Quest Palmerston North

The rooms have no soundproofing, and I had one of my worst hotel stays here. A crying baby kept me awake all night on the first night, so I asked to move somewhere quieter. The second night was worse: a big group of young people had music on, laughing, screaming and banging around. At 3:40 am, someone was power-vomiting and moaning into their toilet for nearly 40 minutes.

Really lovely stay. The rooms were clean, the staff warm, and the location was great. Check-in and checkout were easy too. Highly recommend :)

The location is the one good thing here. I’ve worked in hospitality and hotels for over 10 years and travelled the world, and after this stay I wouldn’t recommend this place or any Quest hotels to family or friends. I checked in on Saturday and immediately asked to extend. I was told I could settle the extra night at checkout, and got a car park without being charged or told I’d have to pay at checkout. I knew parking cost extra, since I’d stayed before without issues. Over the next two days I dealt with the “senior receptionist,” as she called herself, and asked to add another night. During a business meeting, she rudely interrupted me by phone to say she’d tried to charge my card. I said I’d been told all charges would be settled at checkout, then ended the call when she started arguing. She called back and demanded I make funds available for her. Being spoken to that way after staff had already given me different instructions was unacceptable. I said to cancel the extra night and I’d go elsewhere. Then she contacted another property and passed on false information that I hadn’t paid my bill. I returned within 30 minutes to sort it out. Rude! My room wasn’t serviced at all during my stay. The beds were hard and uncomfortable, and the couch was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever sat on. The TV in my one-bedroom unit kept turning off. There was no dishwasher powder, just one laundry liquid. You can hear music from other units, though I expected that after checking in on a Saturday. When I asked housekeeping about servicing the room, the housekeeper told my roommate, “I’m not doing your room today, we just don’t do services on a Sunday.” I’ve never heard of that in the hotel industry. There were four pillows in all, but only three on the bed. They were thin, old, and lumpy, so you’d be better off bringing your own. I brought my own blanket the first time I stayed here because the bed wasn’t warm enough. The “senior receptionist” ruined the stay for everyone and should be retrained in customer service. Take your business elsewhere, it’s not worth staying here.

The friendly staff greeted guests warmly, and there’s a gym that could be useful for business travellers. The rooms are practical, tidy and well maintained, and the service is commendable. Prices are on the high side, though, and parking can be limited and costly. It’s a solid option for a visit to Palmerston North, especially for work.