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Hicks Bay Motel Lodge
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About
#15 of 16 motels in Gisborne
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
...where the morning sun first meets the horizon...1960s Kiwiana - defining what it is to be Kiwi. Set on a 14 acre bluff, 250 meters above sea level, in historic and botanical protected -- unspoiled -- countryside. where peace and tranquility abound. Overlooking the beautiful Hicks Bay Waterways 40 rooms with 175 person total capacity. AMENITIES. Outdoor Swimming Pool. Bush walks. Restaurant -- 60 person seating capacity. Breakfast and Dinner prepared by Maori chef with freshly prepared sauces, vegetables - served homestyle. Shop and Bottle Store. Internet access, Payphone, and Guest laundry. Playground and Pool Table. Glowworm Grotto and Rock Fishing. East Cape Maritime Lighthouse accessible to the public, 35km.Located midway between Opotiki and Gisborne on the Pacific Coast Highway.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Parking
Pool
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Fishing
Convenience store
Picnic area
Coffee shop
Restaurant
Room features
Housekeeping
Seating area
Kitchenette
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Ocean View
Harbour View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
5198 Te Araroa Road, Gisborne New Zealand
Getting there
Auckland Intl Airport
316.9 km•
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Car Hire
1 Attraction
within 10 kilometers
ReviewsWe perform checks on reviews.Tripadvisor’s approach to reviewsBefore posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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Detailed Reviews
Rooms are small and basic but quite well equipped, with toaster, microwave, Baby Belling, towels, crockery, cutlery etc. Bed was spacious and comfortable. Bathroom is very small so a family would find that a challenge! Small, rickety deck at back where you can happily sit and drink in the stunning view! On-site restaurant has good menu and food was really delicious and piping hot. Be prepared to wait though as it’s a busy little place. Wine servings per glass were very generous! Peaceful and quiet overnight with only the sound of the surf and the occasional morepork. Couple of reservations - this is pricy compared with the harbourside motel we had in central Gisborne and no-one ever got back to us re a restaurant reservation despite phone messages and an email!
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Facilities were good, great food in the restaurant and friendly service. We were booked on a local fishing trip with Coastal Fishing Charters and the motel was perfectly suited to our needs. East Cape is first to see the sun and it was amazing how early it got light outside.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Although the setting & views were amazing I can’t recommend this place to stay. Our room stunk & was pokey & small. The reception staff were cold & unwelcoming which was weird as the locals everywhere else around the East Cape was just so friendly. I had an overpriced dinner which included over boiled carrots & broccoli which took me back to my 70’s childhood, the roast spuds were half roasted & reheated. You get charged $30 if you don’t wash your dishes. Would recommend skipping this place & staying somewhere else. Such a shame as the setting is spectacular & the place has so much potential.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We did a roadie around the cape over summer and stayed here one night as it was one of the few places with vacancies. Once you’ve stayed you will understand why it had vacancies when everything else was full....
Staff at reception were friendly. Because we were here during peak season there were no issues with reception being closed. There were plenty of staff around.
Room was $170 which was the biggest rip off. It was old, dated, and the musty smell when you first walk in is overpowering. We had to leave the door wide open to try and air it out, but that never worked. All the windows were jammed and could not be open. Everything in room is old. Shower was full of rust. The bed was comfy though.
Highlights: the food in the restaurant was nice, if expensive, but then they are ages away from anywhere so it’s understandable. Staff in restaurant were super friendly and helpful. They also had a guy singing and playing guitar during dinner and he was awesome!
Pool table next to restaurant was fun.
Overall, this place is not worth the money. It’s a $120 a night max hotel. Anything more and you feel ripped off. However, if it was given refresh it could be a great place to stay.
Staff at reception were friendly. Because we were here during peak season there were no issues with reception being closed. There were plenty of staff around.
Room was $170 which was the biggest rip off. It was old, dated, and the musty smell when you first walk in is overpowering. We had to leave the door wide open to try and air it out, but that never worked. All the windows were jammed and could not be open. Everything in room is old. Shower was full of rust. The bed was comfy though.
Highlights: the food in the restaurant was nice, if expensive, but then they are ages away from anywhere so it’s understandable. Staff in restaurant were super friendly and helpful. They also had a guy singing and playing guitar during dinner and he was awesome!
