Sudima Kaikōura — Hotel in Kaikōura

Ok well, let's start with the positives: The rooms are modern and clean. Having chromecast available was a definite bonus, although if you were not technically savy, then you'd struggle to follow the complicated instructions. Alexa was pointless to have; many of the functions that you'd expect out of a smart speaker were pointless, and even if you did use it, you're better off just using your phone instead.

The incorporation of Te Reo Māori was very impressive, especially when that language was used without translation into English - sure, most people wouldn't understand it, but if you just followed your nose you'd be able to work everything out.

There were probably two staff that I found helpful, and that's where the downsides lie.

The negatives:

There was probably only two staff actually working. Found out later on that they were understaffed due to Covid. Great. That information didn't get passed onto the guests... Saw one of the cleaners just casually lying on one of the beds that they were making up so that probably didn't help.

Asked to get our rooms serviced. You expect them to start cleaning from 10am onwards. Their cleaning cart sat in our hallway until 7pm. They showed up to our room at 6pm. Spoke to the lady at reception to try and speed things along, she understandably sounded stressed. No apologies for the delay. That sucks.

Because they were understaffed, we weren't able to check in until 5pm. No apology given - admin blamed it on a glitch, and then said that the cleaners were still getting the rooms prepared. It wasn't until we complained that we were given complimentaries. Two drink cards.

We stayed there for three days. Sheets didn't get changed despite asking. We even had to wash our own dishes because staff were so short. We also had to ask for extra towels despite knowing in advance how many people we had staying there.

Overall? I suppose it could be a good place to stay if they had full staff servicing the rooms. But they didn't, and it shows. Management needs serious work. It honestly felt like staying at a overpriced holiday park, minus all of the facilities that holiday parks offer.

Pool was meh. Positioned next to the road and had no shade at all.

There's also a dead spot for phone reception in that hotel.

If I had to stay here again, it would only be for an overnighter. And only if there was nothing else.

Heard raving reviews from the restaurant - unfortunately...

A Delightful Stay at Sudima Hotel Kaikōura I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Sudima Hotel Kaikōura and it was a truly delightful experience. This modern hotel, which is relatively new, features everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable stay. The rooms are spacious with large showers and full-height windows offering stunning views of the sea and mountains. On our particular stay, we were treated to a beautiful morning view of the mountains, which was a perfect way to start the day. The hotel's heated outdoor pool was a wonderful treat, especially on a cold autumn morning. The food and drinks at the on-site restaurant and bar were excellent. We absolutely loved the buffet breakfast in the morning, which offered a great variety of delicious options. For dinner, we chose to dine at the hotel restaurant, Hiku, due to the limited dining options in Kaikōura. The meal was good and reasonably priced, but be sure to book in advance as it seems to be quite popular. Additionally, the Encounter Cafe next door offers an excellent range of breakfast choices. The staff at Sudima Hotel Kaikōura were lovely and accommodating. They went out of their way to ensure we had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. Their friendliness and helpfulness added a personal touch to our experience. Free parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis, but there's also plenty of free street parking immediately outside the hotel, which was very convenient. We were extremely grateful for the complimentary charging of our electric vehicle. Everything in the hotel was in excellent condition, reflecting its modern and relatively new status. Our stay at Sudima Hotel Kaikōura was lovely, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Kaikōura. The combination of excellent service, comfortable accommodations, and great food made it an unforgettable experience. Fairly central with only 10 minutes walk to the shops and...

Stayed 2 nights here and didn’t have the best experience. We arrived at noon and was told to come back at 2pm for check in, came back at 3 and was told the room wasn’t ready. There were also 3 other groups there that were told the rooms weren’t ready. We sat there for an hour before we finally could check in. Walked into the room to find that all the sheets were everywhere and the room wasn’t actually ready. Luckily we found a housekeeper who helped us move into another room and was told that a receptionist will bring us new door cards. By 6pm it still hasn’t arrived so went to reception and were told that the cards weren’t ready facepalm. 7pm, came down again and finally got the cards but went to my room and it didn’t work! Had to go back down to reception over and over till the cards worked! The receptionist had no idea what she was doing

Also, I overheard a woman expressing her frustration that she’s driven 4 hours to get there, it’s 7pm, she wants to put her children to bed to rest and she couldnt check in! Imagine paying this much for a room and can’t check in at 7pm! The receptionist she was talking to appeared very unempathetic with an attitude of ‘well I can’t do anything about it, stop complaining’ you could see it in her face, her voice. Is service a thing in this hotel?

The next day I talked to another receptionist about what happened and she said that their housekeeping were very understaffed. It’s a new hotel so I guess they are still sorting stuff out and wasnt ready for the summer high season.

The only good things about the hotel is that it’s new, the beds were comfy, the food in the restaurant is delicious although a bit pricy (to be expected). If you are doing a trip with Encounter Kaikōura then it’s just across the road. Walking to town...