Tides Hotel

Breakfast was exceptional, and the staff were friendly. The location also made it easy to get to nearby bars and restaurants. The evening was less pleasant, though: we found two cockroaches in our room. When we called the night staff, they gave us insect repellent so we could deal with the second one ourselves.

We had a nice balcony looking over the tidal river, and the food was great without being expensive. It’s an easy walk into town too. Just be aware there’s no lift, so you’ll need to carry your bags up to the second level.

We went to Richmond for the day and checked in very late, but the process was easy and we didn’t wait long. Jasmine was warm and welcoming when we went to the bar and restaurant for dinner. There’s plenty of comfortable seating, especially outside for summer. The room didn’t have a microwave, which was disappointing, but Jasmine helped us out. We’ll be back around the end-of-year graduation period.

After a few days on the Abel-Tasman track, we treated ourselves to a stay costing nearly $500 a night. The quirky decor was fun, but breakfast service was disappointing. We were one of only a handful of tables and still waited 15 minutes before anyone offered a takeaway cup for our coffee. The bathroom also needed attention, and the pool was only a little warmer than the Tasman Bay. It didn’t feel like the value we’d hoped for.