Stayed here last night. It's difficult to rate this one, as aesthetically speaking it's quite plain and unimpressive, which tends to skew one's perception from the outset.
But I have to say that this motel is very 'functional' and has a lot of good points about it. The fully equipped kitchenette does what it says on the box -- large microwave, decent-size fridge, lots of cutlery, toaster, kettle. Even a coffee plunger with a sachet of coffee tucked inside, which was a very welcome touch. I got unbounded joy out of the aircon facility -- would've suffocated in Hamilton without it!! Bed was comfortable. Plenty of TV channels to choose from. Good water pressure in the shower. All those essential things get a big tick.
And once I got over the apparent drabness of it, it was quite a pleasant space to spend the night. It's not fancy, but it's very decent. Staff were friendly, from what little I saw of them. The swimming-pool was slightly disappointing ~ quite small, certainly not fit for doing laps, and the area around it had no 'decor' or design to it at all. But as with my New Plymouth accommodation, I'd booked this hotel because it has a pool (which I knew I'd be in dire need of after my long drive), and it served its purpose, so I'm not complaining.
One small issue regarding the shampoo in the shower stall. The bottles were wall-mounted in such a way that it was really awkward to squeeze the nozzle. The shampoo kept squirting in every which direction except into my hand. With those 'push-down' nozzles you have to be able to tilt the bottle as you squeeze, otherwise the liquid runs down the side of the bottle. Not sure why they choose to have this wall-mounted arrangement instead of miniature bottles like at other hotels. read more