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

CHECK-IN

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

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.

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.