Botany Palms Motel — Hotel in Howick

Me and my partner stayed here for 3 nights, overall okay experience. Pros: Easy to get to. Rather than following google maps and how it takes you to the lights, then you turn left on the highway (Te Irirangi Drive) to then turn into the motel, there is a quiet back street (Kellaway Drive) just after the bus stop on Smales Road, that loops around to the motel where you can enter on the side. Lovely service Spacious room Regular TV channels, Prime Video, Youtube and Netflix Comfy bed Good pressure shower Lovely spa bath Good amount of parking that is unallocated, so park where you wish

Cons: Frosted glass door, as the main door to the room. We tested and you couldnt see much looking in from the outside of the room, but just knowing the main door wasnt a solid wood like door. The fact it was like that frosted bathroom glass window kind of door made me feel uneasy. Because the door was frosted and there was no curtain, meant the outside light shone through the room. If you are in need of a night light then this is fantastic. However i prefer a dark room where little to no light shines through. Tiled bathroom meant the floors were freezing. Definitely bring slippers to use when you need to use the toilet, socks dont cut it. Mould on the curtain Small blood (period) stain on the duvet inner $5 extra per day/night, if you want your room to be serviced One bedside...

Stayed in Jan - last minute booking online for 2 x units with 3 double beds in each (total of 6 beds).

Arrived to being told the online info was wrong, it should have said 2 double beds not 3 per unit. (Total of 4 beds - missing 2 beds)

They said we had to pay for another room in order to get the 2 extra beds we originally booked. We said no that’s what was advertised online, so after hesitation they gave the extra room for free.

Rooms were nice however poor cleaning done - rubbish under beds, chairs and drawers. One room smelt like wet dog / toe jams. Had to go reception to borrow cleaning products then went Kmart to buy a nice smelling diffuser. The kitchenettes were missing little essentials like sharp knifes. Felt like owners are trying to cut down on costs.

Great location - 5 min drive down the road is Kmart, Timezone, Supermarkets, Takeaways. 10mins to beach. 10 mins to Rainbows End.

Amio the Manager / Reception was the highlight of our stay. Lovely chatty lady! Genuine and helpful who went above and beyond for us and treated us like her whānau! We knew another group needing last minute accom and Amio swiftly organised that for us. One morning there was no housekeeping staff so we ended up helping Amio clean rooms so she could get away to her family lunch on time.

Overall was a safe hotel, probably wouldn’t stay again, but if we did, would be because of location and Amio’s...

Here is how the story goes:||On arrival: got to the unattended reception. Rang the bell multiple times for over 10 minutes before the owner(?) walked in. Unapologetic for the wait and was extremely rude.||During the stay: their phone system didnt work, their afterhour internal phone number displayed on their phone didnt work. Next morning when we complained she just went off at us saying there is no afterhour number. We told her its stuck on the phone - she said no such thing exist. ||She obviously doesn't know her motel at all. Rude as F too.||She reluctantly gave us the wifi password when we showed her our room key as we had to prove we stayed there. She forgot her customers' face already? You kidd'n?||She got flustered and enjoyed arguing with us, which we felt was extremely irritating. ||Also, she started bolstering how she knows hotels/motels are run as she owns several. In hindsight we should've asked the names of these "properties" so we can avoid it in the future. Plus let our friends know.||Just absolutely rude, and that's all we remembered throughout our 2 nights stay.||Room was just average, live-able if you need a bed to crash.|||Conclusion: we felt, as soon as she took our money when we checked in - that was it, good luck on your own. ||That's bloody $160/night for two persons. R.I.P...