Beachside Villas Motel

The room was excellent, especially the comfortable bed and amazing bath, and the place was quiet despite being handy to downtown and other facilities. We arrived tired and upset after another provider let us down, with Nelson full of festival visitors. Andrea and Gerhard greeted us warmly with homemade cake and did what they could to help with the price, which meant we could still stay for the UB40 concert we'd driven up to see. The balcony would probably be lovely in fine weather.

The location is convenient for Nelson's airport, the beach and accessible bus stops, but this property no longer operates as a motel, despite being advertised that way. The signs around the site still call it a motel or hotel, so people may spend time checking booking sites before finding out on arrival that it isn't what they expected. Next door, at 'Ascott Lodge,' government and other agencies have tried to turn the premises into permanent housing. Five people currently live there and share one laundry room. The arrangement shows some of the difficulties of trying to use a property for both hospitality and housing. There are also basic facilities missing for either hotel use or permanent housing. In particular, there are no handrails or fence around the swimming pool, which raises safety concerns, especially for elderly residents. The site is near amenities in sunny Nelson, but its current operation and infrastructure don't meet typical motel standards. Travelers should know about these complications when looking for a place to stay.

Andrea was a dream to deal with. She showed real care and helped make our stay easier. The hotel was clean and tidy, with a comfy couch and bed, and was amazing all round. It felt like a real saviour, especially being able to talk with someone so compassionate and understanding. We'll definitely stay again on our next holiday in Nelson.

A lovely Tuscan-style place to stay when visiting Nelson. It's family run, and the hosts are warm and friendly and do their best to make guests feel at home. I'd highly recommend it :)