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About
4.0
#1 of 1 resort in Punakaiki
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Experience a breath-taking oceanfront sanctuary, situated directly on the beach. Whether you’re seeking a romantic getaway, an executive meeting retreat, or a peaceful escape, our 63 room, 4-star resort is ready to provide you with the best of Punakaiki. Cosy up by the fire in our inviting lounge, indulge in a delectable breakfast, lunch, or dinner at our beach view restaurant, or savour a refreshing beverage and unwind with friends. Our accommodations feature modern and comfortable rooms, boasting stunning ocean views and the captivating sound of the untamed Tasman Sea. Whatever your needs may be, our haven is the perfect destination for your next getaway. Located right on the beach, and only 500 metres from the famous Pancake Rocks & Blow Hole you can't find a better located property in Punakaiki
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
Romantic
Green
Languages Spoken
English
Location
4237 State Highway 6, Punakaiki 7873 New Zealand
Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
953 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
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Nestled on the beach, Scenic Hotel Punakaiki is celebrated for its picturesque location and the stunning sea views from its rooms, despite some guests finding the decor a tad dated. It maintains a reputation for cleanliness, although some travelers have taken issue with the restaurant's standards in this regard.
Opinions on the hotel's value and amenities are polarized; while its setting is lauded, some reviewers point to overpriced meals and outdated rooms. Service quality also seems inconsistent, with experiences ranging from attentive to unsatisfactory.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Comfortable
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Apart from the photos above the urinal near the bar making me laugh(see below), the whole place had a strange vibe. It was in a beautiful rugged location that I expected to have a 'typical' West Coast feel; such as close-knit small town hospitality and local friendliness. Instead the resort aimed high class or 5 star which sort of felt out of place.
The resort was neither fantastic or uninspiring, completely down the middle. The price for accommodation was reasonable, the beds firm (which means comfortable for us), the room and facilities slightly in need of maintenence yet still tidy. Plenty of parking, though some of the rooms will mean a walk of 100m or so to your room door.
The negatives were the staff didn't seem to be able to quite pull off the 5 star air they were expected to portray. Except for the fantastic and polite waitress it came across as snooty rather than polite.
As a captive market they have decided to charge through the nose for their restaurant food, $95 for 2 mains and 2 drinks.
I would stay again but maybe not as a first choice in the area. The main attraction was the proximity to the pancake rocks, within easy walking distance.
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Date of stay: August 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.
We had set out from Franz Josef for the longish drive up State Highway 6 towards Greymouth. We had already been advised of a probable delay because of a landslide the previous day, and this added some 45 minutes to our journey. When we sat down with Kuoni discussing the itinerary for our holiday they advised us not to stay in Greymouth over night, and instead they booked us into this Resort. We were impressed with the place, very stylish and situated adjacent to a lovely beach and near to the famous pancake rocks and blowholes. Check in was friendly and efficient and we drove up to our beautiful superior Eco Suite, which was spacious, comfortable, well equipped and gave us wonderful views from the balcony. We enjoyed a walk around the Resort and on to the beach - impressed with the pancake rocks but didn’t see the blowholes in operation as the tide was out. It is so peaceful here! Later we had a delightful dinner in the hotel’s restaurant and the experience was enhanced watching a most beautiful sunset. Breakfast the following morning was excellent too, and we would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone. We felt that some of the previous poor Trip Advisor reviews did not in anyway reflect our experience
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Date of stay: March 2019Trip 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.
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Reception was friendly and helpful. Sought out answers to our questions and got back to us quickly, instead of responding with the easy, "I don't know." Room 207 has a nice view of the water. But it also has a view of the bar below- so not as private as I would like it. Hot water was fast and plentiful for the shower. The onsite laundry was moved to across the street, so that was super inconvenient. The mattress was comfortable but I needed to snag more pillows from the other bed in the room. Super close to The Pancake Rocks.
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Date of stay: January 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.
