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3.5
#1 of 6 small hotels in Hamilton
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
The Retro Motel provides quality, cost effective accommodation for business and leisure travellers, families and groups. Well positioned within walking distance of Waikato Stadium, Founders Theatre, Seddon Park, Claudelands Events Centre & the CBD. Located opposite Pac N Save, Subway and KFC your group will enjoy a relaxing stay in our motel complex. Swimming pool & free parking.
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
Centrally Located
Business
Location
86 Ulster Street, Hamilton 3240 New Zealand
Retro Motel at The Ambassador Hotel
59 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Stayed here for 2 nights with my family of 5 on the top level. Balcony directly facing the pool. Parking available on site. Not too difficult lugging all the bags upstairs. 2 bedroom apartment was spacious. 1 queen in main room, 2 singles in the second room and 2 single in the lounge area. 2 seater sofa, cable tv and a small dining area. We weren't in the room much , so it was comfortable for the nights rest. The kids enjoyed the pool and spa. Grounds well kept and it is central to everything. Pak n Save and petrol station directly across the road. Plenty of take out options just a minutes walk. Mall 5 mins drive. Restaurant for breakfast/dinner on site, however we did not get to try it.
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Date of stay: January 2016
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Response from Sarah K, General Manager at Retro Motel at The Ambassador Hotel
Responded 3 Mar 2016
Thank you for taking the time to review Retro Motel @ The Ambassador Hotel in Hamilton. We appreciate your detailed review as it helps our future guests, and directs our team to issues which require resolution. Kind regards, Sarah King General Manager The Ambassador Hotel 078395111
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We stayed at the retro motel while attending a weekend training event. The motel was clean and tidy. And affordable. We were able to sleep 5 adults comfortably. The motel is well situated being directly across the road from the supermarket and a great restaurant. We will definately stay again.
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Date of stay: July 2015
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
Response from Sarah K, General Manager at Retro Motel at The Ambassador Hotel
Responded 3 Mar 2016
Thank you for taking the time to review Retro Motel @ The Ambassador Hotel in Hamilton. Thanks for your great feedback. We aim to provide a simple accommodation option at a cheap price. I am glad it worked for you. Kind regards, Sarah King General Manager The Ambassador Hotel 078395111
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There were no cars in the large car park but obviously a huge coach brought in a big bus load. Typical motel room with tea making only. Plenty of food outlets within walking distance though. Easy walking distance to main town. I requested a downstairs room with no spray and both these points were acted upon.
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Date of stay: May 2019
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:If driving a car, ask for a room not too far from the car park.
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.
Response from Emma C, General Manager at Retro Motel at The Ambassador Hotel
Responded 11 Jun 2019
Hi Stutz28 Many thanks for taking the time to review our property. I am pleased that the team actioned your requests. We do hope you enjoyed your time here. Thank you for your feedback
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Checked-in....then check-out... Room was dirty. Rotten wood and paneling in bathroom. Lose ranchslider (my 2yr old easily unlocked this and was headed out into the carpark...scary!) Kitchen needed a good clean. Small stains on bedding. Big hole in wall behind master bed. My four year old found a lighter (nude woman picture on it...) in the sofa, I found him trying to figure out how to use it. Cheap'ish, but for only a little more $, there are much better places to stay... (see my other review)
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Date of stay: March 2017
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Whilst they've made a bit of an effort by papering a wall and adding colourful cushions you can't hide the depressing state of these rooms
Where to start!? Stains on the ceilings Bare patches of plaster all around the place & no caulking around sink in the bathroom, enamel on the bath is missing in places and there's mould in the corners.
Ants in the kitchen, smelly cupboards with random stuff just shoved in there. A very 'retro' fridge. The kitchen is completely overlooked by another residential building and has no curtains, the 'dining area' was too depressing to sit at and way too small for 5 people (6 beds in our appt) Only 1 wifi docket was issued so you couldn't connect more than 1 device. (Every place we stayed at which had this popular wifi access system offered 2-4)
No local maps available at reception.
