3 Best Hotels in Northland and the Bay of Islands, New Zealand

An enormous cedar of Lebanon stands in front of this gracious 1864 kauri homestead; both the tree and the house are listed with the Historic Places Trust. The restored home has one modern wing, but it's designed to blend with the original building. Two rooms with private baths are in the new wing; one has a balcony overlooking the gardens. The rooms in the older wing are smaller but elegantly furnished with antiques; they share a bath. A three-course dinner and picnic lunches are available for an additional fee. Paheke is about a 15-minute drive southwest of Kerikeri and Paihia and it's a perfect place to base yourself if taking a leisurely trip in the north.

This simple hotel offers low key accommodation without fancy add-ons—each room has en suite bathrooms, satellite TV, and tea/coffeemaking facilities and Wi-Fi. 

With obvious references to France (but in a very Kiwi way), Lodge Bordeaux offers comfortable and stylish accommodations. There is a range of rooms from studios to two-bedroom kitchen suites for those who want to cook. The rooms are well-appointed. Deals are often available on the website.