We stayed in an eco suite for four nights. The room was large and we had a nice view of the ocean from our deck. Their charge for the standard hotel continental breakfast was excessive given the cost of the room. Internet access shut off abruptly then you had to walk across the street to the desk to request more access because there was no phone in the room. The first time we went down in the morning to get a latte we were told we'd have to wait a while because there was only one person staffing the restaurant. This was after the front desk clerk arranged the chairs around us while we were standing in front of the espresso machine. We accosted her while she was walking away and she directed us to the one beleaguered waitress in the restaurant. Same thing happened the next day. And the front desk clerk was just standing there both times with nothing to do. All in all it seemed like a place with great potential but failed management due to staffing and training shortfalls. Really not acceptable given the cost. We'd suggest going elsewhere.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â Don't bother.
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 Jacob W, Guest Relations Manager at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 15 Mar 2020
Dear T7820FRjonp, Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and your positive comments relating to our Eco-suties. We do apologize for the inconvenience caused by the Wi-Fi and we have since resolved this issue with our Wi-Fi supplier. We also sincerely apologize for the phone not being available and we have since spoken with our housekeeping and maintenance staff as to why replacement phone was not resolved prior to check-in. We will also be speaking with our front of house staff in regards to our comments requesting coffee, we will be looking into barista training for all of our team so we can accommodate such requests prior to the restaurant opening. Once again thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and we wish you all the best on your onward travels.
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We stayed at the Punakaiki Resort because we needed a place to overnite while on a long drive from the West Coast to Marlborough. Had I known how bad this "resort" was, I never would have stayed here. It is one step above a poor camp site. While the Pancake Rocks are worth a visit if you are in the area, they certainly don't necessitate staying the night here.
Here are a few things you may want to know about the Punakaiki Resort, that are not apparent in their literature: 1) The major West Coast highway in NZ cuts right through the Resort. Several of the "waterfront" rooms actually have a highway running right in front of them. We were unfortunate to be in one of these. 2) There is no air conditioning, nor screens on most of the windows. They do provide a fan, however, and it is somewhat helpful in mitigating the heat 3) They turned our internet service off the morning of our check-out. The young woman who checked us out could not have been less apologetic about this 4) While the property is indeed on a beach, it is not an attractive beach.
If you are ever in the Punakaiki area, take 15-30 minutes to see the Pancake Rocks, then keep moving on. This resort and the surrounding area was a huge disappointment.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â avoid proximity to highway
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 Jacob W, Guest Relations Manager at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 31 Mar 2020
Dear chip w, We regret that we did not meet your expectations during your stay with us and thank you for your time taken to leave your feedback. Yes our resort is spread over a large area and the main road does intersect through the property. We do have a tunnel for easy access to both sides. We are located in a remote area of one New Zealand's great drives. Please note we do not advertise "waterfront" room types. Please note we would never intentionally turn off the internet service and we will be speaking with our Wi-Fi supplier to investigate this issue. Our West Coast beaches have great personality and we encourage our guests to get to know them if they have the time.
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$300 a night for this dump? I’d say it’s a Motel 6 with a (slight) view but that would be an insult to Motel 6. Backpackers Hostels probably have more amenities and certainly have nicer bathrooms. This dump:
Has no room amenities-very Spartan. Two flimsy towels. No bathrobes ($300 a night!). Tiny, crappy bathroom with a drain in the middle of the floor. No A/C, and you can’t open the windows because there are no screens and the ubiquitous sand flies will eat you alive. They do give you a flimsy useless fan ...
No privacy ground floor: you are right on the parking lot that is between the rooms and the sea so unless you want to be on display for every one you have to keep the curtains closed. That means no ocean view but there is not much of one anyway because between you and the sea is a parking lot of cars. So if you are sucker enough to stay in this dump insist on the second floor. You’ll have a bit of a view and avoid the incredible noise we had with the people above walking around. Cheap construction, here.
The breakfast was AWFUL. Coffee is self-serve and was cold. The buffet food was cold. The cold scrambled eggs were cooked to the consistency of dried out meat loaf.
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Date of stay: March 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.
