Snells Beach Motel

We stayed just one night at this motel, on route between Paihia and Whitianga during our month long tour of NZ. It's a couple of blocks back from the beach but we loved the layout, style and comfort of the apartment and the fact that it was in a relatively small two storey block compared to other motels during our trip. There's just enough parking spaces around the building. Kitchenette facilities are fine and there a tall fridge/freezer. It also has a nice warm outdoor pool on the side, which we enjoyed late afternoon for a relaxing dip after walking down to the beach - as it's a bit of a slog walking back uphill from there! The beach itself is beautiful and peaceful - a huge expanse of sand at low tide, and covered in shells which I loved. Initially we were concerned as it felt as if the motel was on quite a busy main road but actually it was very quiet in the evening and through the night. We got fish and chips at Skillet & Fillet in the parade of shops virtually opposite. The motel's receptionist recommended the snapper and gurnard so we ordered both to try and they and the chips were the best we can remember! Enjoyed them on our balcony with a bottle of wine and could see the sea in the distance - wonderful. Note that the fish & chip shop is very popular and closes at 8pm - we went across in good time and were told it would be a 40min wait so we ordered and went back to our room until the time was up, so it was good that we were so close. Worth it too! Would recommend this motel for similar stopovers, but if views are important to you, probably best to request a rear room so that you get a full sea view, as we could only see if from the corner of our section of the balcony by our apartment no.7 on the road side, down the side of the other section of building in front of us.

Snells beach is a lovely, quiet place and this is a great place to stay. The suite we had was very clean, in great order and had everything you need for a self catering tour like we were doing. With shops and restaurants just over the road it is ideally placed for a stop over.

The room was spacious and it was good it had an extra heater and a heat pump. It was mostly clean just some black marks above the shower on the wall. Sofa was a bit uncomfortable there was no milk in the fridge for hot drinks. The electric blankets were a good idea and the bed was comfortable. For $160 you don't expect a note saying if we have to wash your dishes an extra $20 will be added to your account.

We can’t wait to return, the motel is is perfectly located a short walk from the beach and conveniently across the road from a small group of shops that have everything you need. The rooms are so well appointed and have everything you need, spotlessly clean and serviced daily. The bed was like sleeping in a cloud. To top it off the staff were so accommodating and friendly nothing was too much. Jo the manager bent over backwards to ensure we were happy and had great advice on all the best local places to visit. We are planning our next trip there already and only left last month. When you need a holiday this is the place to stay and Snells Beach is the place to go.

The apartment was spotlessly clean, staff extremely friendly and helpful. Well looked after. Facilities were superb. I would highly recommend this accomodation . Our expectations were exceeded and will be back.

I really liked this place - so much so that I extended my one night booking to three. It's a very nicely kept and maintained motel in a great location - walking distance to beach, and with the shops and the Salty Dog pub across the road. My unit (#12) was great; spacious and clean and I really liked the separate bedroom distinct from the lounge/kitchen area. That's not a common feature in NZ motels. Nice views over the beach from the balcony too. Jo is a lovely host, and provided excellent recommendations for places to visit. There's a lot of amazing stuff to see and do in this area - the Tawharanui Peninsula is an amazing coastal reserve that will blow your socks off. The same is true of the nearby Sculptureum, which is simply extraordinary and a 'must do'. The Rothko restaurant there is superb as well. Brick Bay winery and sculpture trail is also worth a visit (although Sculptureum is truly next level awesome). Previous reviewers have commented on the 'strict' messaging around cleanliness etc, which is fair enough - yes, there are reminders about not polluting the units, but as a holiday home owner myself, I can empathise with this, and it wasn't totally in your face either. I saw first hand how some of the other guests staying at the motel behaved - making loads of noise, parking large work vehicles in places that obstructed the units, and traipsing mud all over the steps and landing (we are talking serious mud). So, if guests are inclined to treat your place disrespectfully, then it's only fair and reasonable to remind them not to - at least in my view it is. This is an all round great place, and I would happily return. Thanks Jo!

Surprisingly quiet motel considering its good location. Very handy to shops, restaurants and takeaways and beach. Great pool in a nice surrounding. The unit was clean and well appointed. You can tell the staff and management care about the place.

This is the perfect base for exploring the area, and it's tremendous value. We stayed three nights in one of the double spa bath units. They must have given us the best unit in the place (#12). It was upstairs, away from the main road, so it was very quite and private. We could see both sunrise and sunset from our room. It was spotlessly clean and the housekeeping is first rate. We went out for a couple hours in the morning, and came back to find the room fully serviced. While the motel is not brand new, it has been updated to a very high standard. Our host, Jo, was very helpful with an introduction to the area and recommendations for places to eat and sights to see (Tawharanui WAS exceptional - thanks, Jo). The staff were there when we needed them, and invisible when we didn't - perfect. The only surprise is that there is no air conditioning, just fans and heaters. This was not an issue for us, but it might get a little warm at the peak of summer. But it looks like all units have windows/doors on at least two sides, and the motel is on top of the hill, so natural ventilation is great. The location is excellent: places to eat and shop across the road and within walking distance, and a short, enjoyable walk to the beautiful beach. There is so much to do within a 15-minute drive, we could have stayed for weeks. They showed us one of their spacious 2-bedroom suites; we might have to bring the family next time.

Stayed overnight in this lovely motel - would like to have stayed longer. Very clean, very spacious room, well equipped. The pool was nice and warm and it was no problem to organise a late check out, which we really appreciated. Great location too - good bistro and coffee spot across the road, and beach just down the hill. Would definitely stay again, just for longer next time!