Wonderful motel, highly recommend! The rooms are compact but super clean and well stocked. There…read moreare so many nice touches, such as high quality crisp white bed linens, white and bright bathroom with heat lamp and towel warmer. The selection of breakfast coffee and tea is great, and we were even given fresh milk at check in! Kitchen has everything you'd need to whip up a meal, down to the potato peeler and casserole dish.

We were finishing up our west coast part of the South Island. We decided to stay in Westport for…read morethe night. There are several motels in town but we have had good luck with bella vista so we called and got a room. The lady at the reception desk was very helpful and walked to our room to make sure everything was ok. It was a nice large room and we had a good stay. We stayed in Mar 2017.

Lovely remote/secluded resort on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. Within walking (yes…read morewalking!) distance of Pancake (Punakaiki) Rocks, and right on the beach. Tip - visit at the beginning of the off-season, which is wonderfully peaceful and quiet - I highly recommend it! There is a restaurant and bar on site, and rooms come equipped with bug spray and an umbrella for those wet, rainy days! They thought of everything! Staff is super friendly and helpful, and the chef knows what he (or she??) is doing in the kitchen (dinner was delicious)! Be sure to make reservations if you want to stay for dinner - seating is limited, and the view is gorgeous!

I would describe our stay at the Punakaiki resort as one of the best and biggest surprises of our…read morerecent trip to New Zealand. Booked on-line, we had no real idea of what the hotel would be like. When we pulled in late in the afternoon we got out of the car and stood with our backs to the hotel for the first few minutes. The simple reason was that we watched as the waves crashed onto the deserted beach right across from the main hotel building. It was beautiful with low late afternoon sun shining through the clouds. The hotel did not look busy when we checked in, but when we went to our room- an Eco Suite (was not sure what that was when we booked, but more later) which was across the highway, we were again blown away by the view and the level of comfort in the room. Fortunately we were just in time for high tide and took the advice of the staff member who checked us in to walk the short distance up to Pancake Rocks to catch the high tide. This we did and were not disappointed, although that is a subject for a different review. We walked back down to the hotel and had dinner at the bar. Again, the dinner was so good we were really surprised at the quality. Our appetizer of onion rings was huge, but after driving most of the day, we were hungry and made short work of the hot crunchy rings. Our main course was a delightfully spicy Cajun pasta and a beautifully cooked stuffed chicken breast. Despite being full we decided to order a cheese platter to take back to the room for our lunch on the road the following day. Again it was a very big portion with a very wide selection of cheese. There was only ourselves and another two couples for dinner so clearly the hotel is between seasons right now. We did not see many staff members during our stay, but the people we did see were so friendly and very helpful and informative. Our Eco Suite was actually made from sustainable local materials, but aside from that was spacious, clean and comfortable with wonderful views. Oh, and pedestrian access to the main building was via a handy tunnel under the road. Lighting at the resort is kept to a minimum, so as not to distract the birds flying in from the Petrel Colony nearby. This is just one example of the careful thought that went into the design and execution of the hotel. Anyone passing by should really seriously consider saying at this great hotel.

Charleston Lodge saved us since we were super exhausted from our Glow Worm cave tour adventure, and…read morewe couldn't bring ourselves to drive back to Greymouth. The Lodge is located literally right next door to the Northwest Adventures building. The owner was super nice and immediately gave us a room and made sure we settled in. When we asked about places to eat she said there really weren't too many restaurants, but she gave us directions to small place about a five minute drive away (I think it was called Jacks?). She even phoned ahead to place our order (she had a menu in the office), because she knew we were hungry and she said the place is notorious for long waits (so awesome!) The apartment was comfortable; one main bedroom where my parents stayed and another bed in the living room which is where I slept. There was a nice kitchen with a kettle and tea/coffee, and the bathroom was nice too! I particularly enjoyed the powerful mini heater in the living room. To top it all off the owner provided us with fresh eggs, toast, jam, and juice for breakfast the next day which was so nice! This place was super homey and an awesome find. The hospitality was amazing! :D

Jessie welcomed me when I arrived and made me feel at home. She answered all of my questions. I…read morestayed in a 4 bunk bed room. I was the only person in the entire hostel right on the beach the night that I stayed. Perfect location looking at the ocean. Easy access with a path that you can walk along the beach. Fifteen minutes walking to the pancake rocks and a cafe. I ate dinner at the Scenic Hotel watching the sunset that evening and walked back to the hostel looking at the stars. Very large living room and kitchen looking at the ocean. I definitely recommend staying here. Great value perfect location.

This place is awesome! It is literally on the beach. You can't beat that. The rooms are clean and…read morebathrooms are fairly clean too. The central space and kitchen are great. Very inviting. There are books and games to play. Comfy couches and plenty of eating space. They have laundry and even sell some basic food in the office. It's a 10 minute walk to the pancake rocks and the little cafe near the pancake rocks. Not much in town, but you can't beat the location of this hostel. I'd definitely stay here again.