Pacific Harbour Villas

We’d paid for the whole stay in advance and booked through a reputable online platform, but when I called to tell the property we’d arrive after hours, the woman on the phone insisted on getting our full credit card details for “security.” Without them, she wouldn’t give us the information needed to enter. I don’t understand what security she needed, since any issue could easily be checked with the booking platform. That felt completely untrustworthy and unacceptable. The worst experience in New Zealand for us. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this business.

We had a relaxing, peaceful stay at Pacific Harbour Villas. The villas were clean and well cared for, the waterfront location was lovely, and the staff were super friendly. Everything felt comfortable. I’d happily come back!

The decor is a bit dated, but the service was by far the worst part. The TV and internet stopped working after hours. I politely called reception twice to get help, and the woman was extremely rude. She slammed the door as she left our room and gave us a death stare for interrupting her dinner. After all that, the TV still wasn’t fixed. When I rang again, nobody answered. I’ve stayed in some bad places, but this was BAD BAD. Stay away. Wouldn’t recommend.

We were moved to a ground-floor villa by the on-site manager, who kindly helped after we arrived fairly late. Expedia had booked us a first-floor, two-bedroom apartment without a kitchen, despite our request for a ground-floor apartment or villa. The villa had a full kitchen and stove for cooking, but no dining table or chairs, which seemed ridiculous. Villa number 8 is a poor choice if you want to sit at a table for breakfast, since you’ll be eating on your lap on the sofa. The place was very standard, maybe three-star, with a nice outlook and signs of some recent paint and updates.