13 Best Hotels in North Island's West Coast, New Zealand

Hosts John and Helen treat you like family when you stay in one of the comfortable rooms here; each comes with a local decor theme (bush, cave, farm, and swamp), superqueen bed, and a second deck entrance. The cozy guest lounge features recycled native timbers, books, a wide-screen TV, honor bar, stellar views of the green countryside, and an appealing outdoor barbecue area and fire pit. The communal complimentary breakfasts—including free-range eggs and local honey—are seriously good. Located on the edge of Waitomo Village, the sign warning that anyone who mentions the steep driveway will be fined NZ$2 sets an appropriately convivial tone.

Modern and clean, this delightful holiday park in the heart of Waitomo Village offers tents, powered campervan sites, cabins, and a self-contained motel. Some cabins have breakfast-making facilities, but there's also a well-equipped communal kitchen here, as well as a guest lounge with TV (free movies available) and a guest laundry. Other park amenities include a gas barbecue, swimming pool, hot tub, children's playground, and Wi-Fi available throughout the property. 

Checking out will be the hardest part when you stay in either the 100-year-old cottage or modern apartment on this waterfront garden property. Both are self-contained and feature comfortable decor, well-stocked libraries, plus forest-framed harbor views. The owners will happily leave you alone to enjoy the outlook, the subtropical gardens, and bushy dell. If you can bring yourself to leave the gorgeous grounds, a double kayak is available for guests.

This motel-style complex comes with a good selection of amenity-packed units. There's a flexible mix of studios and one-bedroom suites with whirlpool baths, mini-refrigerators, and microwaves. There are also two-level, two-bedroom family units with full kitchens and a pair of fully accessible units, plus a luxury honeymoon suite. All have smart televisions (with Netflix, Lightbox, and Youtube built-in), safes, and king beds. A conference room and small gym are also on-site. Supermarkets and cafés are within walking distance.

A blend of upscale "flashpacker" lodge rooms and stylish self-contained suites and apartments give visitors to the Anndion Lodge lots of flexibility. There’s a shared lodge kitchen and outside you'll find a covered barbecue area, saltwater pool, hot tub, and infra-red sauna. Inside, there's a cozy TV lounge with an extensive DVD library and pool table.

Aimed primarily at business travelers, the spacious digs here, with their handsome yet comfy decor and convenient location are popular with tourists, too. A stylish mix of accommodations include studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. All are self-contained, serviced, and soundproofed. Continental and cooked breakfasts are available at extra charge.

Located only blocks from the central city, rooms here have more character than a standard motel thanks to art deco-inspired interiors and colorful furnishings throughout. The lower units open onto small patios, although the only views are of the tall fence bordering the property. Off-street parking is available to guests, as is Netflix in the rooms. Check-in is via a text message and lockbox system. 

The city's largest hotel occupies a 1927 heritage building (check out the cage-style elevator, one of the country's oldest). In addition to comfortable queen-bed rooms, the hotel has an on-site restaurant serving modern New Zealand cuisine, a cozy house bar, and a larger bar with big-screen television for sports viewing. It also has major conference and function facilities, so a stay may be shared with wedding guests or meeting delegates.

Even just arriving here is an exceptional experience—whether by boat or the namesake Flying Fox, a cable car that carries you across to the remote, west bank of the Whanganui Rive; once here, you can choose between two-bedroom cottages, an off-grid tiny house, Treetops studio, or a glamping tent. The cottages were hand-built using salvaged materials; inside, rug-covered floors, tie-dye throws, carved screens, and wood-burning stoves create a warm, cozy ambience. Distinctly eco-friendly, facilities here include wood- and gas-fired showers and solar lighting; moreover, the entire property is certified organic. Both self-catering and bed-and-breakfast options are available, and other meals can be provided (ask in advance). Glamping and camping facilities are available in the summer months. A little store carries a few products as well as home-grown produce. You can get to the Flying Fox from Whanganui on the Whanganui River Road Mail Tour; if you're driving, there's secure parking on the road side of the river.

High on the mountain, this hotel and restaurant has a deserved reputation for its dramatic setting and fine food. Guest rooms look out over the lower forested slopes. A café serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks while the dinner restaurant offers contemporary and classic cuisine featuring local produce. Trails from the lodge explore a mix of subalpine shrublands and dense forest.

This is a fairly standard apartment-style chain hotel, but it's the newest in town, and it's as close as you'll get to the central city. It comes with some extras like access to an off-site gym and secure car parking. The one- and two-bedroom apartments have separate living and dining areas, and even the studios have a small kitchen and laundry facilities.

The location (a five-minute walk from town and from the harbor) and family-friendly facilities are key attractions here. Accommodations range from studio units to a self-contained, two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartment with a kitchen, lounge/dining area, and private courtyard. Shared guest facilities include a large, sheltered courtyard with a barbecue, well-equipped kitchen, and hot tub. The owners are a mine of local information if you need a few pointers.

Elegance and character team with modern amenities in this renovated Edwardian inn in the center of town. Rooms are decorated in Victorian furniture with lots of mahogany. Four of the eight suites have whirlpool baths. Downstairs, the restaurant–bar has traditional English character with a Kiwi twist; expect a cozy roaring fire (in winter), historic Whanganui pictures on the walls, standard bistro-pub fare, a wide choice of imported beers, and more than 50 single-malt whiskies.