The hotel was ok. The room was mostly clean except the carpet could use an update. The bathroom…read morewas clean and that's important. No heater so they gave us little room heaters. Decent hotel for the price. Not luxury living though. The staff was incredibly nice and free wifi. Plus continental breakfast. Very close walk to this very small towns shopping area. The pool looked decent but was to cold to go in.

We recently stayed at the Tanoa Paihia Hotel as part of a Groupon package and we found it simple…read moreand charming. The hotel itself is a little dated, but it was clean and the location was nice. It was a short 5 minute walk to the Paihia Wharf with all the touristy shops and restaurants along the way. Our favorite part of the staying at this hotel was the very friendly and accommodating hotel staff- they were exceptional! The hotel has an outdoor pool and hot tub, restaurant, guest laundry area, and free Wifi.

After reading some of the reviews on this site, I expected more. From my perspective this is…read morestrictly an average hotel, deserving 3 stars, with only a few redeeming features. I certainly have experienced "Above average" (4 stars) and "Wahoo...as good as it gets" (5 stars) elsewhere. There are three strong positives for this hotel: location, quality of sheets/ bedding/towels, and free wifi. The hotel is situated on the strand, as are so many other hotels. It is also centrally located in town; yet as the town is only 3 blocks long, so are all the hotels in Russell. Only a few of the rooms actually front the marina, and at a very high price. The side rooms, some of which are described as "small/cosy" (read tiny), have side views looking over parking lots, dirty & cluttered rooftops of adjoining buildings, or the workers service area. Aside from the aforementioned positives, the rest of the experience was merely average, or in some cases sub-par. We had a very average continental buffet breakfast (see photos). Canned juices, canned fruits (1 bowl of freshly cut fruit), and startlingly, no hot dishes...not even the "hot" water for the coffee (they provide large urns of initially hot water which turns tepid in short order). Check out time is 10AM, and though the hotel was only moderately full, and we asked for 11:30 checkout, management only was able to give us until 11AM. Not very accommodating. Most hotels don't even blink at saying yes to 12 Noon. We had our local friends join us for lunch, and we dined outside on the front porch overlooking the strand. While the venue was pleasing, and the weather cooperated, the food was decent, and yet the service was unprofessionally lackluster. Though we specifically requested no added herbs or parsley be put on our Bouillabaisse ($25), it was delivered with parsley (we sent it back). The other mains of Thai Beef salad ($17.50) and Venison Loin ($19.50) were similarly tasty, though smallish portions (see photos). Taking 15 minutes to receive a side order of bread ($3) to accompany the bouillabaisse is not acceptable. Note: if you're a local, ask for the discount.

Great atmosphere, great view, great service. We came at an odd hour (3pm) and they weren't serving…read moremeals at that time, so we had drinks and bar snacks instead (chips and kumara bread). This place is sort of the crown jewel in Russell's tourist scene, with its legendary history (it was founded in the 1830s by an ex-convict during a time when Russell was a "hell hole" filled with whalers and prostitutes). But its founder quickly worked to transform it into a genteel and elegant hotel, and this is the elegance you notice today, both in the interior pub/dining room and in the expansive outdoor decks. The drinks list is extensive and reasonably priced (although I noticed most of the wine was sold by the bottle, not by the glass). The kumara bread was AMAZING (it's like thick slices of dense bread with a faint sweet potato taste, and you dip it in extra-virgin olive oil....oh my goodness, I want the recipe, it's that good). One serving of kumara bread was enough for 3 people. The chips, however, were actually quite gross. They tasted really fishy, like someone had cooked the chips next to some fish. That's really gross for many people who hate seafood or are vegan/vegetarian -- when you order a seemingly innocuous menu item like chips, you don't expect it to taste like fish!! So that was disgusting. Atmosphere-wise, it's great, though, with a view right onto the water and plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the nice weather. Definitely worth a visit during your stay in Russell.

We stayed at the anchorage motel three nights while we were in paihia. It has a nice view of the…read morewater and also has a pool. A big plus for us is it has a good air conditioner. We had a superior king and it had plenty of room with a large bathroom. The owner was very nice and we could walk to nearby restaurants. It was plenty close enough to walk to the the grocery store and shops in the center of town. We would stay here again if we come back to the region.

I am sorry to say that we were unable to stay at this accommodation. My sister and I became ill…read moreduring our recent travel and notified the motel immediately and within the 24 hour cancellation time frame as advertised on their web page when booking. I am sad to report that no sooner did I cancel our accommodation than they charged my credit card. I have exchanged numerous emails with the management and they refuse to reverse these charges so I have no choice than to contest this with my credit card company. Be very careful with this accommodation as they do not honor their own policy.

Fantastic and pleasant experience all around! Don't let the word "motel" turn you off. While this…read moremay not be the most glamorous of places from the outside, it is modern, clean, functional, and very cozy. Our room was a suite with a living room and a kitchen. It was quiet, comfortable, and everything looked brand new inside. Convenient parking spot is 2 steps away from the door. The hosts were friendly, and very informative. They gave us great tips on thjngs to do, and rescued our day when one of our bookings got canceled. I definitely recommend it and would gladly stay here again!

This hostel is on a very central location in paihia. What i liked:…read more-clean -friendly staff -central location Tip:if visiting in dec/jan, book well beforehand. This hostel very quickly fills up. The top bunkbed can be a bit 'tight'.

Absolutely lovely place to stay. The rooms are new, modern and large. The kitchen is stocked with…read morenice appliances that you'd have in your own home. I didn't feel like I needed to rewash anything in the cupboards and there was everything you'd need including nice teas, cookies, a bodum for coffee etc. Good shower water pressure. The only reason I'm deducting a star is because we had a few too many calls from the lovely, very helpful owners. The first morning we had a call at 9 asking if we needed any towels. We were exhausted and jetlagged with a toddler who was actually sleeping. Then we had a call at 10:05 the morning we were checking out. It's nice that they're so helpful but sometimes you just want to settle in and relax. I'd still stay again though! Great location and hotel.

The suite was really nice and surprising! Instead of your traditional door, it was a large window…read moresliding pane that opened up to a cute little front yard set up. The bed was comfortable and clean. Soap and shampoo was provided and the kitchen was useful to clean our grocery store bought fruits. There was also a mini fridge and a selection of teas and coffee for us to drink. A hot water boiler was also provided. The motel was also a short walk from the town center.

When you look out across the Bay of Islands from the living room, or the decks, or while having an…read moreimmodest breakfast, you will begin to understand why we loved this place. Our room was large, modern, quiet and well appointed. But Angelique and Mark, the owners, really make the experience of Tiki Tiki Ora special. From the warm greeting, to all the helpful recommendations about Russell and the Northland, to the engaging, interesting conversation, these two are hosts of exceptional quality. I cannot think of anything reasonable they wouldn't gladly do for you as a guest- mark even pulled out my stuck rental car ( backup misadventure. Treat yourself and stay here.