Devonwood Motel

The heated pool was the one thing we really liked. Our room's smoke alarm started sounding around 6:50am, and we couldn't reach staff until after 8, so our hoped-for lie-in was gone. They gave us a small refund, which was kind, but we shouldn't have had to ask for one. We came with high hopes and left disappointed.

We stayed in the family units two weekends running. The first visit happened by chance, and we shared some feedback afterward. They took it on board before our second stay, which we really enjoyed. It's simple and has nothing fancy, but it has what you need. It was lovely having our whanau together under one roof and sitting down to kai at the table.

The staff are so kind, and the motel has a homely feel. It's a bit of a walk to the city centre, around 20-25 minutes, with few restaurants nearby, though Woolworths is about 10 minutes away on foot. The room was good for the price, with a bedroom, kitchenette, private bathroom and a jacuzzi in the room. The place is a little dated, but very clean.

Getting breakfast meant a 20 minute walk, and there wasn't much to do at the hotel. I was taken aback by the poor quality and safety. We had to lock the room doors ourselves because there were no automatic locks. The rooms were so tiny they could barely fit a baby elephant. It seems so much effort went into making the outside look nice that the interior was forgotten. Terrible quality.