Last Resort Cafe & Bar — Hotel in South Island

My husband and I booked Studio (ensuite) for $130 in October for one night stay. That was a wee frustrating stay for us. An example of when the imagery of the website gallery looks tremendously better than the place in real life. Sadly, but owners don't seem to put enough of effort to keep the area alive and modern. Perhaps, ages ago, this place looked and felt decent but not now. Don't get me wrong. It is not terrible, and I am not expecting luxuries 5star for 130$. Still, I don't like to pay money for the result displayed on the internet, which appears to be not even close in real life. The unit was dark, light bulbs gave not enough of light. Torn wallpaper in the corners. Outdated renovation. Lots of small things that catch your eye. Crookedly hanging mirrors. The fridge door faces the wall, so you can't fully open the fridge. Seriously? The car park area around the units is a bare ground; so, on a rainy day, all this turns into the mud you bring into the room.

I've been travelling around NZ a lot, and do have experience with different sort of accommodation for this price range. Frankly, for this money, I've seen much better places. If you are ok with staying in the tent - better to go to Kohaihai beach campsite (16 km driving up North from Karamea). Beautiful spot just for 8$ per night for a person.

To be fair, I should mention the positive sides: Friendly staff. The bar seemed to be a trendy place, cause when we got there on a rainy day was all packed with guests. Lovely entrance in the...

The accommodation is really spacious, and feels like good value for money. The setting can be very beautiful, in nature and in design. The room is cold in the winter, and the heater doesn't really do much, but electric blankets are provided and the shower in room 11 was fantastic if you like hot water and firehoses, if a bit short if you are 6ft.

The biggest downside here is that the rooms are not soundproof at all, you can easily overhear any normally voiced conversation in a joining rooms, which was both a hindrance for our conversation with each other, and a distraction from your neighbors, and could really affect your sleep. We got relatively lucky, but I could see having rowdy neighbors would spoil your stay. There are also skylights in the room which make for nice light levels during the day but don't have any curtains so they wake you up quite early. Good if you want to make the most of your stay by waking up naturally at the crack of dawn. Bad if you're a night owl or had a bad night's sleep and want to sleep in.

Good wifi. Good facilities. It was nice having a kitchen and lounge to use. Slightly eccentric aesthetic, but it was enjoyable. Great food at the restaurant. Plenty of parking, easy to find, friendly and helpful staff.

I would stay here again, but I'd bring earplugs just in case and remember a sleepmask. The soundproofing is the biggest thing to be worried about if you stay here. You're not paying hotel prices, so don't expect hotel quality and you'll be...

My experience at The Last Resort hotel in Karamea was mixed. I had stayed there before and was very satisfied with the accommodation, food, cafe, and service. However, when I returned this year, I was disappointed to find that the service and food quality had declined significantly. The owners and the place itself seemed tired, and there didn't seem to be enough staff to handle the workload. My familiy's evening meal in the restaurant was the worst experience we have ever had in a restaurant. Three out of five people at our dinner table did not have their simple food requests met, and 4 out of 5 people found the quality of the meals to be poor. To make matters worse, the owners shared their complaints about other guests with us, which felt unprofessional and inappropriate.

The resort's cleanliness was also lacking. The windows were dirty, and there were cobwebs everywhere. The camp kitchen was in dire need of an upgrade.

Overall, my experience at The Last Resort was not as enjoyable as my previous stay. While the accommodation was still comfortable, the poor service and food quality, combined with the lack of attention to cleanliness and maintenance, made it a disappointing experience. I hope the owners take steps to improve the resort's overall quality, as it has the potential to be a great place to...