Ebb-Dunedin

The architecture is fantastic, and the place is both stylish and very clean. Ebb Kitchen, the coffee shop that's part of the hotel, is really good too. If you're visiting Dunedin, this is definitely the place to stay.

The breakfast spot inside the hotel was a highlight, much better than the ones in most hotels. The accommodation had a cool, almost zen-like feel. The rooms were a good size, with a great bathroom and a comfortable bed.

The interior design is beautiful, and the hotel has a chic feel. But it was very expensive for what you get. Parking wasn't ideal: the spaces were hard to get in and out of, and charging extra felt cheeky when the rooms already cost so much. It would've been useful to have plates and cutlery in the room.

The Ebb looks stunning in the photos, and the lobby and room made a strong first impression. It's a deliberately designed, posh interior, but we couldn't enjoy it much because the service and hospitality left us feeling unwelcome. We've stayed in other fancy hotels, and even had a much warmer experience at backpackers. Just before this, we'd spent two nights at the Distinction in Dunedin, where everyone made us feel right at home. I booked the Ebb nearly a month ahead, thinking we'd try this beautiful hotel while in town despite the trouble of moving from one place to another. We arrived early and asked whether that was the check-in spot. I wasn't expecting to check in yet, but there was no standard hotel front desk, just one woman near a round dining table. She said, “Yeah, you're WAYYY TOO early for check-in,” and that was when I started feeling unwelcome. We left our luggage there and went out. When we returned at the arranged time, the woman at reception acted as if she hadn't seen us before and didn't mention our bags until I brought them up. We were sent to the second floor. I figured it might just be a coincidence and that our room was the first one ready. My wife and I are both visible minorities, and I later noticed many people of the same ethnicity on our floor. That could certainly have been an unfortunate coincidence too. We went about our day and had a lovely time at St Clair beach. Later, as we walked to the elevator, a different woman was at reception. I looked over to give a courteous nod, and she scanned me from head to toe like a security camera autofocusing, following us until we were out of sight. It made me so uncomfortable that I took out our room key to show we were staying there. Hope I didn't interrupt your doom-scrolling. In my most eloquent and honest words, the Ebb is across the car park and garbage collections of the Meridian Mall, probably the biggest one in Dunedin. The designer-like interior hides the setting pretty well, but we just weren't in the mood to enjoy it. This isn't a typical New Zealand or Dunedin experience. Most New Zealanders are welcoming, respectful, mindful, considerate, generous, and helpful. Maybe your experience at the Ebb will be different if you're not like us. Maybe you'll even buy their tote bag for $30 to tell the world you were there. I won't.