Kingsgate Hotel Autolodge Paihia

I left Paihia feeling relaxed and well looked after, and I’d happily return. Reception and housekeeping were warm, helpful and easy to talk to, with great local knowledge. Their suggestions for eating and exploring made the stay feel personal. I also made use of the proper gym almost every day, which had a wide range of equipment and free weights. The room was thoughtfully laid out and had the amenities I needed, including facewasher towels that worked for removing makeup. The bed was supportive and so comfortable after a long journey that I slept better than I expected to on holiday. The shower had strong pressure and steady temperature, and didn’t flood the bathroom floor. I had a fantastic time.

The view from our suite was stunning, but at $300 a night the stay fell far short of what we expected. We wouldn’t recommend it. The décor looked tired, some kitchen bulbs were blown, the shower light kept flickering, and there was hair from a previous guest in the spa bath. We also found a vape on the lounge floor. There was no compendium with details about amenities, restaurant hours or services, though a staff member eventually brought us a menu. The ice machine was filthy, with mould around the door seals, rusty brown stains and water pooling by the drain pipe, so we didn’t want to use it. Our suite was above a public gym, with people constantly passing our deck and using the back corridor until late at night, then starting again at 5:45 am. The noise came straight into the bedroom, as there was no soundproofing. The games room had pool cues with missing tips, though reception replaced one, and the men’s bathroom was dirty. Breakfast was possibly the worst part: the fruit looked like it had been left out for days, the hot buffet was stone cold, and the milk and juice were in original containers that seemed to have been reused over several days. The views were beautiful, but the room, cleanliness, noise and dreadful breakfast made this poor value for money. We’d asked for early check-in when booking online. I called on the morning we arrived and was told the room was nearly ready, with a $30 fee, which hadn’t been mentioned in the online messages. We got there at 12:45 pm, two hours later, but the room still wasn’t ready, and staff spent quite a while trying to find our booking. They suggested we wait at the restaurant, but it was closed for staff training. We finally checked in at 2 pm.

The location made it easy to get to almost anything I wanted to see or do in Paihia. My room’s TV was disappointingly small, though I was told they’d be upgraded very soon. The staff were fantastic, nothing was too much trouble, and the room was clean, with a super comfortable bed and an incredible shower.

The location is great, though Paihia is small enough to get around easily anyway. Reception was friendly at check-in, but the hotel felt basic and tired, and it was noisy. We had an upper-level room up very steep stairs that felt close to dangerous. Look around, there are better places to stay.