Clean rooms, great location, friendly service and reasonable prices.
My room was smaller than I would have liked, but it was very well-maintained and had a lovely view of the lake. The hotel is within walking distance of the Hamilton nightlife and it's right next door to Palate, which is hands-down THE best restaurant I tried while in New Zealand. (That glowing Yelp review is on the way.)
If you're looking to spend a night out in Hamilton, the Ibis is a great little hotel to stumble back to after barhopping. ;)
One thing worth noting about the Ibis - in order to turn on the lights in your room (or any of the appliances or outlets) you need to leave your key in the card slot by the door. Maybe it's common in New Zealand, but I haven't seen anything like it in the US. It makes sense (I suppose you wouldn't really need things to be on when you're not in the room), but I almost went back to the reception desk to tell them that the power was out in my room before I (finally!) figured it out... read more