Hobson's Choice Motel

I was driving down to Rotorua from the northlands on vacation. Great location, easy to enter and exit, close to the downtown area. The rooms were very clean, and spacious. No hotplate or stove but everything else you need including a microwave, fridge, toasters and french press coffee maker. Parking was easy, right in front of your room. The staff was friendly and helpful, taking you right to your room and showing you how everything works. Fast internet, which as a digital nomad is something I always look for. Great place to stay if you are in Dargaville.

We do not usually write negative reviews on T/A but felt this review was justified after our experience and for the benefit of other likeminded travellers. We recently stayed one night in unit 14, a two bedroom unit. This unit is certainly in need of urgent refurbishment and maintenance. We were invaded with crickets in the bathroom coming from a gap in the vinyl surrounding the bath. The hot tap over the bathroom hand basin has no flow, a section of the shower door is missing. The couches in the lounge are well passed their use by date – stained and very saggy, the rug under one of them is badly stained and better suited to a drop sheet, the TV in the lounge is not much bigger than a laptop screen. Most of the cupboard and door handles are chipped and in need of painting, the dishwasher didn’t work. You risk your life sitting on the three old outdoor chairs, beside the ashtray on a stand still with old cigarette butts in. On a positive note the person who checked us in was friendly, the breakfast included in our rate was good, on leaving a staff member did apologise for the plague of uninvited crickets.

Our unit is in dire need of a renovation. We had the two bedroom street-unit on Victoria Street. It was very clean, hence the two-star rating, but the rest is very below par when it comes to what you would expect from a motel - especially when paying over $200 for the night (we did have 2 bedrooms). The smell of deodoriser was overpowering when we walked in, not a good start, despite all the windows being open. The owner was very nice and helpful when I asked for another bedside lamp for the queen room - but - I do need to list all the problems with this very shabby unit. A large stained area on the carpet was covered up with an upside down rug (tag up) as the other side of the rug was all pulled. The dining table is chipped all over. The two brown couches looked very old and kind of greasy - we would not sit on them. The paint was coming off all the door and cupboard handles. The shower door was broken and replaced with a plastic curtain. The very old tap in the bathroom had no pressure when turned to hot. The drawers and cupboards in the old, but large, kitchen were in need of repair. We were only there to sleep and shower but we would not have wanted to spend any more time than this in the unit. There is a small TV in the very bare lounge.

The motel was reasonably clean and tidy, but somewhat basic. The drive North made Dargaville a convenient stop. There are some excellent shops selling Swamp Kauri articles, which is a beautiful timber.

Very very clean, smelt fresh. Everything you need for a 1 night stay Shower immaculate Beautiful clean pool, Hosts very very friendly and helpful Would definately recommend and go back Car parking Thank you 😊

Staff were super helpful with great responsiveness and communication right from the outset. Really appreciate their helpfulness. Room spotless and nice, and whole property is well presented. Helpful to have reception open long hours. The proximity to the main road means it is a little noisy due to heavy traffic but as long as you are aware of this it’s not a problem as you’ll quickly get used to it. Basic cooking facilities with microwave only but all clean and functional.

You could wipe your finger over the skirting boards in this place and not see any grime or dirt, as it should be. I was amazed at the quality of the room and comfort. I had a wonderful sleep and enjoyed that the room had a bath

We were so happy to find a two bedroom apartment in his motel for our family of 5 during the school holidays. It's only a 30 minutes drive to the amazing Kai Iwi Lakes and about an hour to the Tane Mahuta kauri tree! The booking process was easy and the receptionist very lovely and helpful. Sadly the room quality was not very high - very dated interiors, bathroom sink still has two taps, the armchairs in the lounge were old and stained, beds small and not very comfy, old stained carpets, very few electric sockets. Overall a bit depressing outlook. Kept average clean, I think it would be a good idea to give those dining chairs a bit of a wet wipe clean as they are just covered in fly spots! The rest of the surfaces were clean though and we got fresh towels and toiletries each day, which was lovely! The mobile phone reception was very poor in the room, but you get a free wifi access. Overall it has a great location, but it's not a very high standard and we probably wouldn't return for a family stay again. Hope the financial climate for hospitality improves and the rooms get an update at some point - it's long overdue I think.

We had booked twin studio at this motel. It's location was very good, not at all traffic noise. Our studio was comfortable, clean and large enough. But single bed was not comfortable. Short walk to Dargaville centrum. Not many dinner options there on weekdays. Countdown supermarket is within walking distance.