Hawthorne House — Hotel in North Island

Simply outstanding! My brother and his husband were visiting us here in Auckland, NZ from bonnie Scotland. My wife and I wanted to show them beautiful Hawkes Bay while they were here and were very fortunate to find Hawthorne House when searching for boutique luxury accommodation in the region. And what a find it was! From the minute we pulled into the tree-line driveway leading up to this beautiful, character Edwardian villa we knew we had found something special. We were greeted at the door by Peter who offered us the warmest of welcomes; he proceeded to share his and Paul's passioned story of their labour of love that is Hawthorne House. The grounds are beautifully designed with bird song coming in every direction, and it was a joy to see wild rabbits hopping free around the outer grounds. Inside awaits an abundance of wonderfully curated artworks and pieces; you don't know where to look first. Stunning! My wife and I being designers ourselves found our stay very inspiring; we felt we had arrived! The bedrooms themselves are tastefully decorated and themed, again with stunning artworks adorning the walls, and very plush and comfortable. But it's not just the accommodation itself that you will surely love, it's the warmth of your hosts, Peter and Paul. Never have we stayed anywhere around the world where we were treated to such a memorable stay. They shared wonderful stories with us and there was much jovial laughter. Their local knowledge is incredible and there is nothing they wouldn't do for you. Oh, and their breakfasts are yummy! They were even able to get us a wine tasting and dinner booking at Craggy Range vineyard and restaurant even though it was fully booked online, and what a wonderful night that was! Hawthorne House is like one big warm hug; you won't want to let go of it. We left feeling like we were leaving family. We will most certainly be spreading the word about this wonderful place - here in NZ, and my brother and his husband back in Scotland and the UK. We can say without a shadow of a doubt – WE WILL BE BACK! Thank you Peter and Paul, for opening up your home to us; we had the most wonderful, memorable stay. We truly loved our Hawkes Bay-cation! We will see you again soon! Tony, Sara,...

We arrived at Hawthorne house on Sunday to be welcomed by Peter and given a short history of the house which was very interesting. The room we were given was gorgeous with lovely decor and windows on two sides giving a view of the beautiful grounds. The bed was very comfy too. Peter & Paul hosted a drinks and canape reception for new guests with a choice of wine and beers. It gave us an opportunity to meet the other guests and was very convivial. Breakfast was included and the muesli dish with fresh fruit compote and yoghurt was delicious followed by a cooked breakfast and the biggest crispiest croissants I have ever tasted. We dined nearby in Havelock North which had a choice of excellent restaurants and the reports back from all the guests were good. On Monday evening as we went to bed Cyclone Danielle was just warming up and by the morning after a night of torrential rain, thunder and lightening we opened our curtains to a scene of damage and water. A huge tree close by had been felled by the storm, power, phone and Wifi were gone and there was 10 inches of water around the house. Peter & Paul had candles lit on the table and around the hall both for light and Valentines day. They cooked on their gas rings and barbecue and despite the circumstances delivered a delicious breakfast. To top it all, as all the restaurants and shops were closed due to the Cyclone, they cooked us all a lunch (with wine) which was delicious and we all sat around chatting for the afternoon. Later they produced a light dinner (and wine) turning what could have been an awful experience into a quite a lovely one. Thanks again guys. A beautiful house with two amazing generous...

Honestly, stop overthinking it, just book it already - you won't regret it.

We had an absolutely blissful two night stay with Peter & Paul. The rooms are spacious, warm and incredibly comfortable. Complimentary in room snacks, wine, beer etc are much appreciated after long days! The breakfasts are fantastic - wherever possible everything locally sourced, and the croissants are fresh, authentic & delicious. The property is both beautiful and interesting - Peter & Paul did a wonderful job on the renovations, I may have made a few jokes that they should do a stocktake on the art after we left - such a fantastic collection that we really enjoyed viewing. You will ideally want to have a car as the location isn't really walking distance to many local attractions (and is off a high speed road), but for us this was more part of the appeal anyway - we wanted somewhere quieter with parking included, and driving wherever we wanted to go wasn't a problem at all.

Peter and Paul couldn't have been more hospitable, with welcome drinks on the evening of arrival, we had lots of interesting conversations and they went out of their way to make us feel at home. Money incredibly well spent, such a wonderful experience & any time we're back in the area we'll be...