Staff at the onsite restaurant 'Retrospect' were LOVELY and Judith Sophie went out of her way to look after us but dinner was sadly barely edible.
Location is pretty good, 15 mins walk to the local cinemas and eateries
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Date of stay: March 2017Trip 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.
The room is clean, great tv & sky is good picture etc, air con good, price good too! But : the bathroom is bit of a shocker. No fan = steamy smelly moments. Mould, walls peeling off, old school set up.
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Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Response from Ambassador_Team, Manager at Retro Motel at The Ambassador Hotel
Responded 2 Jan 2018
Dear Imacheeseball Thank you for taking the time to review our property, we welcome all feedback as it continually helps us improve. Yes the bathrooms.... well watch this space with in the next 2 months we will of has some real positive changes to them. Warm regards Emma
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As the name suggests the place is old and retro not in a fashionable way it really is just old. Pretty clean and well located for business in Hamilton if you are on a budget. Staff are friendly. Includes Sky TV and self contained kitchen.
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Date of stay: May 2017Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
Stayed the weekend in this motel in two bedroom unit. Just so disappointing, cold and damp. certainly the down point of our special weekend away. The bathroom was worse than the bedrooms as the walls were stripped with no finishing on them....we would certainly not recommend this accommodation.
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Date of stay: July 2016
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
So, it's 3 properties in one. A Clarion, a Quality and this Retro Motel that stayed at on one Ambassador property right at the edge of Hamilton CBD. Good location, easy to find. A few minutes away from all the restaurant choices in CBD and SkyCity Casino, too. So, location was great. Room was large and clean. Bed was clean, comfortable, and linen felt really nice. Get free wi-fi up to 1GB. Plenty, unless you watch Netflix. Had a body wash and shampoo pumps (Eco-Fresh) mounted on the shower wall. I prefer those over the little bottles. Seems like a Comfort/Quality operation thing. Check-in was quick and easy, if a bit antiseptic, as was checkout. Property had a pool and hot tub. It had restaurant with what looked like a pretty good breakfast spread at a low price. Unfortunately, I was in rush to leave and could not partake. All-in-all, it was good value for price. I would look to here first when I need place to stay Hamilton again.
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Date of stay: February 2016
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
Response from Sarah K, General Manager at Retro Motel at The Ambassador Hotel
Responded 3 Mar 2016
Thank you for taking the time to review Retro Motel @ The Ambassador Hotel in Hamilton. Our Retro accommodation is priced for guests who are after a clean quite place to stay. We also offer 4 and 4.5 star accommodation which is of a higher standard supplying mini soaps etc and with a price point appropriate. We hope to be able to tailor or different accommodations to suit everyone's different needs. Kind regards, Sarah King General Manager The Ambassador Hotel 078395111
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Stayed here for 1 night in October. Room rate was extremely reasonable, and pleasantly surprised by the contemporary feel to the rooms and the generous space. Rooms come with a bathtub, which is a bonus. Very centrally located with Pak'n'Save just across the road, which is handy for grabbing croissants (highly recommended) for brekky! There is a cafe onsite with interesting retro decor, serving good meals at reasonable prices. Or good to just sit and have a coffee or relaxing drink. Was good just to grab a bite here when we arrived, as we were pretty tired. The motel was full but still very quiet. Only downside is that the rooms don't have any crockery or microwave, which can be difficult for families (others rooms, however, may have better kitchens, so best to check this when booking).
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Date of stay: October 2015
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip 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.
Response from Sarah K, General Manager at Retro Motel at The Ambassador Hotel
Responded 3 Mar 2016
Thank you for taking the time to review Retro Motel @ The Ambassador Hotel in Hamilton. Thanks for your great feedback. We are glad you enjoyed your stay. Kind regards, Sarah King General Manager The Ambassador Hotel 078395111
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Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Hamilton area.
PRICE RANGE
$145 - $188 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandWaikato RegionHamilton
NUMBER OF ROOMS
21
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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