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Scenic Hotel Punakaiki

4237 State Highway 6, Punakaiki 7873 New Zealand
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Traveller (541)
Room & Suite (181)
Pool & Beach (43)

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Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.

About

#1 of 1 resort in Punakaiki
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
GreenLeaders Platinum level
Experience a breath-taking oceanfront sanctuary, situated directly on the beach. Whether you’re seeking a romantic getaway, an executive meeting retreat, or a peaceful escape, our 63 room, 4-star resort is ready to provide you with the best of Punakaiki. Cosy up by the fire in our inviting lounge, indulge in a delectable breakfast, lunch, or dinner at our beach view restaurant, or savour a refreshing beverage and unwind with friends. Our accommodations feature modern and comfortable rooms, boasting stunning ocean views and the captivating sound of the untamed Tasman Sea. Whatever your needs may be, our haven is the perfect destination for your next getaway. Located right on the beach, and only 500 metres from the famous Pancake Rocks & Blow Hole you can't find a better located property in Punakaiki
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Property amenities
Free parking
Parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Bar / lounge
Beach
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
Wifi
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
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Room features
Private balcony
Telephone
Coffee / tea maker
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
4.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Green
Languages Spoken
English
942Reviews2Q+A100Room tips

Reviews
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zg64 wrote a review 15 Mar
41 contributions7 helpful votes
Clean well located hotel near Pancake Rocks. Stayed 1 night during small group tour of NZ. Note it is not air conditioned, similar to many other hotels in New Zealand. However, the evenings and mornings are pretty cool and most people are out and about during the day making the lack of a/c ok. The breakfast buffet has a nice variety of food and the dinner was outstanding. I’m vegetarian so I don’t expect much most times, but my dinner was a 10 out of 10. Note that the way the hotel sits, there’s not a lot of privacy in many of the rooms. People in the parking lot and on the beach can see right into your room if the curtains are open. I wouldn’t let this be a deal breaker.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Naomi M wrote a review 14 Mar
16 contributions2 helpful votes
A charming motel style hotel with lovely views of both the sea and the rain forest. Staff was helpful. Room was clean and very comfy bed. Very close to walk to Punakaiki Nature reserve with the fantastic pancake rocks. We are dinner at the hotel restaurant and it was delicious, but need to book.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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kevin wrote a review 7 Mar
Canada11 contributions
Based on reviews we went here with some trepidation. We had an upper beach view room close to the main building - so I think a better room than some. 3.5 stars might be fairer. As some reviewers have said it is more of a motel room feel vs hotel - no AC, not huge and a little "shabby chic". That said the room was clean, we had a balcony, we had a lovely view and sound of the ocean. All the fly screens were intact so we had no issues - in fact on balcony we were fine and when the evening sun came around we pulled the curtains to stop the room getting too hot and very much enjoyed an evening sitting out. We did not dine (based on reviews) but I suspect that was a mistake as breakfast was fine and the staff very friendly and helpful. And feedback has been heard as large groups were clearly seated separately. I suspect Scenic have improved this and will continue to - maybe AC, maybe a coffee machine in the room - though I doubt they can fix the room construction. So - make sure you get an upper room with a view vs a view of a car parked in front of your room. Close to Pancake Rocks , a nice drive from Greymouth - and a good location for us as we were dropping the car off at Greymouth and getting the train to Christchurch the next a.m.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Get an upper room with a view - else there is no point
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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pippa0508 wrote a review Feb 2024
Sherborne, United Kingdom11 contributions10 helpful votes
We stayed here for two nights - stunning location right on the beach but we couldn’t enjoy this due to numerous sandflies which are a significant pest. My room was clean and most comfortable BUT the restaurant was poor. Breakfast was limited but our farewell small tour dinner was very poor and way over priced. My Mediterranean fish soup comprised tinned tasteless tomatoes, onion, a few token snippets of salmon, 2 mussels, 1 Large prawn which was very messy to peel with no water bowl provided, and a pale piece of supposedly garlic bread which all together cost an outrageous $40! The Mediterranean description was very far removed from reality. What’s more the staff hassled us to leave our table at the end of our meal. This was a huge disappointment for our tours final dinner and bore no resemblance to all the wonders we had encountered during the rest of our tour round your wonderful country.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Jonathan T wrote a review Feb 2024
London, United Kingdom335 contributions156 helpful votes