Response from Jacob W, Guest Relations Manager at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 31 Mar 2020
Dear Odusseus1000, We regret that you did not enjoy your stay with us. We take on board your comments in our strive to provide the best possible service to our guests. Please note that our rooms do not come with air-conditioning and this is not advertised appropriately. We will be speaking with our maintenance team as to why fly screens were not installed correctly prior to check-in unfortunately these can be damaged by previous guests and are frequently replaced. We do advertise our ground floor and sea view rooms appropriately also. We will be speaking with our restaurant team to go over your comments in regards to our breakfast offering to make any necessary improvements.
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We stayed one night as part of a recent "road trip" around the South Island, post lock-down. Our room had a lovely view of the sea, but the sunset was hard to see due to it being mid-winter. Our room did not have a balcony - I would highly recommend a balcony room in summer to sit out and watch the scenery (glass of wine in hand!). We had two double beds in our room, with tea and coffee making facilities and a fridge (which we discovered (too late!) was not actually switched on). The bed was comfortable, and the room was clean. But the doors seem to have suffered a bit of warping and do not close easily. We ate in the restaurant, and (while quite pricey), the food was good quality, and the price certainly compared favourably with prices at the local pub, and were undoubtedly better. You can walk to the "pancake rocks" and DoC visitor centre along the road, but it's a little too far to walk into the local village. We would stay again.
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Date of stay: June 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â Ask for a room with a balcony to get the best views
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.
On the ground floor you are very near the parking lot and access to the beach area. Our room had a pleasant view of the ocean but no A/C. The breakfast was OK but not great. Some of the food was warmish not hot. The scrambled eggs were cooked but were soupy in nature. The beach is rather a rugged beach and certainly not conducive to sun bathing. The rooms were very clean and well accommodated and the staff were helpful when they were needed.
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 in one of the 'Eco Suites'. The room itself was clean and spacious . The view from the balcony was lovely and the grounds well kept. However, don't expect to keep in touch with the outside world as the internet access is dreadful and for hours on end, non-existent. During one of these long periods a Hotspot was set up, presumably by staff, that covered the area around the reception. This was not powerful enough to reach the other side of the road where a lot of the accommodation in situated. I was in reception asking about the lack of internet when the receptionist was on the phone to another client informing them that the internet was working perfectly! In a nutshell don't stay here if you require outside contact. In 2020 WiFi access should be standard and if you are going to advertise it, for God sake deliver it. Last but not least, the rooms themselves were lovely and clean, but the balcony area was covered in old spiders webs and nests. Didn't look like it had seen a brush in months.
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Date of stay: January 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.
The Hotel is located right on the beach with a lagoon for swimming just a short stroll down the beach. The West Coast views never disappoint and being able to stay in a clean, modern room with an absolutely stunning view to take some of that coast line in was glorious. Close by on the beach are pancake rocks which are fun to explore day or night and take a torch if you want to see the very large crabs scuttling about. Mind the waves though as the tide comes, they're pretty spectacular to watch up close thrashing the rocks.
The restaurant is perfectly positioned with floor to ceiling windows so you can take the whole vista in and enjoy watching the sun setting over the waves We had the risotto, steak and fish. All dishes were delicious and well enjoyed.
The staff are so friendly and helpful for any needs you have but Alex the manager goes above and beyond. We had a couple of issues to sort one being that we got our car stuck in the sand (major oops) and Alex was amazing to sort assistance for us. He could not be more accommodating or kind. We are so thankful for his help and care. We highly recommend a stay at Oceanview, Alex and his staff are doing a brilliant job of taking this retreat over, refreshing it and making it their own.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â Worth paying a fraction more for the sea view rooms.
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 Richard Benton, Other at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 9 Apr 2022
Thank you Rochelle for the 5 star review and delighted that you enjoyed your experience with us.We honestly aim to exceed expectations and so pleased that we did this for your stay.
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Hi Kevin,
Thank you for your enquiry. For Punakaiki Resort it would be recommended to make a reservation. However we do not have camper van site facilities at our resort, I believe there are other properties in Punakaiki if this more what you are after.
Kind regards,
Jacob Williams
There are more places to choose from in the Punakaiki area.
PRICE RANGE
$176 - $361 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
punakaiki hotel punakaiki
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
The Ocean View Retreat
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandWest Coast RegionPunakaiki
NUMBER OF ROOMS
63
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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