Takapuna Motor Lodge — Hotel in Devonport-Takapuna

Our first impressions of Takapuna Motor Lodge was not the “warm, friendly service” that the website promises on its front page. We were welcomed to what we now refer to as Bates Motel by a sign at reception which informed us in big bold lettering that the reception building is no longer in service, and that we were not to knock or disturb the owners. According to this intimidating poster, we were to let ourselves into the room that we had been emailed before our arrival.

Since we didn’t receive an email, and didn’t know what room we were staying in, we called the “emergency only” phone number listed on the door, only to talk to a voicemail several times. After waiting outside the reception building for some time, a man finally appeared who worked at the motel, but did not know what room we were staying in, and was not keen to look up our booking information and check us in, as he said we should have received an email. He was very rude and dismissive and did not seem to care that we had a booking but no way to actually check in.

It took more than an hour to receive a room key, at which time we were told that the room had not been cleaned and we would need to come back later. While the website states that check in is allowed from 2pm onwards, it was almost 5pm when we were told to come back later because the room hadn’t been cleaned.

We arrived back at the motel at 6pm and the cleaning staff confirmed that our room had been cleaned and was ready for us. We walked in to find pie crumbs all over one bed, bugs in another, and a sticky kitchen bench. While this motel looks tidy in the photos and from the street, it’s incredibly neglected and run down. The website wrongly describes the rooms as “quality apartments”. The pool is topped with a thick layer of green algae, and our room boasted several holes in the walls and doors, as well as chipped and peeling paint in every room. The curtains and decor are dated and dirty, and the units are damp and dilapidated.

Our unit smelled musty, the sheets and pillow cases were stained and while the unit we booked was meant to sleep 6, there were only enough beds for 5 people and a couch (not a fold out). There was no supplied bedding for the couch, and there were only 3 towels supplied for the 6 person unit. There was nobody at reception or answering the emergency line for the duration of our stay so we could not get any more towels or bedding.

Our family travels all over the country, and we are used to paying a standard rate for a night in a high standard motel. This motel stay cost us the same as we would expect to pay at any other motel, but was shockingly overpriced for the quality we got. We left the next day feeling that we might have had a more comfortable stay if we had slept in the car.

Do not stay in this motel unless you are looking to recreate an experience from the movie Hostel. This motel should be...

Avoid this place!!!! ||||This accommodation provider charges your credit card BEFORE you arrive at the property, so you have no chance of a refund when you arrive to find the owners are fraudsters with no conscience and no standards whatsoever.||||There is no check-in procedure and no 'reception' services, so your credit card that was entered into the booking is used, and merchant fees charged on top. Because you don't check-in, (you have to call a phone number for the code to a drop-box) so there is no alternate ways to pay. Once they've charged your card, they will not refund you, despite your refusal to stay at their accommodation once you arrive to find it is awful. The photos of the property online do not show the true state of the accommodation. The rooms are unsafe and unhealthy, and are unable to be fully secured as locks are broken and window latches are missing.||||There is an Indian voice who hides behind the phone number, never showing themselves or coming to discuss issues. The rooms are dirty, mouldy, and in a state of disrepair. There are exposed wires on the electric blankets, the windows don't close properly, and the gaps around the floors and holes in walls also let a constant cold breeze through so the units are freezing cold. We had 3 fan heaters running for the night we were there (we slept in our clothes and left early) and the unit was impossible to get warm.||||The property is being used as transitional housing and is in a poor state. The people living there are being taken advantage of. One person told us they are paying $1300 per week through WINZ and that they receive no services. The property markets free wifi (it is unsecured) and satellite channels. ( IF the TV works you might get TV1 & TV3).||||The photos attached to this review are of the second room we got after we complained to the voice behind the phone number, but the pics still don't quite capture the extent of the issues, and certainly don't capture the freezing cold breeze constantly blowing through the unit.||||We left early from our booking of a 2-night stay and even after ringing the voice hiding behind the phone number to check-out early and advise we weren't using the 2nd night of accommodation due to the above reasons and the fact they had misrepresented their property online, they still said they would not refund us for the night we wouldn't be using. ||||After we left the property, they attempted to charge our credit card yet again, but thankfully we had already clocked that they were super dodgy and blocked our card so their transaction didn't go through. We ended up finding a place just down the road for $5 more per night and it was excellent, it was clean, really high quality with tiled bathrooms and super comfy beds!! If you can't afford the extra $5 for a better hotel, you'll be warmer and more comfortable sleeping in...

DO NOT STAY HERE. CHECK THE 'TRIP ADVISOR' REVIEWS FOR THIS PROPERTY, SAFER AND MORE COMFORTABLE STAYING IN YOUR VEHICLE INSTEAD!

You have little chance of getting your money back from this place as the accommodation provider charges your credit card before you arrive. There is no check-in procedure and no 'reception' services, so after our self-check-in we found that the photos of the property do not show the real state of the rooms, which are unsafe and unhealthy. The rooms are unable to be secured as locks are broken and window latches are missing.

The one Indian lad onsite pretends he can't speak English and refers you to the phone number on the door outside 'reception'. The Indian voice hides behind this phone number, never showing themselves or coming to discuss issues. The rooms are dirty, mouldy, and in a state of disrepair. There are exposed wires on the electric blankets, the windows don't close properly, and the gaps around the floors and holes in walls also let a breeze through so the units are freezing cold. We had 3 fan heaters running for the night we were there (we slept in our clothes and left early) and the unit was impossible to get warm.

The property is being used as transitional housing and in a poor state. The people living there are being taken advantage of, paying $1300 per week through WINZ for rooms that are awful, and no services. The property markets free wifi (it is unsecured) and satellite channels (if the TV works you might get TV1 & TV3).

The photos attached to this review are of the 'upgraded' room we got after we complained, but still don't quite capture the extent of the issues. You will be safer, warmer and more comfortable sleeping in your vehicle. Save yourself a world of trouble and stay at accommodation just down the road.

We left early from our booking of a 2-night stay and even after ringing the phone number to discuss us not staying the 2nd night due to the above reasons and the fact they had misrepresented their property on the booking.com site, they still said they would charge for both nights. These guys...