Koromatua Homestead

We left after one night at Koramatua homestead in March 2024 because it was grubby and the shower wasn't working. We'd booked two nights and paid for the first. The owner promised to refund the second night, but later refused, even after Booking.com asked him to return the money. That broken promise is our main complaint. We tried for months to get the refund before my sister posted a review. The owner's response called us racist, which is ridiculous. We're both Asian, and the Asian staff were great. They weren't the issue. The owner's response was muddled, got the month wrong, and seemed to assume we were white and complaining because staff were Asian. We left because of the condition of the place and the shower, then the owner reneged on the promised refund.

The second-night refund is still the main issue for me. Steve said he'd confirm and honour our cancellation after we left, but when Booking.com contacted him, he went back on that promise. I've seen another review describing the same thing. We booked under Hanson and stayed in mid March 2024. The place was filthy and dusty, with cobwebs everywhere. We couldn't open the room door for ventilation because animals could wander in. The shower didn't drain, leaving me standing in dirty water, and there were pipes lying around the garden. Steve tried to fix it the next day, but after waiting hours it still gurgled and wasn't draining properly. We had enough and didn't feel sure it would work. The stagnant water also seemed like a health hazard that should be reported to the health authorities. In response to my review, Steve got the month wrong and called us racist toward Asians. We're Asian ourselves, and the photos show the condition of the place, including drainpipes in two of them. He didn't address the refund promise and instead tried to portray us as racist. I had already given the booking name, Hanson. This was awful and not worth the price.

The lounge and Spa were a hit with our group of 20 adults, and I loved that my three rural pet dogs could come along. They're used to being around free-range hens and pigs, so the place felt like home for us. Beautiful spot, awesome owners. I'd definitely come back and recommend it.

The Barn gave our two little ones plenty of room to spread out. Between the outdoor Hot Tub, playground, and farm animals, they stayed entertained and everyone was happy. Steve was a great host. We'll definitely be back.