Parakai Springs — Restaurant in Rodney

Hi I booked(Heka)2 large marquees for a large group 25+)16/12/17(first by manager then front desk staff) I was told it would be by the stage area tucked in the corner and I could fit another standard size gazebo which I told them i would add to the marquees i then added a BBQ(i asked for a bbq that we could have bought to us due to large group i was told that was fine(on phone)but due to where our booked marque was stationed we had a couple bbqs close by(real close)..comfirmed booking 2wks prior again I was told details and I asked ?? again and was given satisfying answers..all good.. then when I arrived at parakai pools"hello my oldest daughter showed me the problem(Big)2 marquees..1by the kiddies pool the other on the other side of the field(graceland)ok..informed front desk about error easily fixed(since it was staff error at no charge)we were given half of the large marquee($500) but minus extra tables not good..my purpose for hiring 2lge marquees(which I explained again..is for the tables and shelter was even prepared to cover any differences..through much walkie talkie talk with front desk we got to keep 1 of our lge marquee that was close by and BBQ was sorted (which I thought)even booked for 2(imagine my surprise)i asked for my BBQ at 2 wasn't worried about delay as long as delay wasnt long because kids were getting hungry..imagine my surprise when i was told i couldn't get it until 2.45(45mins)reason:broken bbqs and high demand(cherry on the top)when we finally got the bbq i was then told we can't have a bbq bought to us.(The group next to us had a bbq bought to them)And yet it was what I requested on phone but was told differently by staff due to location of marquees..The closes bbq was a walk across the field(very disappointing)Staff at parakai pools I've visited this pool for years since my kids were babies..this gathering was for(my son's 21st)count the years and over the years I've watched parakai grow(I'm from west Auckland)I visit parakai pools with my kids and extended family and friends every Christmas and New Year..(we made it a family tradition)we always leave satisfied..i even understand problems can arise and there's only so much a staff can do(I get that at work a lot so I understand high demands)But read how I booked my family's get together and how i asked ?? On the day not 1 but 3 issues.. not at one time was I told or even approached by staff before 2oclock about issue with bbq (NOONE)....my family and friends were very dissapointed..i didn't make a big thing about the marquee issue but the bbq..with a large group when you cart food from across a field especially when you tried to avoid this very thing(lge meat quantity)and was assured it would not happen and yet it did..i ask staff a ??..if this was your family how would you feel!!I was dissatisfied and angry!!I dont know whether this was just a mixed message error with staff but I hope that this does not happen to anyone else..this was poorly organised and bad management skills and very poor communication among staff..My skills in management as pleasing customers or clients is a must in my experience so..Please Read what I have written and try and understand from my view as a customer.Thank you and...

After a 50 minute drive in sweltering heat it was a relief to pull into the wide open car park of Parakai Springs. Many car parks were available and I was lucky enough to park next to a couple who were having a heated argument. Nothing could dull my enthusiasm to hurriedly enter the pools and recapture those memories from my youth that I fondly remember. I entered through the main doors and was hit with the overwhelming aroma of hot sweaty chlorine and hot summer bodies. At the entrance is a crude security system that we had to wait 3 minutes to get any form of service, only to be told that it was $25 each. Oh wow, I thought to myself, this place must be really good if its that expensive. I got changed and made my way to the outdoor pool area but found that the PPSM (people per square metre) was 1.5 which was completely contrasting to the empty carpark and the exclusive price on entry. Alas there was an indoor pool and I was quick to find that the PPSM was a lot more appealing. The yellow tinged water was very inviting and the nice oily film covering the top of the pool parted like the red sea as I entered into the heavenly water. I leaned back nestling against the wall and stretching my arms wide to get as much surface area against the slimy wall as possible. Feeling impervious to all ailments after acquiring my new slimy film protection I knew it was time to hit the hydro slides. I climbed the archaic tower constructed with old wooden poles and rusted metallic braces that appeared to be placed randomly, holding the magnificent architectural specimen by sheer luck more than anything. Adrenaline was already starting to pulsate at uncontrollable levels as just climbing the tower before it collapses is the first challenge. On the journey to the top I saw a used plaster that was going to foreshadow a massive plot reveal later on, disgusted I continued up the gargantuan tower. Reaching the top the plaster plot line became apparent as the male in front of me was bleeding profusely from his elbow. A lovely red stream of water followed him down the slide as staff smirked beckoning me to enter the filth riddled death tube. I sat at the entrance and let the tunnel engulf me, pondering why the male was bleeding. These thoughts were instantly interuppted by the jarring ribs of the slide that chip your spine and elbows as you pass over 50 of them as you venture to the bottom. Having no skin left on my elbows and pain shooting up my spine as I was embraced the pool below. I knew there was only one choice and that was to have another go on the slide. After an exhausting 20 minutes of enjoying everything Parakai Springs had to offer, it was time to unfortunately leave this paradise. I left feeling dirty and unhygienic, the only solace being, you can't get hep c if you already have hep c. Due to such a short visit, I was treated to round 2 of the domestic that was still raging in the car park, unfortunately I didn't stick around long enough to find out what the grocery money was spent on. Would have been 5 stars but $1.25 per minute is simply not worth it. Has to be seen to be believed, see...

My partner and I went during a much needed holiday break, we had planned to spend the day there and drive back home in the evening. it cost us over $60 {we paid $6 for 30 mins of private spa use}. We had seen on the website information about kids swimming lessons in the main pool that are a regular occurrence twice a day, but it said they used only two lanes and it seemed by that statement that the public can still use the rest of the pool, so we planned to use a spa during this time when we first arrived, and enjoy the main pool after the swimming lessons were finished. We asked if we could use the adults pool which is a bit more private and sheltered, but we were told it was having maintenance and was closed. We were offered free use of one of the spa pools {which we took up later} We went to the other hotter pool and there were signs saying no food allowed, but the whole pool area {all of the seated areas}was taken up with people eating Asian food, the smell was pretty strong {like an Asian food court} and we only stayed in that pool a short time, it was pretty crowded. We went to the main pool for a little while until 1pm when the second swimming lessons started and while the website suggests that they only use two lanes and we put ourselves well away from these lanes being used, but we were told to exit the pool completely when the kids started using the pool. So paying public are not allowed to use the pool for an hour and a half or so, twice a day or more. There was another group at the pools that looked like a school trip, so the main pool was pretty much taken over by this group as well. We left after about 2-3 hours after spending most of our time there in a private spa, which is not what we had planned nor paid for. Also factoring in the cost of paying $5 for a locker for 2 hours just made this expensive and quite disappointing for us. This coupled with the general run down appearance {pool tiles missing, dirty spa pools, I left a fingerprint in the grime on one of them ick} I suggest Parakai lower their prices due to the fact that paying public cannot use the pool during some hours during the day, so you don't get what your paying for, and...