The former Criterion Hotel was again the work of Ernest Arthur Williams. This time, the architect selected a Spanish Mission exterior with a Scottish Baronial foyer and lounge. This was a luxury hotel when built in 1932 by a consortium of local investors. The Category 1 Historic Places Trust building suffered two fires: one in 1984 and the second about six years later. It is now a hostel named Criterion Art Deco Backpackers.