Ocean Spa — Restaurant in Napier

So I'm a very happy Ocean Spa customer and ex-staff member. I worked under the old management and during the refurb. As such, I'm in a unique position to see what underinvestment in a treasured asset can do and how much effort it takes to turn that inertia around.

Things have taken some time to bed in, but persistence and consistent standards are paying off. The attentive lifeguard teams are well run by the TLs and overseen by an industry legend. The pump room has undergone significant improvement in terms of automatic dosing for sanitation and ph and I can see, feel and taste the difference.

The general vibe of the place has improved markedly. Professional receptionists stop a lot of problems at the door by diplomatic education and a firm-but-fair approach. Poolside, it's a safe, welcoming and non-threatening environment for those who want to be part of something great while discouraging people who feel the rules don't apply to them...'bout time.

But let's not forget that this facility has operated for 20 years give or take. It takes grit, dogged determination and investment to keep an aging asset going, especially a pool complex floating on an ever-moving tectonic plate. There will always be plant issues as infrastructure breaks and only Council has the resources to keep the place running. Yep, it takes money, local money but you don't chuck Nana out on the street just because she's costing you more. Take a swim in the lap pool or glance to your right under the stairs as you enter the pools and you'll see stainless steel plaques bearing testament to local legends who put their money where their togs were. Some were the high rollers of the day but many were ratepayers like you and me just wanting to do the city proud.

The original vision for Ocean Spa 2.0 was to be the Jewel of Napier and a Mecca for tourists, especially the cruise ship crowd. That always made me wince a little. Covid showed us how important it is to look after your core base of customers when those ships stop coming. Sure, OS is no longer a place where entitled dinosaurs march around like they own the place but let's not confuse that with looking after the locals. Customers are getting treated with a mixture of respect and a firm hand, and I'm only one of many who want to be part of that community.

Well done, Ocean Spa. ...

We arrived just after 7pm on a lovely summer's evening. Very popular place looking at the amount of people there, and I had great memories from a previous visit 3 years prior. Sadly, we were all extremely disappointed. The lockers were broken/out of order so we were unable to store our valuables safely, however the very polite young woman in reception did offer to put our valuable belongings behind the front desk,but I felt uncomfortable with this option due to the busyness off the area. The changing rooms were dirty and no private area to change (family rooms both in use). Pools looked tired and dirty, including the decorative stream around. Lots of hair, foreign floating objects and what someone in my group commented looked like toenails in the outside spa pool. I did not end up swimming as I felt uncomfortable leaving our belongings in the outside cubby hole provided. It also looked like many were there visiting not just for an enjoyable swim or soak. The only positive from our visit was I asked for a refund (due to deciding not to swim after seeing the sad state of the place) and a different young woman at the front desk being very co-operative and agreeing that yes, the place was dirty and needed a spruce up. Would not visit again unless I viewed the state of the place first before paying over $10...

Please include a slot in the staff schedule for watering and caring for the plants at the entrance. At my workplace, we also have natural plants, and they thrive because we deliberately set aside time for a staff member to tend to them.

I’ve been coming to Ocean Spa for quite a while and absolutely love the staff and facilities. However, I do feel that the sauna, steam room, and pools could be cleaner. It would be helpful to have signs reminding people to shower before using the sauna and pools, as well as between the sauna and the cold pool. My guess is that many people simply don’t think about it. But when you’re in the sauna, you’re sweating a lot, and then people head straight to the cold pool to rinse off. Ideally, everyone should be showering before entering both the pool and the sauna.

I really appreciate the natural plants at the entrance and in the gym, but it’s disappointing that they’re not being cared for, even after I’ve mentioned it twice to different staff members at reception. It would only take a bit of attention—such as taking them outside and giving them a good hose down—so the leaves can breathe and the plants can receive some water instead of remaining covered in dust...