We had a comfortable stay. The staff were always polite. Sarah, the main cleaner for the lodge was…read morefantastic. She was always helpful and smiling. She always made sure we were taken care of. Eg: cleaning the room if needed, top up coffee or milk (if we asked), clean towels. The room was a standard room. The price was cheap for 3 people. The bed could be split into single beds if you needed. The room had a small kitchen area, dinning table. stove and fridge. We stayed in the bigger room that was designed for a person with disabilities. It was on the ground floor, had room for a wheelchair (a bit tight, but managble), or a walker and a big bathroom with a shower seat and no barriers to use facilities. There was a ramp to get to room, perfect for someone with disabilities. There is also a little courtyard and spa private spa. In walking distance there are thermal hot pools. A colorful playground with public BBQ's, a campsite, a decent size four square, a bakery, a takeaways, a bottle store (if you want a wine or some beers). There is also Craigweil rest home close if you are from out of town visiting a loved one. Will definitely recommend Parakai Springs Lodge if you want cheap accommodation close to amenities and hot pools. Sarah was fantastic and made our stay welcome.

This is a little bit of a surprise in the very quiet and dated Parakai neighbourhood, a…read morecontemporary development, that is totally needed in the area. I stayed here for a night over the weekend, to escape the rush of the city and enjoy some quiet time. This was a wonderful first time experience, the property I would say has been functioning for less than a year, as it all was very new and fresh. I loved the well planned and designed rooms, with kitchenette, bathroom along with a jacuzzi bath and out on the balcony your very own spa bath with thermal water. Located on a suburban street across the road from a small commercial thermal pool, the west setting sun in the winter afternoon was sublime. Take a five minute walk to the main village shops, where you can purchase groceries and any items you might have forgotten to bring. Before I arrived, my partner and I had to pop into the mineral park motel near by and pre pay the accommodation at the office and pick up keys, however this might just be a present occurrence, as at the lodge I could see that a reception area was in place but at the time not in use. The Premier rooms are the bigger of the two choices, with a super king bed and the thermal outdoor private pools, located on the downstairs block, whilst the upstairs rooms have smaller beds and only the indoor jacuzzi bath. For forty dollars extra I would always recommend the premier room. A wonderful relaxed spot, do explore and check it out.

My family and all my friends from Ireland stayed here when they came over for my wedding a couple…read moreof years ago. As regards the location, it suited us fine as we live nearby and the wedding was in a hotel in the Waitakeres. I guess if you wanted to explore Auckland, it may not be your best bet as it's a bit outside the city - if you want to explore the more central neighbourhoods you're going to have to travel to and fro on the North Western motorway. The hotel itself was fine, there was no complaints. The vibe was a little sterile but that's often what you get with hotel chains. Some nights we were busy with wedding planning so our entourage had to ask the staff for directions etc and they said they were very helpful. A well run hotel but perhaps not in the most central location.

I enjoyed my stay at this hotel. Staff were really nice and accommodating. So much better than most…read morehotels. It's close to eating areas also. Enjoyed walking around the nearby track and field and the hotel partners with a nearby gym. Our stay included breakfast at the Icon Restaurant. Hotel also has laundry facilities which is always a plus. Ample parking spaces also. Rooms were small but it didn't bother me.

What a lovely little hotel. We stayed one night and had a lovely stay. Our room was large and…read morecomfortable. The small kitchen was a nice bonus. The bed was very comfortable, and the shower was great! A short walk to a Woolworths and some restaurants. We're glad we booked it again on our way back to Auckland.

What a charming little motel! I didn't think "charming" and "motel" would go together in the same…read moresentence, but it does. We were recently in NZ on holiday, and we had a long drive up to the Bay of Islands, so we decided to break it up with an overnight stay just north of Auckland. The first place we reserved told us they didn't allow children (??), so we (with our toddler) had to scramble to find another place. I found the Beachcomber's website, advertising it as a boutique motel, and thought it was worth a try. We were able to book a room for that very night. Orewa is not too far north of Auckland, but there's a nice wide strip of beach and a small walkable commercial area. I'm sure it's a lovely beach getaway in the summer, but even winter was fine. This motel is a short walk from the centre and directly across from the beach park. Every room has its own personality. They seemed to be different sizes and layouts. Ours, Room 12 on the top floor, had a living/dining/kitchen area, and a bedroom in the back with ensuite. Our suite was red/white/black and the bedroom was very instagrammable. Black and white damask wallpaper, black chandelier, white tables. The living area up front had lots of seating options, funky wiry barrel-shaped tables, and a modern four-seat dining table. Room for our child's cot, too. Sliding glass doors (which we kept closed) would be lovely thrown open in summer, with the net curtain drawn to keep insects out. Probably necessary in summer - there is no central heating or air-conditioning, so we had to use a space heater from the closet (and there was a fan, for summer). A small door opened to a back outdoor walkway. The kitchen had a mini refrigerator, a microwave, sink, cooktop, kettle, glasses, utensils, plates. Large bathroom behind a barn-style door, and a generous-sized shower with a rainfall shower head. They have such a boutique vibe going on, they have surprisingly uninspired toiletries. Just dispensers hanging on the wall of the shower for shampoo and body wash, which is unfortunate, because it seems just a bit low-end for this kind of establishment. No guest elevator, at least none that I saw. Parking area is a little awkward because it's small - we parked on the end and reversed in, but if you had to park further in, getting out could be a little challenging, especially for large vehicles. Free wi-fi. Super cute! Probably my favorite accommodations the whole trip.

