Cedar Lodge Motel Hamilton

Just checked in, and the owners seem really welcoming. The Google photos made the place look a bit run down, but in person it seems quite accommodating, with lots of space. There’s Netflix on the TV, and they’ve supplied the basics like coffee, biscuits and a hair dryer. So far, so good. We’re travelling from New Plymouth 😊

The grounds were a bit overgrown, and the outside doesn’t make a great first impression, but that was easy enough to overlook. I was put up at Cedar lodge motel for a night after an operation at Waikato hospital, as I live outside the region. Jason, the manager, met me promptly and was courteous and professional. He even upgraded my room for free because of the operation, which was fantastic. The room smelled fresh and was clean, with a very cosy, comfortable bed. There was a Bible, fresh milk, tea, coffee and a couple of wrapped biscuits, though no sugar. I didn’t feel up to asking for any, a small thing. The bathroom was clean, but at 6ft1 I had to bend down under the roughly 5ft shower. The towels were lovely and fresh. It’s a good little motel for a night, within walking distance of fast food places, and I’d stay again if I visit Hamilton. Thanks Jason, I really appreciate it.

Management was good, and the prices are cheap, but the conditions put me off staying again. We were referred here by the hospital because we had to travel for medical reasons and needed somewhere before and after surgery. The place was old and very run down, and it hadn’t been cleaned to a professional standard. I also noticed a dog in the unit next door, which felt unhygienic given the hospital had referred us here. In my opinion, it’s worth paying a bit more for somewhere cleaner and more suitable. You get what you pay for.

There’s a BBQ available, and it’s handy that a family who works there stays in the block. Service and facilities were good, and the location is convenient, near the supermarket and almost opposite a dairy. We’ve used the same family room before, but nothing had been done about the shower’s cold water pressure, which was basically nonexistent. It was the middle of summer and we needed cold water. When we asked, they said that was why it was cheap.