Motels in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand

We made a call in the afternoon as we arrived later than check in time and the owner waited till 9:30 pm for us, it was really nice for him. The room is spacious, including a big bathroom, since it is summer now there are many insects flying around, need to take care of them.

Very welcoming staff but somewhat surprised at lack of face coverings. Even more noticeable as no interest in vaccination passes (understand that but would have thought masks even more valid in an enclosed reception area when status unknown and dealing with travellers). Moving beyond that staff certainly welcoming…just when travelling it is a noticeable issue… The unit was exactly what we were expecting - clean, comfortable and bright with everything expected for a short stay. Bed was comfortable however layout of complex meant noise from other units and road noise. Overall great value and if the unit at our bedhead had not had the TV on all night our stay would have been greatly improved. Would stay at again but something to be conscious of. Note also a high school is over the fence so expect school bells during school terms.

Pre booked this (partly on the basis they had a sauna) while we were in NZ for the FIFA World Cup. On arrival we were told no sauna as somebody put water on the rocks and wrecked it. Really? Room was freezing as no double glazing on windows and heater mounted on ceiling so has to run at full power to heat the room. On a plus side the room is clean and bed comfortable and the beds have electric blankets so you won’t get hypothermia through the night. Also the motel is located in between the two distinct restaurant and pub districts in town so it’s an easy walk between the two areas.

I stayed in the lodge over a weekend since they were the cheapest in the area. They are about a 10-25 walk to the Ohakune information center so still quite close to town. The lodge has four people rooms but I was able to get one to myself. I booked online and did a self check in since I arrived late at night. the reception is located near the rear of the property, keep an eye out for the signs. They have a fairly large lodge with a drying room, kitchen and spa. There is quite a bit of parking on the property but it can get quite cramped particularly when there are larger vehicles there. There are two driveways so you can loop around if one way is a bit tight. Be wary that you do need your own towels in the lodge. Although the rooms are a bit dated, it is still a good value for money and has all the things you would need for a stay. They also have motel rooms available.

Booked 3 rooms for family group, totalling 8 room nights. In Palmy for a family wedding. The room was very clean and the rate very good at $135 a night. The motel is very close to the Mall Entrance with lots of decent shopping and also near a number of restaurants. I liked the walking distance aspect. The rooms were very dark and there is a fan rather than air con. Luckily it wasn’t too hot. Our room had an upgraded bathroom, others did not. There were a couple of issues with the shower not draining in the non renovated bathrooms. The reception manager is friendly, however we requested a later checkout and when refused, asked if wer could just use one of our three rooms, for half an hour, due to a late night the previous day at the wedding. However this was declined. I would have thought request that wouldn’t have imposed on the cleaning schedule too much as the other rooms could have been serviced first. For an $1000+ reservation group, most hotels I’ve stayed in would accomodate this request. Accordingly I have marked down this property, which I rarely do.

Very nice place to stay, lovely staff who were both friendly and efficient. Great location across from the shopping centre and close to many other things. Free parking inside the building grounds is a plus, and right outside our door. We had a top floor with a balcony which was great - no view or anything but at least nice to sit outside privately. There was a spa bath in the room opposite the bed - we didn't use it (ran out of time) but it certainly looked welcoming and had extra towels and soap on hand. The bed was king size and comfy-ish. The mattress was a bit tired (slight roll in the middle and sunk a bit) so that could have been nicer. The bathroom was nice and large with everything needed. Lovely tiles to walk on. The shower cubicle was a good size, but.... the water pressure was sad and the temperature was awful - turned it up to nearly the hottest just to get warm - feels scary doing that in case it suddenly jumps to hot - didn't like that very much. The hair dryer needs to be removed - it's a cheap and nasty wall job with just an on button - i could have blown harder! Hair dryers are very cheap these days - I think a proper one would have been better for the price we paid for the unit - just saying. Comfy couch and single chair to sit on - dining/coffee table a bit small and low when we used it for eating, but we made do for the one night. Would stay again - just hope that those niggly things would have been improved/replaced by next time, maybe?? Thank you!

Will stay again here for sure. Perfect location in town. Nice quiet area. Rooms very clean , good comfy bed. Spa bath in bathroom. Sky TV Good heating in the room. Our flight from Auckland arrived early im the morning so we requested an early check in. They were very obliging - other places we enquired at said NO WAY to an early check in. Thanks Camelot , next time we are down we will stay again 👍

Hello to the hotel staff at reception, thank you soo much ,for your kindness and warm welcome. You very polite and very helpful. The rooms were fabulous and I just loved the kitchen ...as it saved me from buying takeaway which I dislike as it's unhealthy and expensive...my kids n.my husb ...we ALL LOVE HOME COOKED MEALS ,ESP when on a vacation.God bless you my dear for being so supportive ..

The room I stayed in this time has been refurbished, and it is beautiful and the accommodation is quiet. I will introduce it to my friends next time. The boss is Chinese, very friendly, introduce what we go to, and the price is not expensive. The parking space is 10 points. .

