Glenn Caulfield
North Island ▷ Hawkes Bay ▷ Te Awanga ▷
1.5/5
I get the impression this place is a favourite of many, probably long time regulars and extended family & friends of the regulars and the management.
Which is a plus for all of them, but not so in our case as first timers in peak season. We believe we were knowingly and purposely, without notification nor even an apology when it came to light, allocated to a different cabin than booked.
I had specifically booked the only cabin (number 4) with a direct view to sea. It was for the night before the cabin was due to be occupied by family of the management (they had to double check the dates when I was on the phone making the booking). A month before our stay I emailed to say we'd have an extra person and did they want prepayment or just payment at the time for the additional fee. I also specially mentioned cabin 4 in that email. No answer to that email. In hindsight that seems very likely to be because they knew we'd already been shunted out of number 4.
When we arrived I was told we were in cabin 2, I said I'm sure it was 4, and I was told there was a muckup. Even if we had been put in cabin 4, there was a bus parked just metres in front of it so there was no view despite the website saying cabin 4 has a view so you'd think that area would have to be kept clear of such large obstruction.
The only upside is that cabin 2 was right next to the cooking / toilet / shower block which is a long way from cabin 4.
But we're not happy that we did not get what was specifically booked, that we strongly believe they knew full well some time in advance, and no apology and/or token discount or suchlike was offered.
If we had been in cabin 4 and that bus had still been parked lengthways in front of the cabin, we'd have been mightily unhappy also.