Abella Inn

The strong smell of smoke and the people fighting in the next room, both that night and early the following morning, made an already unpleasant stay worse. The place was clean, but very basic and not what it first seemed. There was no fan in the Auckland summer heat, and the windows that could be safely left open were limited to two. The kitchen window nearly came off when opened. There was a jug, toaster, microwave and fridge, though the fridge was set cool and wasn't very cold. Just one small pot and no hob, cutlery or plates. The bathroom had only a small bar of soap, with no shampoo or conditioner. Tea and coffee came with four cups, but no hot chocolate or milk. The sheets and bed covers weren't cotton, and the towels and facecloths were disposable rather than towelling. A heater was provided. The TV sat in the narrow two-foot gap between the bed and the door, blocking access to the wardrobe so we couldn't use its storage. Such a shame, as the problems could have been easy to improve.

It was handy being within walking distance of the logan Campbell centre, and the staff were nice. The room, though, needs a proper makeover and was nothing like the photos. There was mould on the windowsills and shower curtain, and no smoke alarm. The bathroom paint looked like it had just been slapped on in one coat, and the curtain was stuck together. The toilet didn't look as if it had been cleaned after the previous guests. I also found a cockroach in my car the next day. Very outdated.

For one night in Auckland, the location worked well for us, close to the motorway and a quick trip into the CBD. The room was a reasonable size for the price, with two double beds and a couch. The kitchen had a microwave, fridge, dishwashing liquid, kettle and mugs, and the bathroom was clean. The beds were comfortable. The bedding felt extremely basic, almost like hospital material, and the towels were disposable and didn't dry properly. I'd strongly suggest bringing your own towels and pillowcases, and bedding too if you have room in your luggage. It suited our overnight stay near where we needed to go, but I probably wouldn't book it again.

After driving up from Wellington, we arrived to find no cutlery, no TV, a broken bathroom window and no advertised wifi. The bedding was disposable, and the towels were large disposable paper towels. We couldn't stay, so I can't really describe the experience beyond that. At least we got our money back and were able to find somewhere else. The advertising was false, so read the reviews before booking. One star is too generous.