Bucklands Beach Waterfront Motel - Bucklands Beach

Quite run down with poor standard of repairs evident. There are some new units at the back of the complex but the unit we had had damaged carpet and paint repairs of poor quality, though it basically had everything we needed for an overnight stay. Take care on the decks, these are pretty rotten and have been repaired with odd bits of timber of varying thickness which are a trip hazard. Two bright spots - the bedding was nice, crisp, clean, and the pool was pretty good - clean, deep and the water warm (at the time anyway).

The location is stunning and if stay at the front of the motel the views are gorgeous. However the Ooms need updating, guests seem to be able to do what they like, ,and we had to ask to get our room serviced as only one roll of look paper had been supplied. Car park area is a little tight at times. Overall a little disappointed.

There are some positives here, the view, the location and the spacious layout but this is where it stops! This place is very tired and scruffy, it definitely isn't a 4 Star level. It is in a desperate need of a refurbishment and paint job. The furniture is from about 1970 and very impractical and uncomfortable. The bed is the worst bed we have ever had to try to sleep on, it feels like concrete. We were both crippled in the mornings, we stayed 3 nights as there isn't anything else in the area and it was close to the function we were there for. The service was very poor and I was shocked when it states on the door that check out is 10am and we had a knock on the door the day we were checking at 9.30am asking when we would be leaving as they wanted to clean our room. We would not recommend this place and definitely would not stay here again.

As a family, we have been coming to this motel for over ten years on at least an annual basis, sometimes 2 or 3 times a year. We have generally enjoyed our week long stays and on many occasions we were given discount for the longer stay. The beach view and the general location, close to shops, restaurants etc are the main reasons we keep returning to this accommodation. However, on this occasion (Trans Tasman bubble trip), we were bitterly disappointed. We have noticed that over time, the motel has embraced obvious cost cutting measures to its detriment. It is definitely not a 4 star motel, 2 stars it might be. Firstly, the general state of the room and the hotel grounds was below par: The carpets were stained and grubby; the clock didn't work; a catch on the bathroom window was loose; the front sliding door needed new rollers: it was very difficult to open; the beds are uncomfortable; the car parks are too narrow, uneven and dangerous when getting out of cars; servicing of the room was adequate but our sheets were not changed in the 8 days we were there - this normally happens every 4th day; the light outside our room which should come automatically in the dark did not work, so when we departed in the pitch black of an early morning I nearly fell 4 feet of the ledge carrying a heavy suitcase. That would have been a disaster. And, the steps themselves are not accessible to for older folk and children due to the steep incline. Also, it came to our attention while we were there, that this motel is an MSD motel, that is to say, that it houses homeless people. ( A Covid measure). That, in itself, is fair enough. What is concerning is that this was never disclosed at any time. I now realise that we were considerably overcharged for what we received. I doubt very much that the NZ government is paying $239 per night (which is what it cost us to stay in a one bedroom apartment.) Perhaps that is why the owners don't bother with maintenance. Air BNBs in the same area are half the price. On a previous stay, we stayed in the same unit and at 1.30am, while we were sleeping, water started pouring through the light in the bedroom ceiling; the light detached from the ceiling, sparking as it spun around the room and the ceiling started collapsing from the weight of the water. We got saturated. As it turned out, the water was leaking from the laundry in the unit above. We were not compensated for this incident. Instead we were moved to the unit above which had wet and smelly carpets from the leaking laundry. This motel is very poorly maintained and consequently dangerous. Clearly, the owners don't care about the comfort of their guests. And by the way, if you choose to stay in a cheaper unit with “garden views”, be aware that the “garden” is a car park. We will never stay here again. On a more positive note, the popular restaurant down the road, "Bucks Bistro" is welcoming and serves really good and interesting food. We can highly recommend that one, unlike the Bucklands Beach Waterfront Motel, which although in a great location, suffers from immense fatigue.

Great views, clean and tidy unit. Only let down is that the buildings are ageing and in some cases such as the loft rooms things like the staircases are very narrow and can feel dangerous. But it is also located near some awesome beaches, an amazing cafe and a handful of well known resturants.

Nice place to stay especially the front units nice views if the weather is good.if you have telescope you can watch view of houses on other side of bay

Perfect spot across the road from the beach, x2 great restaurants within walking distance and several coffee shops at the marina a quick 3km walk away. Staff in office and servicing units are very friendly. If you enjoy walking there’s a great track up to the point which looks out over the bay with a nice view of Rangitoto. However units are very run down with old furniture and unsightly fix up jobs, some blinds in the unit did not open at all and definitely need replacing. We stayed in the middle of winter from the Gold Coast so we were grateful for the heat pump in the unit. Beds were okay but could be softer. As another reviewer stated this motel is used as MSD accomodation (subsidised housing for low income families) there was some colourful language at times and a bit of a party tonight next door but all well behaved. We still have 2 more days but we have enjoyed our stay, thank you.

Very comfy and clean. Had everything u needed. Only thing I had a problem with was the bathroom ceiling it was all glass no shade. Akl sun coming through made tiles on floor and taps boiling hot. Perhaps this could be seen to.