Some people should take jobs where they have little contact with the public. Receptionist at a motel is not one of these jobs. Our whole experience of Gisborne was coloured by a very poor experience when we checked into this motel. In hindsight we would have been better to move on and find alternative accommodation but we had made a booking and I was concerned about what a cancellation would cost.
In all fairness, I should not say that the motel was bad and without the initial unpleasantness, it would have been acceptable, but I cannot recommend it because others could easily meet this unfortunate person and have a similar poor experience. Have you noticed that when something goes wrong, you then find other things that are wrong or irritate. This was the case here. The room was just that bit too small. The heating appeared to be adjusted so you could never get the room temperature high enough. The morning paper didn’t come because I neglected to tick a box when I was asked to fill in my name and address on check-in. All in all, our experience was poor.
The next day, we did a quick look around at alternative accommodation. We found the Teal Motor Lodge at 479 Gladstone Road. This is an owner-operated motel on the same street as Colonial Motor Lodge, closer to town, with a large swimming pool set in nice gardens and a pleasant receptionist. The rooms were large, have in-house video and most have a fully equipped kitchen. Evening meals can be delivered to the room, there is a guest laundry and a children’s playground. It seemed like a nice place to stay. The contact telephone number is (06) 868 4019.
Another interesting alternative for some people would be Ocean Beach Motor Lodge on the Pacific Coast Highway at Wainui Beach. This is only five kilometers from the center of Gisborne and the Lodge is a ‘stone’s throw’ from the sand. This option is more expensive than the other motels but you get Mediterranean-inspired self-contained one and two bedroom apartments with spacious private courtyards, which are very nice. Cooked and continental breakfasts are available and there is a restaurant and bar on site. The contact telephone number is (06) 868 6186
From journal New Zealand's remote East Coast