Did you know that the Grand Hotel Helensville's claim to fame is that they were the first…read morecommercial pub, restaurant and accommodation in New Zealand? This grand old dame, it is also the "original" Grand Hotel, is still holding up well and recently came under new ownership and management so we think there is a bit of a renaissance in store. I had a drink here the other day and the facilities are friendly, laid back and family friendly. The back garden bar is a nice space to hang out with friends. Rosso Restaurant recently got a revamp and the two new chefs Shaun and Stevie have great plans for the menu. If you are into Scottish food then come on out for a meal as Shaun did his cheffing there so has treats in store.

Aristotle's is an inexplicably named motel on the North Shore. I still don't understand why you'd…read morename your motel after a Greek philosopher. Maybe some sort of irony that I don't get, or maybe Plato's was taken. Anyway... Aristotle's is a decent sort of motel, it's at the end of Link Drive so sort of in between the big box retail, the teenage delights of the cinema and bowling alley, and the surrounding suburbia. It was built relatively recently so it's a bit brighter and airier than some other motels on the Shore. The rooms are pretty well appointed for the price you pay - most have their own spa bath - and there's a pool and a conference centre too. In all, a good choice if you want good quality lodging in the low $100s range.

We have very much enjoyed our stay at Aristotle's over the recent Easter holidays…read more Great motel. Very comfortable. Fab location for families. Very friendly/helpful owners & staff. We will be staying there on own next trip to NZ.

Discreet not really my side of town as I'm usually a 5star executive type personality,unfortunately…read morebeggars can't be choosers,so it was kinda only place at the time and had to do.Thanks Mali -service provider 0210372542

Even though the Stardome is now named after a benefactor (can't be helped I guess), it is still as…read morecool as it ever was. The staff don't mind if you just wander in and have a look around and the foyer alone has enough to amuse the kiddies for at least half an hour, probably longer. During the school holidays they run all kinds of fun stuff and if you haven't been before, it's unlike anything else you can do around the town. You absolutely have to be organised and book in advance and maybe the movie is a bit dated, but it's fascinating and presented in a way that makes astronomy accessible to everyone - even 3 year olds. There's an arty crafty session where the kids get to make their own (artistically questionable) souvenir but the highlight is that the film is shown Cinema 180 style on the ceiling. A bit hard on the neck but SO worth it. You can hire the Stardome for functions but when I looked into booking it for an event, I ran in to the problem of how to keep kids from playing unsupervised in the lobby so that's something to consider. I'm ashamed to say I have never been here in the evening and actually looked through that giant telescope at the night sky. I intend to do it every Winter but late nights out in Winter just don't seem to happen. This is the year.

We were thinking about what show we should pick and have chosen "The winter sky". It was just…read moreamazing, to see what stats and planets we can see with our naked eye from Auckland. At least in good weather. After the show we went outside to see the Saturn through telescopes. Not the Zeiss one, but smaller. I saw the Saturn through the telescope for the first time and it was the biggest happy moment I have had in years! You can actually see the planet and the rings! Super cool! We haven't had a chance to use the Zeiss telescope because of the weather, but we are definitely going to do this next time.

What a gorgeous boutique stationer, hidden away in the back of the renovated old Devonport post…read moreoffice. Thankful to my friend for introducing me to this little delight with it's amazing range of writing instruments, inks, journals, notebook, paper goods etc. Such a cool place to browse especially for that hard-to-buy-for friend (now I know where to go!). Hard cause you just want to buy everything for yourself. They have a gorgeous Kate Spade NY stationary collection as well as very vintage-esque wax seals for their rubber stamps and fountain pens. Lovely Scandinavian printed Orla Kiely and luxurious Midori range as well as neat pencil cases + accessories (cool Japanese paper ones), wrapping and decorating goods also. Love seeing the products in person to flip through it and have a feel but you can shop online as well. They do letterpress printing if you are in need of bespoke invites, personalised stationary, cards etc also. Lovely little space with the best range of special stationary goods and friendly staff- highly recommend a look in

This is a super shop staffed by a charming lady (Kim, when I visited). She was super helpful and…read morethe shop itself is a delight - clean, well-stocked and airy. If you're into pencils, pens, and paper to use them on, this is a great place to visit. It appears the shop's motto is "Make an impression". Well they certainly did with me. Tony P