Very welcoming staff but somewhat surprised at lack of face coverings. Even more noticeable as no interest in vaccination passes (understand that but would have thought masks even more valid in an enclosed reception area when status unknown and dealing with travellers). Moving beyond that staff certainly welcoming…just when travelling it is a noticeable issue… The unit was exactly what we were expecting - clean, comfortable and bright with everything expected for a short stay. Bed was comfortable however layout of complex meant noise from other units and road noise. Overall great value and if the unit at our bedhead had not had the TV on all night our stay would have been greatly improved. Would stay at again but something to be conscious of. Note also a high school is over the fence so expect school bells during school terms.

Booked 3 rooms for family group, totalling 8 room nights. In Palmy for a family wedding. The room was very clean and the rate very good at $135 a night. The motel is very close to the Mall Entrance with lots of decent shopping and also near a number of restaurants. I liked the walking distance aspect. The rooms were very dark and there is a fan rather than air con. Luckily it wasn’t too hot. Our room had an upgraded bathroom, others did not. There were a couple of issues with the shower not draining in the non renovated bathrooms. The reception manager is friendly, however we requested a later checkout and when refused, asked if wer could just use one of our three rooms, for half an hour, due to a late night the previous day at the wedding. However this was declined. I would have thought request that wouldn’t have imposed on the cleaning schedule too much as the other rooms could have been serviced first. For an $1000+ reservation group, most hotels I’ve stayed in would accomodate this request. Accordingly I have marked down this property, which I rarely do.

Very nice place to stay, lovely staff who were both friendly and efficient. Great location across from the shopping centre and close to many other things. Free parking inside the building grounds is a plus, and right outside our door. We had a top floor with a balcony which was great - no view or anything but at least nice to sit outside privately. There was a spa bath in the room opposite the bed - we didn't use it (ran out of time) but it certainly looked welcoming and had extra towels and soap on hand. The bed was king size and comfy-ish. The mattress was a bit tired (slight roll in the middle and sunk a bit) so that could have been nicer. The bathroom was nice and large with everything needed. Lovely tiles to walk on. The shower cubicle was a good size, but.... the water pressure was sad and the temperature was awful - turned it up to nearly the hottest just to get warm - feels scary doing that in case it suddenly jumps to hot - didn't like that very much. The hair dryer needs to be removed - it's a cheap and nasty wall job with just an on button - i could have blown harder! Hair dryers are very cheap these days - I think a proper one would have been better for the price we paid for the unit - just saying. Comfy couch and single chair to sit on - dining/coffee table a bit small and low when we used it for eating, but we made do for the one night. Would stay again - just hope that those niggly things would have been improved/replaced by next time, maybe?? Thank you!

Will stay again here for sure. Perfect location in town. Nice quiet area. Rooms very clean , good comfy bed. Spa bath in bathroom. Sky TV Good heating in the room. Our flight from Auckland arrived early im the morning so we requested an early check in. They were very obliging - other places we enquired at said NO WAY to an early check in. Thanks Camelot , next time we are down we will stay again 👍

Hello to the hotel staff at reception, thank you soo much ,for your kindness and warm welcome. You very polite and very helpful. The rooms were fabulous and I just loved the kitchen ...as it saved me from buying takeaway which I dislike as it's unhealthy and expensive...my kids n.my husb ...we ALL LOVE HOME COOKED MEALS ,ESP when on a vacation.God bless you my dear for being so supportive ..

Palmerston North is blessed with a load of Motels and Hotels, ranging from the Absolute Dire, to Really, Really good. Aspree Motor Inn is the pick of the bunch. Fastidiously Clean and functional rooms, epic Customer Service and an awesome location. Even whilst being on the Main Drag, the rooms are quiet and afford a decent night's rest. We have our Drivers staying here at least once a week for a while now, and they do not like staying anywhere but the Aspree. Fantastic parking around the back allows easy access for Trucks and Trailers. It's location in proximity to Supermarkets and Restaurants really cannot be beat. The Nightly Rates are extremely good value for money. We really appreciate our Drivers being able to stay in such Clean and Comfortable rooms while they are away from their families. Keep up the amazing work Aspree Team!

Very helpful and supportive for having to extend my stay, without much warning.l, due to hospital appointments. Clean and cosy studio unit which was suitable for my needs. Cafe Zest is a superb Cafe with menu items for Gluten-free customers and also willingness to find out ingredients in foods offered. Great coffee always 😋

What a fantastic place to stay. Very clean modern rooms and close to the centre of Palmerston North. Shopping mall just across the road. Great hosts who made us feel welcome. It was a very pleasant stay and will be on the top of our list for places to stay when we return.

Pre booked this (partly on the basis they had a sauna) while we were in NZ for the FIFA World Cup. On arrival we were told no sauna as somebody put water on the rocks and wrecked it. Really? Room was freezing as no double glazing on windows and heater mounted on ceiling so has to run at full power to heat the room. On a plus side the room is clean and bed comfortable and the beds have electric blankets so you won’t get hypothermia through the night. Also the motel is located in between the two distinct restaurant and pub districts in town so it’s an easy walk between the two areas.

