No. 9 Hotel

My charger and cables disappeared from the bed after housekeeping came through on the first evening. When I went to the front desk, they were dismissive and offered no help or apology, just told me I should look harder. The next morning, I found money missing from my wallet. I believe it was stolen, and felt my privacy had been violated and my trust broken. I felt so unsafe that I spent my last day in New Zealand shut in my room, heartbroken and disgusted. My wonderful year in New Zealand was meant to end happily. After selling my van, I’d planned to enjoy my last three days in a country I’d grown to love. Instead, this hotel made the end of my trip a nightmare and cast a lasting shadow over a year of happy memories. When I told the receptionist I was going to file a police report, she calmly, almost smirking, said, "Okay, just be sure to bring me the paperwork from the police." Her confidence was chilling, as if she already knew the procedure for dealing with theft victims at her establishment. Stay away.

I was looking for a flat on trademe and saw the hotel advertising its rooms for long-term stays. The listing said rooms were available now and invited people to come view them, so I went to ask about it. On Sep 22 at 2:45 pm, staff told me there were no rooms available until December and that I could reserve one by email. I left and emailed about a reservation at 10:40 pm that night, but never got a reply. At 12:53 pm on Sep 24, I contacted them by text. You can see the result in my photo, which I screenshotted on Sep 30. The listing is still active on trademe.

The parking spaces are pretty tight, so a small car is probably best. The place is basic, but the location works well, with buses and places to eat easy to get to. The room was fine and the staff were friendly.

The staff were rude, and the room was awful. We found loads of cockroaches, including two right there in the room. There was mold, and the sheets didn't seem to have been washed. I only wanted somewhere to stay for a few days, but this was the worst hotel I've ever been in. Just gross.