Owner ok but quite direct. Signs in kitchen rude and obnoxious e.g ‘your mother’s not here so clean up after yourself’’. Boiler apparently broken so no hot water until after 6pm - and then the water was tepid. Putrid smell outside ladies bathroom. Nowhere to put rubbish. Not near the beach. On the plus side it’s open and spacious and has a nice outdoorsy/countryside feel but I’m sure that’s a dime a dozen around here. Toilet blocks/kitchen fine (bar the smell outside the ladies).
Booking.com
Booking.com
Taking safety measuresBooking.com
Have stayed a few times at the holiday park but this was the first time staying in the motel unit. The unit had a very musty smell when we first opened the door. Good sized lounge with 1 double and 2 single beds - very comfy. Lots of spiders and webs in the lounge. Large bathroom but unfortunately the cleanliness was lacking - 2 pubic hairs in the shower, dirty marks on wall by sink and fly dabs on walls.
Kitchen was adequate, would be nice if the description on website said what was available as there was only a microwave and an electric frying pan. No hot plate or pots but we made do and it wasn’t really a problem.
Nice solid wooden bench seats in front of all the motel rooms which were great and a bbq table at the back too.
Bill the owner very friendly and helpful. We will be back.
What I liked
Bill, the owner, was very nice. Smiling and welcoming. Offered a complimentary bottle of spring water. Sent an immediate apology by email in regards to cleanness of the room.
Bill has a small shop there where you can buy some groceries. Essential in a such isolated area.
What I didn’t like
I stayed at the motel room. It had a smell of like having been closed for a while. In any case, smelly.
Not very clean. Shower need a good scrub and pillow cover was dirty. I left a written note for the owner to let him know.
The place looks a bit rundown. Tractors around. People living there permanently.
To reach the beach you need to walk about 5-10 min through pasting fields.
I have added some photos of the cabins too.
The motel units are nice and have a bathroom and a small kitchenette. Behind the motel units there is a nice outside place to have dinner.Quite a Nice Campground also. A good overnight stay in Te Araroa.
Was just wondering way so much bad reviews not even that bad
Staying here 3 nights in our mobile home there internet hot water
The place is like Staying on a Marie vacation
Love this place will come back again
To the people who love the real new Zealand this is the place for you
This was to be the first nights motel accommodation of a two week holiday. As we were required to take our toy poodle with us (a recent rescue dog) I had arranged with the motels we would be staying at to have their permission to bring our dog. We advised them we would be bringing a lockable dog travel box that he would be sleeping in. Bill, the manager of this property initially said they do not allow dogs but phoned me back within minutes to say we could bring him but he is not allowed on the bed. When we arrived he totally denied saying this and very rudely was going to refund our money and told us to find somewhere else. ** At TeAraroa there is no where else!!** The motel unit was reasonable although numerous lights didn't work and there were cobwebs on the ceiling that needed clearing out. I would not recommend this place due to my wife and my experience with this untrustworthy manager.