Beautiful location on the wild Western Coast of the South Island. Sitting right on the beach and a short walk to the Pancake Rocks. Rooms are broadly ok - quite spacious and (in our case) with a great view. There seemed to be lots of different types of room so worth checking out where you are. Breakfast was ok - nothing special - and staff were generally pleasant and helpful.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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FreddyII wrote a review Feb 2024
Wellington, New Zealand102 contributions54 helpful votes
The Scenic Circle group took over management of the resort last year and are starting to make some positive changes. Our room had recently been repainted. The evening meal in the restaurant was excellent, enhanced by the customer service of the dining room manager and staff. We had previously experienced the manager’s hospitality in a North Island hotel last year. Lovely sunset views from the hotel. Also, get advice from the hotel on the tides so the Punakaiki rocks can be visited at or near high tide for maximum effect. Hope the Scenic Circle Group continues the refurbishment work. Looking forward to our next visit.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Janet N wrote a review Feb 2024
5 contributions2 helpful votes
The deluxe suites are lovely. Even though they are across the road away from the beach (which they don’t tell you about when booking) the views and facilities are very good. However, you need to think twice about a reservation at the restaurant if you are not part of a large group on tour. Even though we had booked our table months ago, we were seated between 2 large groups. It was very noisy and more like a holiday camp than a restaurant. Also, the menu is very limited and not inexpensive for what is on offer. The food was just about passable. When mentioning the issue to staff when paying the bill, they weren’t really interested and were quite flippant when I mentioned that we had booked a table months ago and were surprised we were seated in the group dinner booking area. The overall impression is that the hotel is fully booked as there are so few places to stay in this area and with that provides a mediocre product that is expensive for what’s on offer. In our opinion, they have left us with the impression that they are happy with the tour group bookings and catering to large groups rather than interested in couples or individuals.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Raj Karekar, General Manager at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 9 Feb 2024
Dear Janetn768, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay in our Deluxe rooms and that the view of the ocean was to your liking. Regarding the distance of the Deluxe rooms, I would like to clarify that these rooms are situated in a mountain setting to offer the stunning view of the ocean while still being within the hotel premises. We understand that the distance from the beach may be a concern, but we do have other room categories that are closer to the beach. We strive to ensure that our online room descriptions and pictures accurately represent the location and features of each room and for a fact the pictures online for the Deluxe room perfectly represents its distance from the beach. Regarding the restaurant, I understand your concern about seating arrangements, and I apologise if your experience did not meet your expectations. We do cater to all guests and try our best to accommodate everyone, including tour groups. While we do not have separate areas for different guests, we do have a lounge area that offers equal views of the ocean. I am confident that our staff would have been happy to assist you with a different seating arrangement or time if requested. We are committed to providing an enjoyable dining experience for all our guests, and we will take your feedback into account to make improvements where necessary. Thank you for choosing Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future. Best regards, Raj Karekar
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Hilary B wrote a review Jan 2024
11 contributions1 helpful vote
I had a lovely ocean facing room. I could hear the waves crashing on the beach and thought I would be lulled to sleep. Unfortunately there was a storm that night so had little sleep with the sound of rain hitting the roof. My check in was not a smooth experience because I had booked 10 months before and there was a question about payment. Also I arrived before 6pm to be told that I had to make a reservation in the restaurant and earliest was 9pm. Fortunately I had eaten a pancake stack at the pancake rocks cafe so didnt want a meal. Breakfast was not included but I did have a very nice eggs benedict in the morning. It has a lovely cove with the pancake stratification on the rocks. I enjoyed a walk on the beach in the morning. You dont need to park at the pancake rocks and blow hole tourist centre. It is about a 7 minute walk to them.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: There are no local supermarkets and eating options are minimal
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Raj Karekar, General Manager at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 9 Feb 2024
