Alexander Motel

The motel has certainly seen better days, maintenance wise - even though everything was clean. No A/c, which was unusual. As well, there is a very antiquated system of hot water as each room has its own small system. We didn't run out but beware.

On the upside, the rooms are very clean. Great central location. Unfortunately, the beds feel old and uncomfortable. You can feel the springs in the mattress. No aircon - only a fan. No Sky tv. The shower pressure is really low, not much better than a trickle. There’s no kitchen sink, so you have to wash your dishes in the bathroom sink, which doesn’t feel very hygienic. No double glazing, so it’s very noisy. The tariff is quite pricey. Our family booked 4 rooms, but no discount was offered, so we paid $165 per night. The gentleman that checked us in reeked of alcohol. Very unprofessional. He told us that he had just come from a meeting, but wasn’t an alcoholic! WTH?! Who would even say that to guests?! We didn’t need to provide any details on check in. We felt hurried, and his priority seemed to be getting us to pay for the accommodation as quickly as possible. We have never had to pay on arrival. Unfortunately, we don’t recommend this motel, and wouldn’t choose to stay here.

A comfortable and well equipped room in this motel, suited us well the night before driving the Forgotten World Highway. The fact that the room provides crockery and cutlery is a bonus as the takeaway down the road is very good, and offers more than the rest of the town by way of places to eat. The motel was very quiet the night we stayed but we wondered if the layout and construction might make it noisy when the place is busy? The guy in charge was welcoming, friendly and helpful.

Called to book a room a couple of weeks ago, and was told it was all good to go and it was booked in. Upon arrival to the motel, I went to check in and told there was no such booking. It was really disappointing as I had to go and find alternate accommodations elsewhere. Unfortunately, everywhere in Taumarunui was fully booked. Heard this has happened a couple of times to people, while I was motel hunting for new accommodation.

The room was lovely and we were cheerfully welcomed. The motel is close to places to eat and local supermarkets. We drove to the river nearby in the morning, absolutely beautiful! We used this as an overnight stop before driving the forgotten highway.