you again for helping us get better. Cheers, Turtle Team

Manager avatar

Sabrina Sawchuck,

Tue 19 Sep 2017

I cannot complain about anything at the Painted Turtle. If a hostel can be rated as perfect then its this one.

100%

Avatar for Elizabeth

Elizabeth,

Sun 20 Aug 2017

Thank you kindly for your review. We are glad that you have enjoyed staying with us at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse and hope that we will be able to host your stay in Nanaimo again. Cheers!

Manager avatar

Sabrina Sawchuck,

Tue 22 Aug 2017

The dorm room was quite warm and smelled heavily to sweat. Larger windows would be great. Also some more lockable lockers, there were only two while the room was with four.

67%

Avatar for Robbert

Robbert,

Sat 15 Jul 2017

Thank you for your review. We are sorry that the room was not up to standard. During the summer time with the heat as well as the amount of people checking in and out, the rooms can become quite warm and often hold the body odor. We will take into consideration your suggestions and do our best with what we can. Thank you again for letting us know how we can do better.

Manager avatar

Sabrina Sawchuck,

Mon 17 Jul 2017

See More Reviews

Location

Location
Around the hostel

Around the hostel

Nearby attractions

  • Beach (500m - 1km)
  • Cinema (More than 10km)
  • City Centre (At or next to the hostel)
  • Cycle trails (Less than 500m)
  • Golf course (3 to 5km)
  • Gym (1 to 2km)
  • Hiking / Walking trails (Less than 500m)
  • Local market (Less than 500m)
  • Mountainous Area (2 to 3km)
  • Museums / Art Galleries (Less than 500 m)
  • National / State Park (500m - 1km)
  • Nightlife (At or next to the hostel)
  • Parks / Green Area (Less than 500m)
  • Restaurants (At or next to the hostel)
  • River / Harbour / Lake (At or next to the hostel)
  • Shopping area / Mall (Less than 500m)
  • Ski area (More than 10km)
  • Swimming pool (1 to 2km)
  • Supermarket / Food store (Less than 500m)
  • Theatre (Less than 500m)
  • Water park (Less than 500m)
  • Wooded Area (1 to 2km)
Getting to us

Getting to us

Airport
Fly directly into Nanaimo Airport with Air Canada West Jet or Kenmore Air. Take a taxi ($50) or shuttle service ($26) 18km to city.
Bus
Take Greyhound bus from Vancouver ($30) Victoria ($25) or Port Hardy ($75) to Nanaimo. Take Bus #2 to City Centre or #25 Ferry Shuttle. Both buses stop at the bus exchange. Walk down the hill for 5 minutes and we are located on the right hand side of the street.
Ferry/Boat
Nanaimo is directly linked to the British Columbia mainland by two major BC Ferry routes for vehicle traffic (starting at $45). Horseshoe Bay - Departure Bay (Close to downtown) or Tsawwassen - Duke Point (13km from City Centre)
Taxi
AC Taxi - 250-753-1231 OR Yellow Cab - 250-751-1111
Car
The Painted Turtle Guesthouse is located in the Arts District downtown -the corner of Commercial and Bastion St (121 Bastion St). From Hwy 19/#1 (TransCanada) take exit to Hwy 19A and follow to city centre (approx. 5km). Parking is available on Commercial St. Two hours free on Mon-Sat from 8am-5pm. Free after 5pm and all day Sunday. Paid parking is available across the street at the Bastion street parkade for $0.50/hour; or $6 for 24 hours.
Rail
Passenger trains do not currently operate on Vancouver Island.
Sports & activities

Sports & activities

  • Birdwatching
  • Boating
  • Canoeing
  • Cycling
  • Dance
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Life Saving
  • Motorsports
  • Mountain Biking
  • Rock Climbing
  • Scuba / Snorkelling
  • Skateboarding
  • Ski / Snowboarding
  • Swimming
  • Team-Building
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
  • Walking / Hiking
  • Whale Watching

Sustainability initiatives

Air

  • Low carbon activities
  • Public transportation is promoted
  • Environmental cleaning

Energy

  • Energy saving lights
  • Insulation and ventilation systems
  • Double-glazing windows

People

  • Working with local community
  • Educational programs

Waste

  • Recycling areas
  • Composting
  • Fairtrade food served
  • Organic food served
  • Local and seasonal food

Water

  • Water savers in showers

Website terms

  • © 2017 Copyright Hostelling International

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