Coromandel Peninsula
Perfectly positioned between the pubs and the beach, this converted house offers bunk-filled dorms as well as private rooms, some with their own bathroom…
Must-see hotels in North Island
East Cape
Oceanside Apartments offers two nicely kept apartments with blue-and-white colour schemes, one below the owners' house, the other behind. Meals and picnic…
Gisborne
It's not the architecture you're here for – 36 rooms strung along a vast car park – but the location. It's a quick dash to Waikanae Beach and a good fish…
City Centre & Britomart
Struggle up one of the city’s steepest streets to this big, impersonal tower block near the K Rd party strip. Refurbished in late 2016, the rooms are…
East Cape
Tui Lodge is a capacious, modern guesthouse that sits in groomed 3-acre gardens, irresistible to tui and many other birds. Delicious meals are available…
Mangawhai Backpackers: The Coastal Cow
Bay of Islands & Northland
The rooms at this unassuming house-style hostel are cosy but the vibe is friendly and relaxed. Bathrooms are shared. There's a barbecue area on the deck…
Auckland
A slice of country in suburbia, this regional park is also a working farm. Facilities are limited (a vault toilet, warm showers and not much shade) but it…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
This YMCA-run and purpose-built tower caters well to the budget market. The tiny rooms and stamp-sized bathrooms make for clean and secure accommodation…
Whanganui
Take your pick from one of 10 older-but-updated kitchenette units in the main block (rooms 6 and 7 have views of the river), or the five spa suites out…
Rotorua
Even if you are 6ft 3in, Astray – a 'micro-motel' that would probably be more at home in Tokyo than Rotorua – is a decent budget bet. Clean, tidy, quiet,…
Coromandel Peninsula
There’s a basic DOC campsite in the Puketui Valley, located in a pretty spot by the river. This is a wilderness area, so take care and be properly…
Bay of Islands
Cook's Lookout is an old-fashioned motel with friendly owners, breathtaking views and a solar-heated swimming pool. Take Puketona Rd towards Haruru Falls,…
Auckland
Set on a peaceful peninsula that's only a short ferry ride from the city, VR Takapuna offers serviced apartments with kitchens, laundry facilities and…
Coromandel Peninsula
This ‘island-style’ resort in the town centre has spacious self-contained chalets, with natural wood and Gauguin decor inside and a South Seas garden…
Bay of Islands
There are DOC campsites at Cable, Sunset and Urupukapuka Bays. They have water supplies, cold showers (except Sunset Bay) and composting toilets; bring…
Bay of Islands & Northland
This converted 1921 schoolhouse has classrooms partitioned into a large bunk-free dorm and a communal lounge, both painted with colourful murals. Office…
Coromandel Peninsula
Next door to the Miranda Hot Springs, Miranda Holiday Park has excellent sparkling-clean units and facilities, its own hot-spring pool and a floodlit…
Taupo
This hostel has lake and mountain views from the balcony, a spacious kitchen, comfy lounges, Kiwiana artwork, Netflix and free continental breakfast…
Athenree Hot Springs & Holiday Park
Coromandel Peninsula
Harbour-hugging Athenree has smart accommodation and friendly owners. Entry to the thermal pools is free for guests, making this a top choice for the…
Rotorua
Hanging baskets and plastic flowers ahoy! This modest place has a pool and a hot tub, and small kitchenettes in all of the functional units. It's away…
The Far North
Taking up the north end of the beach, this beachfront holiday park has only a handful of cabins but plenty of space to pitch a tent or park a campervan…
Coromandel Peninsula
The road stops at Fletcher Bay – a magical land’s end – where there’s a DOC campsite with basic toilets and cold showers. Although it’s only 37km from…
Rotorua
The larger rooms at this older motel feature courtyard spas and facilities for travellers with disabilities. Rooms close to the street can be a tad noisy…
Bay of Islands & Northland
Nestled behind sand dunes at Waipu Cove, this 12-unit complex is more like a motel than a resort as such. The arcing sprawl of the beach is just metres…
Hauraki Gulf Islands
Gaze across the lawn to the sea from the attractive studio units, or fight over who’s going to get the pointy room in the two-bedroom A-frame villas…
Taranaki & Whanganui
Basic bunkhouse accommodation 100m downhill from the Dawson Falls Visitor Centre. Six dorm rooms with a total of 38 beds feed off a huge communal space…
The Far North
Reached by the Wairakau Stream Track, this remote hut has 16 bunk beds and composting toilets. Bring everything else and book well ahead; it's usually…
Taranaki & Whanganui
On the edge of some sleepy fields, Opunake Motel & Backpackers is a low-key, backstreet operation, with somewhat dated motel rooms, self-contained family…
Bay of Islands & Northland
This basic DOC hut in a former lighthouse keeper's cabin has 23 bunk beds (book in advance) and cooking facilities. Water isn't guaranteed so bring your…
Bay of Plenty
This compact, spartan camping ground has a sociable feel, with barbecues, a playground and a games room. It's handy for the beach, too (access is via a…
Bay of Islands & Northland
The largest of the two campsites at the side of Lake Taharoa, Pine Beach has flush toilets and coin-operated hot showers. More sites are available at…
Coromandel Peninsula
Overlooking a private wetland reserve at the rear of a fair-dinkum farm, these comfortable units offer plenty of peace and quiet. The largest has a full…
Coromandel Peninsula
This hard-to-miss, corner-hogging complex consists of a cafe and warmly decorated, self-contained motel units. Facilities are clean and modern. Bikes and…
Coromandel Peninsula
Motel and chalet-style accommodation is provided at this smart, welcoming place, 2km north of Thames. It overlooks the sea, making it a popular choice,…
DOC Puketi Recreation Area Campsite
Bay of Islands
This campsite is positioned near an 18-bunk hut (adult/child $18/9) on the Puketi Forests’ eastern fringe. It has cold showers and long-drop toilets, and…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
This purpose-built, Alpine-style hostel has four-bed dorms in the main lodge, plus separate peak-roofed chalets, the on-site Morepork Cafe and tidy…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
This low-key hostel is tucked away in a busy-by-day commercial strip, a stone’s throw from Ponsonby's shopping and grazing opportunities. The garden…
Coromandel Peninsula
The Mahamudra Centre is a serene Tibetan Buddhist retreat with a stupa, meditation hall and regular meditation courses. It offers simple accommodation in…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
This water’s edge campground looks shabby from the road but has comfortable cottages, plus cabins and camping with shared bathrooms. Two-hour kayak hire…
Taranaki & Whanganui
On the road into Inglewood from New Plymouth, White Eagle Motel is a small, old motel, but very tidy. The two-bedroom units feel bigger than they are…