Dear Hilaryb891, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your stay at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your ocean-facing room. We apologise for any inconvenience caused during your check-in and the issue with the payment. We will ensure that our staff are more vigilant in the future to avoid any confusion regarding bookings. We understand that your check-in time was before 6 pm, and the restaurant reservations were not available until 9 pm. We always strive to accommodate all our guests' dining preferences, but sometimes our early bookings can affect the availability of preferred dining times. We recommend that guests make their dining reservations at the time of check-in to ensure availability. We are pleased that our team was able to offer you a dining time, albeit not your preference. Your feedback has encouraged us to be more proactive in sending dining reservation reminders to all our future guests. We are also pleased to hear that you had a lovely walk on the beach in the morning and that you did not need to park at the Pancake Rocks. It is indeed just a 7-minute walk from our hotel. Thank you for your feedback regarding the breakfast. We are glad that you enjoyed the eggs benedict in the morning. We are always looking for ways to improve our services, and your feedback is essential to us. Once again, thank you for choosing Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, and we hope to see you again in the future. Best regards, Raj Karekar
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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STCGeorge wrote a review Jan 2024
Wigan, United Kingdom69 contributions28 helpful votes
The room was ok, well appointed etc, with a fabulous view of the ocean. However it was absolutely boiling, with only a small window to open, which was negated once the curtains were drawn. There was no air conditioning to our surprise. We didn’t try out the restaurant due to previous negative reviews, which weren’t addressed by the management.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Raj Karekar, General Manager at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 15 Jan 2024
Hi Steve, Thank you for sharing your experience. We're pleased you enjoyed the room's ocean view. Apologies for any discomfort caused by the warmth — the property was purchased without air-conditioning in late 2022 and has been operating this way for the past couple of decades, Whilst we haven't had the chance to address this yet, it is certainly on the CapEx plan for future improvements. We do hope to welcome you back for an improved stay and would encourage you to give the restaurant a try next time. It is actually really good, and the previous negative reviews are quite unusual. Sadly time got the better of us and these reviews went unaddressed for a week or so, but we remain incredibly grateful for all guest feedback we receive, both good and bad. Kind regards, Raj
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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003Kiwis wrote a review Jan 2024
Christchurch, New Zealand80 contributions21 helpful votes
We have no criticism of any of the staff we came across during our 2-night stay at this hotel. They were without exception all friendly and helpful. However overall we had a disappointing experience. We don't usually fuss too much about the meals offered in an accommodation but we do expect that if we are staying at a 4-star accommodation then the meals will be at a suitable standard and that what is on the menu (food and drinks) will be available. However our dinner experience was simply not so. Some of the advertised dishes were not available (one of these was a supposed speciality of the hotel - the Zucchini dish), other items were not all available. Furthermore the first four drink options we asked for were not available (two of these were red wines) and the third wine option - a sparkling white - was also not available. When I asked if a substitution could be provided there was no attempt to offer one. One of our grandchildren's requested drink was similarly simply not available. Needless to say we dined elsewhere on our second night.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Raj Karekar, General Manager at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Responded 15 Jan 2024
Hi 003Kiwis, Thank you for your feedback on your recent stay. We certainly appreciate your positive comments about our wonderful staff. We must also apologise for the inconvenience during your dinner experience, especially the unavailability of certain menu items and drink options, which is highly unusual for us. Hopefully you can appreciate that your later dining time, coupled with an incredibly busy night in the restaurant, meant that certain dishes were sold out. We certainly did have everything available at the start of the evening, but were unfortunately caught off guard by the number of walk-in bookings on the night. We regret not having the chance to address these issues on the night and assure you that we are taking steps to prevent such occurrences in the future. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for an improved experience. Kind regards, Raj
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
£105 - £170 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
punakaiki hotel punakaiki
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
The Ocean View Retreat
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandWest Coast RegionPunakaiki
NUMBER OF ROOMS
63
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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SCENIC HOTEL PUNAKAIKI - Updated 2024 Reviews (New Zealand)

Frequently Asked Questions about Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
What are some of the property amenities at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are any cleaning services offered at Scenic Hotel Punakaiki?
Yes, laundry service and self serve laundry are offered to guests.
Does Scenic Hotel Punakaiki have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.
Is Scenic Hotel Punakaiki accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.