Accommodation in Te Kaha

27th October 2011
After travelling for 2 and a half hours to get to this "luxury" accommodation our first impressions were "nice spot, nice looking exterior". That's where the positives ended. STAFF: Unprofessional. Sad saps who felt sorry for themselves (because of the receivership situation) and didn't bother to provide any customer service. The only one worth their salt was the young man at the bar - he was the only one dressed professionally. That said, my mother had to write out her own order for the Restaurant food because no-one was available to take it! When we were shown to our room the staff arrived with a huge trolley and started counting out the cutlery and plates to make sure it was all there. Possible something that should be done prior to people arriving? POOL: Filled with green algae and unavailable for the long weekend! This was part of the reason we chose the place. Surely you would advise this on your website! SPA: After looking at the pool there was no way I was going near the spa. RESTAURANT: Not what is represented on the website. Bland. The only thing going for it is the view - apart from that it resembles your typical local hotel/pub eatery. 4 items available on the menu. No where near the "luxury" standard of food represented on the website. BAR: Walked in and received a frosty reception from the locals. Felt like we were intruding. Stunk of cigarette smoke, was dirty and didn't have Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir or Merlot! In fact, they hardly had any wine. Once again, not the "luxury" portrayed on the website. ROOMS: OK. Oven didn't work properly but the bed was OK. Washing machine and dryer were squeezed in beside the loo so you had to be flexible enough to reach the toilet paper behind the washing machine. As the other review noted, the bar services the locals as well. Not a very inviting atmosphere. All in all this was a complete waste of time and money. It is a complete misrepresentation for the website to be portraying some sort of luxury accommodation. The exterior seems to pull it off but then you walk in and find the Clampets running it. I sent feedback to the hotel and was told "we're not Auckland you know" and that I was "obviously a very judgemental person". Stay in Ohope or Whakatane - much more bang for your buck and a much higher standard of service for a lot less outlay.

8th April 2008
Snapper bach at Waikawa BnB is an amazing place set in the rugged tranquil beauty of the East Cape. Fantastic fishing and diving in crystal water (even I managed a 20lb snapper and some crayfish). The hosts (Shirley and Russ) went out of there way to accomodate and make us feel welcome and made sure we had everything we needed. Thanks again Russ and Shirley - I'm sure we will see you again soon. Regards, Vaughan