I stayed in the lodge over a weekend since they were the cheapest in the area. They are about a 10-25 walk to the Ohakune information center so still quite close to town. The lodge has four people rooms but I was able to get one to myself. I booked online and did a self check in since I arrived late at night. the reception is located near the rear of the property, keep an eye out for the signs. They have a fairly large lodge with a drying room, kitchen and spa. There is quite a bit of parking on the property but it can get quite cramped particularly when there are larger vehicles there. There are two driveways so you can loop around if one way is a bit tight. Be wary that you do need your own towels in the lodge. Although the rooms are a bit dated, it is still a good value for money and has all the things you would need for a stay. They also have motel rooms available.

We stayed for 1 night and it was fine for a 1 night stay where you aren’t spending a lot of time there. We had a double bed and a single and there wasn’t room for much else. Bathroom had a small corner shower, little vanity and toilet with barely enough room for a person to dry themselves. Paper thin walls meant you could hear your neighbours. In saying that, it was clean and a great location in town with everything in walking distance. In my opinion it was overpriced, but it was on par to other motels in Ohakune. If going back, I’d probably try out another motel but in all honesty they all seem to be similar.

I booked accommodation at the Ohakune Court Motel for the 12th August for 1 night through Agoda. The booking was Non refundable which I have never had a problem with when I have booked through *********** in the past. My daughter took me to the accommodation, we went in and it stunk, my daughter said mum, you cant stay here it is awful. I went and saw the lady at Reception, she came into the room and said she couldn’t smell anything. First lie. I asked if she had any other rooms but she didn’t, I asked for a refund which she agreed to, she disappeared and then came back and said as I had booked through *********** I would have to get in touch with them and she would do what she had to do her end, I actually booked througb Agoda. My daughter was there the whole time so everything was fine so we went off and tried to find alternative accommodation, which we did and it was lovely. I got in touch with Agoda and they said they wanted the name of the person and their title before they could put the refund through. I said I think she was the owner, so they put it through and said I would hear back from the main source. I emailed the Motel and didn’t hear anything. The next morning (Sunday) I called the Motel, the lady answered, I explained I was ringing up about my refund and she never said another word and put the phone down, I tried quite a few times to call back but it went onto answerphone. Every time. My daughter took me round to the Motel and she said that she spoke to the owner and he said there is no refund, because she (the lady) couldn’t smell anything. I said that you told me yesterday that I would get a refund, I asked to talk to the owner but she said he wasn’t there. I told her she was rude and very unprofessional for putting the phone down on me earlier, her excuse was she was busy., but she managed to answer it the first time. I said that I would be complaining and putting it on Social media, her words were, “Go for it” I had to find another $200 that night for accommodation so the whole1 night turned out to cost me $390.00 which is more than my weekly pension. I went down to spend some time away with my family for my 67th birthday, one I wont forget in a hurry for the wrong reasons. I agree with cancellation policy if the room is clean and doesn’t smell. There is no way I could have slept in that room for the whole night. They shouldn’t be running a Motel as they obviously don’t have any people skills at all. My daughter was there the whole time and was witness to it all. She works in a Motel in Matamata and couldn’t believe the way they reacted. When we got back in the car there was a guy coming out of the room behind the reception and the lady pushed him back in the room. Please heed this warning DO NOT STAY AT THIS MOTEL. The Hobbit Motorlodge, Ohakune were so nice in comparison and done everything to make my stay more memorable.

A group of us stayed in the chalet. It was comfortable and great for a group. A short stroll to the powderhorn for dinner. Friendly hosts. There were a couple of minor issues that they fixed straight away. Happy to recommend as a great spot to base you and your friends for an Adventure weekend in Ohakune. Winter or summer. And check out the local takeout The Blind Finch - for the best burgers, pies and danishes!!

We made a call in the afternoon as we arrived later than check in time and the owner waited till 9:30 pm for us, it was really nice for him. The room is spacious, including a big bathroom, since it is summer now there are many insects flying around, need to take care of them.

Older looking from the road our one night unit was welcoming, warm and cosy. Updated bathroom, comfortable bed, plenty of TV channels and scrupulously clean. Would definitely stay agaim. Very pleasant and helpful proprietor. If you are a light sleeper complimentary ear plugs provided to block out the passing trucks heading through the Desert Rd ahead. Personally, I am a light sleeper, didn't use ear plugs and slept like a baby . Stepped outside in the morning to a surprisingly hard frost but our unit was warm even without a heater running all night.

This was an unexpected treat. We had driven from Hamilton - had not booked in advance, and had failed to find accommodation in Rotorua or Taupo, so we were grateful for this last minute deal. It was just great! Plenty of space, comfortable beds, parking. There is a nice restaurant next door and we had a delicious meal to round off our long day. Taihepe itself is a treat. We loved it.