Aotea Lodge

I'd stay again and would like to see the motel once the work is finished. The owners were accommodating, and it's clear they're working to improve the place. The rooms are a good size, the bed was comfortable, and most of the remaining problems seemed minor or cosmetic, though a few things still need attention. We noticed several issues after checking in, so the stay didn't get off to a great start. Also, there's definitely no pool.

My husband and I are newlyweds, and we had such a lovely stay at Aotea Lodge. The rooms were clean and beautiful, and the owners were welcoming, professional and very friendly. I've never had a more pleasant stay anywhere. Thank you so much, I highly recommend Aotea Lodge!

Our room was in poor shape, and I wouldn't recommend staying here. It was dirty, hadn't been vacuumed, and had hair on the bathroom floor, mould in the shower and grime along the skirtings. The bathroom wallpaper was ripped, with no extractor fan or towel rails. Window latches were falling apart, and there was no air conditioning, so we had to leave the windows open all night. Being beside the road made it very noisy, and the beds were rock hard. A large brown stain covered the kitchen bench, and the drawers felt ready to collapse. The plugs were in odd places, some upside down, and bubble wrap was still on the chairs. My daughter found a loose screw on the floor and nearly swallowed it. The place is run down, and the minor renovations don't seem carefully done. The husband was understanding and made it easy when we asked for a refund, but the next day his wife called and said they'd only process it if I agreed not to write a review. That was awful service and made my trip stressful.

I booked three rooms directly with them a month and a half ahead for my family. When they arrived today, staff tried to charge each family member a $200 bond per room per night on top of what we'd already paid. They refused to hand over the rooms because I wasn't there, even though I had booked them, and wouldn't put the bond on the card they already had on file. When I called to ask what was happening, they were rude and hung up. I'm still waiting for the refund. Disgusting, I don't recommend this place.