Paihia Beach Resort & Spa

Pros - Great sea views from Large balconies. Spacious rooms. Easy flat walk to town( for eateries, boat trips, ferries to Russell) and Treaty Grounds. Good evening meal in on site restsurant.( though menu v limited and service very slow).Pleasant staff. On site parking. HOWEVER ... Cons- the decor/ furnishings are very very very tired. Scuffed chipped walls and paintwork. Stained carpets. Outdated bathroooms. Thin towels. No 5 star touches like robes , slippers etc. like, looks like, a 1960s motel. So, not a 5 star hotel experience.

Great location nr beach and lovely room with direct access to the pool (from floor 1). Very friendly staff who were very welcoming. Had one evening meal at the hotel which was very good. Would have eaten there again but menu was a bit limited. Breakfast (included in the deal we had) was very good. Local shops and restaurants approximately 10 minutes walk away. Booked as part of a package so can't comment on value

We arrived in Paihia late afternoon. When we walked into the lobby we immediately knew the hotel was not going to be as advertised. It was a motel style lobby with a rack of brochures and carpet from the 70’s. The gentleman at the desk was very nice and showed us to our rooms. We stayed over new years and were paying 550.00 Canadian per night. We were on the top floor, nice view but a room that has not been redecorated since again probably the 70’s. Old and worn rugs. A bathroom door that had severe water damage, swollen and cracked at the bottom, a fan that did not work, mold on the bathroom tiles and water temps in the shower that went from hot to cold as people flushed toilets etc. The little kitchen in the room came with a microwave that was at least twenty years old and damaged cabinets . The tv did not work. If this was a 200 dollar a night room, no problem but not 550.00 . Breakfast was not included in our stay. The pool area was well kept. It is definitely a family run operation. The food in the restaurant was good. I discussed with the manager/ owner about how disappointed I was in the room and that the hotel does not reflect a 4.3 rating. He said that it is new years and normally the rooms are 200.00 and then went on to say that most of the hotels in New Zealand are run down like his hotel which is just not true. He did say he appreciated the feedback but offered absolutely no compensation. We are now at Woodhouse mountain lodge for 300 per night. Breakfast included and it is absolutely beautiful. I would give Paihia beach resort a 2.5-3 star rating.

The Paihia Beach Resort & Spa is in a truly beautiful location, right across from the water, with easy access to town. The views are stunning, and the staff were friendly and professional. That said, there were a few practical challenges during my stay. The elevator was out of service, and there was no advance notice, which made carrying luggage up and down the flights of stairs quite difficult as a solo traveler. Parking is also limited and the wifi was slow. While the hotel is very pretty, there are some signs of age and wear, particularly in the bathrooms. Still, you are largely paying for the unbeatable location and view. With a few updates and better communication about amenities, this could easily be a top-tier experience.

…there endeth the good news. The hotel failed in so many ways that it simply represented a step up from camping. If you want a good base for the local restaurants and amenities, book a room only. We experienced practically unusable wifi, tardy morning reception cover, slow restaurant service (we ended up not eating breakfast here having paid for it), bathroom sink didn’t drain, paintwork was tired and chipped, we couldn’t even book the sauna.