Mercury Ridge — Hotel in North Island

This was our last stay after a 6 week tour of New Zealand and was just what we wanted. We had a lovely stay at Mercury Ridge. A beautiful lodge on a steep hill overlooking Cooks Beach. The views were awesome, the peace and tranquility very restful. |Tom and Jo are fantastic hosts who made us feel very at home. This is quite an unconventional establishment mixing bed and breakfast rooms with small apartments with lots of shared space both indoors and outside, but it just works. In fact whilst we were there we didn't encounter any other guests and yet they were fully booked. This may be because we booked a later breakfast as we were on wind down and wanted to enjoy the outside space as the weather was beautiful. The decor and fittings are very high quality and there is a lovely ambience created. The rooms were very comfortable and the free mini bar and snacks were appreciated, as was the cheese platter available on arrival. The breakfast cooked to order was awesome, the best in 6 weeks travel, and we loved being able to eat outside in the sunshine, with the most amazing views surrounding us.||The location is excellent as you can visit Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach and Whitianga via the ferry at Lands Ending all within a short drive. Beach Towels and basket are provided. There are a number of restaurants recommended all within a short drive. The small village of Cooks Beach is walkable but note the steep hill on return. There are lovely walks along the beach and through the reserve to Shakespeare Cliffs and it is probably best to park near the beach to access.||We would highly recommend a short stay at...

We stayed there for a couple of nights over the Anzac Day weekend. The pictures do not do justice to the place. We absolutely loved it!!

Ideal location - perched on top of the hill with views over on the sea.

Large gardens with fruit trees all around; apple, lime, chillies and much more.

The inside was ridiculously cosy, everything was immacutely placed, obviously, a lot of though had gone in to every nook and corner of the place. There was some amazing pictures hanging on the wall, wooden floors, very modern open plan kitchen in the main hall, all the amenities that one could wish for in the drawers and massive pots decorating the outside just gave it a grand feeling.

Ideal for weddings and functions and can easily accommodate up to 15 people in the rooms.

Rick was a very generous host and had a lot of suggestions for things to do around. Even allowed us a late check-out on the last day as we wanted to go to the Hot Water Beach in the morning.

Highly recommended. Will definitely go...

The Cooks Gateway Lodge was a perfect location for our daughters wedding. The facilities were excellent with everything we needed to host an event for 65 guests. The accommodation allowed the wedding party to stay onsite and relax for a time after the wedding ceremony. The panoramic views over Mercury Bay and nicely maintained colourful gardens added to the Mediterranean feel. The drink cellar enabled us to keep drinks cool but available and extra toilet at the rear of the car park was a welcome addition. Ample car parking and space for catering vehicles near to the main complex provided convenient access. Rick was an efficient but relaxed host. He was very accommodating and nothing was too much trouble. We have no hesitation in recommending this venue. You will not be...