First off, this is not the Hilton. If that's what you're looking for, look somewhere else. What…read morethis place did offer was a small studio unit with a lot of room to move around in, at least for two people. There was a clean and comfortable king-size bed, two sofa chairs, a table, an eating table, a kitchenette stocked with everything needed for two people to prepare meals (including a mini fridge, milk for coffee, and a microwave and hotplate), and a bathroom. Sure, things are a little dated, but for what you get, the amenities, location, and the price, you can't go wrong! We were just looking for some place to shower, sh*t, sleep, and store our belongings while we went off to explore and experience adventures.
I was looking for a place outside of the busy streets, but still close enough to shopping and restaurants. Although the street is busy with cars, it didn't have the foot traffic that I wanted to avoid. It's about a 10-minute walk from the visitor's building on Fenton Street, and within view of Kuirau Park where you can walk around the geothermal vents for free, and go to the "Farmer's" Market on Saturday if you're there.
We stayed in unit 15 for four nights, arriving on Wednesday and leaving on Sunday (Easter weekend). It was conveniently located at the end of the building, right next to the lounging deck, outside the hot spring tubs, and a short climb upstairs to the heated pool. We couldn't ask for more.
We were greeted every day, several times a day, by several people who worked at the motel. We were always asked if everything was okay or if we needed anything. I don't think we ever walked through there without one of the staff acknowledging us.
Although it was a public holiday weekend, the area was fairly quiet. We were asked if the room next to us was too noisy (we were told they got out of hand in the evening), but we weren't even there at the time. Still, they checked on us.
Being that we were the first door right next to the hot spring tubs, we were a little worried about foot traffic, but people were pretty respectful of their noise level. Speaking of the hot spring tubs, they were perfect! I loved that they were private. No one was just going to jump into a tub with you like it was a community hot tub. These were two small, side-by-side "closets" with a soaking tub that could probably fit four people comfortably. The tub is only about 3 feet deep. A little too deep for me to sit completely in, so I hung out on the step most of the time. There's a little shelf to set your items on, and hooks behind the door to hang your towel, robe, or clothing.
*Tip - We left the light off in the evening so the bugs weren't attracted to our side of the "closet".
The pool upstairs is bigger than I expected. Hotter than I expected, too. I originally went up there to dip in the water and cool off, but to my surprise, it was heated. I guess I missed that. It was still nice after some of our adventures and walking around town a lot.
The lounging deck was peaceful in the mornings and evenings. We sat there a lot while having coffee and vaping.
As travelers, we were thankful that they had a laundry room. There's only one washer and one dryer, and they're in a tiny closet (and I mean tiny!), but they did provide laundry soap, which we were also grateful for.
The one thing that struck me odd was that they didn't have any "Do Not Disturb" signs. So every day, they would come in and change out our towels, empty trash/recycling, and check toilet paper, coffee/tea/milk. We didn't need these things done every day, but maybe that's their way of making sure you're not trashing the place.
A luggage rack would be nice, too. But no biggie, I used the iron board as one.
Overall, we had a pleasant stay. They did great with the space they had to work with, and they made sure we were comfortable in every way.
We plan on booking with them in the future!
