Garden Court Motel

The room was dated, but spotlessly clean, a good size, and well equipped. The owner was friendly enough. The lawns were well kept, though the garden needed some work, and it was a shame the pool was out of action. Our first impression was just okay after staying for a week. We’d stay again.

I was paying $50 a night, or $400 a week, for an extended stay at Garden Court Motel Tauranga. Later, I was told I had to move out because of an arrangement with MSD for emergency housing. When I asked about staying longer as a single person, I was told the price would be $250 a night. I found that shocking and unreasonable. Before that, I had been moved between rooms several times, which was disruptive, and some rooms were dirty and poorly maintained. Faulty power plugs and exposed wires sticking out felt unsafe, especially for children. Management handled the issues unprofessionally. At one point, other people were put in my room without proper communication, and some of my belongings went missing. I felt uncomfortable and unsafe. The whole experience was very stressful and upsetting, and I wouldn’t recommend staying here based on how my situation was handled.

The swimming pool was the highlight, ready to use in midsummer, as the photo shows. Beyond that, the location was the only thing going for the place. Our room stank and had dirty, grubby flooring that clearly showed a lack of cleanliness. Honestly, it was quite sad. No towels seemed pretty standard, and the door lock looked ready to fall off its frame. At $350 for one night, this place shouldn’t be on Booking.com.

We kept having to wait at the front desk for help, but no one was there. They first sent us to the wrong room and tried to blame us, then moved us to another room, and moved us again the next day. We had to stand around while they finished cleaning the room, which should have been done beforehand. The bedroom was still messy, with bugs and a bed that was very uncomfortable. The blanket was incredibly thin, so we were cold at night, and the floors hadn’t been vacuumed well. What are we paying for?