We selected Donegal House because of book reviews describing how charming this Irish inn was. What we found was, by far, the worst place we stayed in 9 weeks of traveling in New Zealand. We had one small motel room with no TV, no internet, thin walls, bare lightbulb in bathroom, a strong smell of grease from the restaurant, and... more

We went to Donegal House for evening dinner and it was a huge disappointment. From the car park the place looks rather run down and scruffy. The gardens are lovely but its a shame the furniture lets the outdoor area down. We had a pleasant welcome from the staff and the customer service couldn't be faulted. The menu was very... more

We spent one night at Donegal House in early September 2007. The room was very bland - OK, but nothing special, certainly no better than the average motel, which would be considerably cheaper! Virtually no sound proofing between rooms. We were only over night guests (big point made of this!), until walk-ins arrived at mid-night, and were put in the... more

I have mixed views on the DH. The property enjoys fantastic views of the Kaikoura mountains when the weather is clear and is set in the grounds of a former farm. The buildings are totally uninspiring, looking like a run-down motel when you approach from the main road. No attempt has been made to tidy or beautify the place and... more

I loved our stay at the Donegal House. It is a bit of a drive from downtown, but well worth it. Beautiful grounds filled with ponds, statues and bridges. A full Irish Pub for dinner and/or drinking located on the property. The rooms were clean, large and quiet. Ours had a sliding door to a patio area with chairs and... more

We stayed at the Donegal for one night in November. It is slightly outside of Kaikoura , about a 5 - 10 min drive from the centre of town. It is too far to walk so if you are planning on staying here you really will need a car if you want to go out and about in the evening.... more

Although there was some building work going on it couldn't take away from what a great place this is. The gardens are beautiful, the rooms clean and the food (dinner) fantastic. We found all the staff to be really helpful and friendly. The large fire and great bar was perfect and our family played cards in there before we ate... more

Donegal House is an absolute gem. Irish style B&B with a very friendly, gracious host (Murray). The bedrooms are lovely, everything was very clean and comfortable, with a lot of character. Plus, the grounds are amazing - includes a pond with a walking bridge, swans of different varieties, and 3 white peacocks that wonder around outside your sliding glass doors.... more