Harbour City Motor Inn

The room was impeccably clean, with fresh linen, a very comfortable bed and pillows, and the location was awesome. Staff were friendly and the service was good. The motel is outdated and needs a big, expensive makeover to compete with the others. The rooms need upgrading, and there’s duct tape holding the lino together. Still, the price was great for Wellington, and parking was essential for us.

The staff were careless when we raised our concerns. The first night, we got the sort of response that was basically, “Be quiet and send an email.” Save your money and go elsewhere. Our room was cold, with only a throw and no proper blanket on the bed. The heater would switch off randomly and seemed preset so the room could never get warm enough. We needed another one. The curtains were partly off their rail, which didn’t help keep the cold out. The fridge froze and ruined about $150 worth of food.

The staff were pleasant, the location was easy to get around from, and having a car park was useful. I was travelling for work with an infant, and someone looking after him used the parking space. But the room was so cold, even with the heater on. It seemed more like decoration than a heater, and was far too small for the room. I used every blanket and duvet on the bed and was still cold. It wasn’t nice with a baby there, and even without a young child it would have been too cold for me. I won’t return.

All the main city centre attractions are within walking distance. My room had a single bed jointed together, a warm quilt and a window, and I hardly felt the cold, even on chilly nights. There was a heater too. It’s a nice little place at a decent price, with the basics covered: hot water, a microwave, TV with basic cable, fridge, and tea, coffee and small milk packets. Towels, shower gel and shampoo are provided. Laundry costs just a couple of bucks.