Distinction Whangarei Hotel & Conference Centre

The location is great, and there's a separate relaxing alfresco bar, a small gym, and a pool. The place has a nostalgic, homely feel if you like decor that reminds you of the past. Upstairs and downstairs aren't soundproof, though. The cleaning is very good, but the outside of the shower could use a little more effort. The bed and pillows were comfortable, and there was a nice-sized TV, a great mirror, and good lighting. The air conditioning gives dry air. It has your needs covered, but there's no microwave or cutlery. They do offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't recommend the dinner menu, as I don't think the chef is quite at the standard the place needs.

The spa and pool were awesome and very clean, and the staff gave good service. It’s a great setting for a hotel, with an easy walk to the Basin and along the river. The rooms are somewhat tired, though, and the external AC units are rusted. The showers hadn't been cleaned properly, with lots of old gunge built up along the door frames.

The hotel is centrally located, which made getting around and reaching nearby areas convenient. Our ground-floor room was reasonably clean, and the basic amenities were acceptable. But the sound insulation was extremely poor: we could clearly hear footsteps from upstairs through the night, and it seriously affected our sleep. The checkout experience from our stay, which ran from the afternoon of January 7th to midday on January 10th, was completely unacceptable. We had no issues and almost no contact with staff until then. We had booked breakfast only for the morning of January 8th, but the receptionist insisted on charging us for both January 7th and 8th. We checked in during the afternoon on the 7th, so it was impossible for us to have eaten breakfast there earlier that day. A staff member beside her seemed to recognize the mistake and repeatedly tried to correct her, but she kept arguing and ignored the reminders. Nearly 15 minutes of checkout were wasted over an error that should have been acknowledged and fixed right away. There was no apology during or after it. She ended by dismissing us with, “Fine, fine, just go,” which felt rude, unprofessional, and deeply disrespectful. This was a failure of basic reasoning, attention to facts, staff training, and service attitude. We left frustrated and upset, and it badly affected our impression of both the hotel and Whangārei. What could have been a pleasant stay ended on a very sour note.

The Maori girls at reception are brilliant, so friendly and accommodating with great customer service. They deserve a pay rise. I'm still staying at the hotel and love it, but I was very disappointed that the front desk, presumably the manager, wouldn't cash out $4 so I could use the hotel's dryer. After an exhausting day of walking, I had to go farther to a dairy, buy something, and ask for cash. In my opinion, that was poor management.