Pool table next to restaurant was fun.
Overall, this place is not worth the money. It’s a $120 a night max hotel. Anything more and you feel ripped off. However, if it was given refresh it could be a great place to stay.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I can't believe some of the reviews I am reading here. This is a small town and as remote as you will find in the North Island. Six of us had an amazing trip fishing with Coastal Fishing Charters and to go back to our accommodation for an amazing meal and well priced drinks was just so good. This is a very small community in a very remote part of NZ and to get a steak of the quality we had was amazing. If you don't like NZ as it used to be then go stay somewhere else. Lovely people, great food and decent lodgings. Try being nice to the staff and they will return that in bucket loads. !00 times better than we expected
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Date of stay: May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I will not return here, we booked online for 2 nights drove through monsoon like rain and on arrival were told "oh we emailed you cancelling the booking" . Asked if there was room at the motel for that evening and there was for one night. We were disappointed as we had heard good things about the place. We soon realised that we had been lucky. There were people on the outside space having a beer so I asked if the bar was open and given an abrupt " the bar's closed". Then the day after we left the money for our cancelled 2 day stay was taken from our account. 2 phone calls later we got a refund, neither phone call was a pleasant experience.
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Date of stay: March 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The staff epitomise the value of manaakitanga, they know how to look after their guests., elders. Nothing seemed to be a problem in meeting our needs. The food and entertainment was great. An additional bonus was the views from our rooms.. We were very comfortable.
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Date of stay: April 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â We stayed in top units..
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Worst restaurant experience for a long time.Arrived and ordered just after 6pm and spent nearly 2 hours watching flies inside restaurant crawling around window trying to escape.No contact from staff. Meals cold and inedible when finally delivered. No other restaurants in area other than Kai Kart at Te Araroa 8 km away that shuts at 6 pm. Beautiful area worth going to - need to self cater after 6 pm
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Avoid! All meals with chips and garnish misleadingly described as salad.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The staff were rude and facilities well below acceptable for a price tag of $169. Even the fabulous view is blocked by overgrown trees. Keep driving but if you stay be prepared for a real life Faulty Towers experience. Restaurant is now closed and replaced with takeaways that you would usually return, but you know you are wasting your time and there is no alternative place to eat. On the positive note, you'll be on the road early the next day, and the rude signs for guests in the accommodation are so bad they are a bit funny.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The welcome on arrival was unfriendly and felt like we were an inconvienence to the person in the office, which by the way was not signposted.
We paid $150.00 for what we thought was an upgraded room (maybe in the 80's) . Upon entering the room the musty smell was overpowering so we tried to open the one widows however only one actually worked. There was mildew on the ceiling in the bathroom and on the shower curtain. The shower needed a good clean as well. I pulled the bedside table out to check for a power point and the dust was unbelievable. I am a bad astmatic and if there was other accommodation close by I would have left then and there. However the bed linen did appear to be clean and he view was lovely.
We paid $150.00 for what we thought was an upgraded room (maybe in the 80's) . Upon entering the room the musty smell was overpowering so we tried to open the one widows however only one actually worked. There was mildew on the ceiling in the bathroom and on the shower curtain. The shower needed a good clean as well. I pulled the bedside table out to check for a power point and the dust was unbelievable. I am a bad astmatic and if there was other accommodation close by I would have left then and there. However the bed linen did appear to be clean and he view was lovely.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"Pool empty in December , take sleeping eye mask , No stove , just a hot plate. Luckily the location is beautiful."Read full review
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ALSO KNOWN AS
hicks bay hotel gisborne
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandGisborne RegionGisborne
NUMBER OF ROOMS
40
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Claim Your ListingHICKS BAY MOTEL LODGE | UPDATED 2025 Reviews (Gisborne, New Zealand) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Hicks Bay Motel Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Hicks Bay Motel Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Hicks Bay Wharf (3.6 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Hicks Bay Motel Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Hicks Bay Motel Lodge?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Hicks Bay Motel Lodge?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Hicks Bay Motel Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Hicks Bay Motel Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include East Cape Manuka Company Cafe, Kai Kart Takeaway's & Cafe, and Twilight Coffee and Food.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Hicks Bay Motel Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Hicks Bay Motel Lodge have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.