Hotels in Hawkes Bay
Stylish accommodations abound in Hawke's Bay, as a stop at the visitor center will attest. Endless choices include dozens of gorgeous little self-contained cottages, many of them in association with vineyards. Rates below include 15% GST and parking.
In Napier
Summer visitors may well fancy camping in this balmy climate. If so, head straight for Kennedy Park Top 10 Park, Storkey Street, off Kennedy Road (www.kennedypark.co.nz; tel. 0800/457-275 in NZ, or 06/843-9126), which has a grand history of treating generations of New Zealanders to a fabulous stay. Set on 2.8 hectares (7 acres) with a pool and a playground, it's a great place for kids. Backpackers will find good digs at Napier YHA, 277 Marine Parade (www.yha.co.nz; tel. 06/835-7039), just across the road from major attractions and close to town; and you'll find B&B lodgings at Mon Logis, 415 Marine Parade, Napier (www.babs.co.nz/monlogis; tel. 06/835-2125), which has four upstairs rooms a few minutes' walk from town for NZ$180 to NZ$240. You'll find bright, airy rooms (NZ$280-NZ$670) at Scenic Hotel Te Pania, 45 Marine Parade (www.scenichotels.co.nz; tel. 0800/696-963 in NZ, or 06/833-7733), which is within walking distance of most shopping.
The County Hotel, 12 Browning St. (www.countyhotel.co.nz; tel. 0800/843-468 in NZ, or 06/835-7800), is a very English-style boutique hotel in a faithfully restored Edwardian building right in the heart of Napier. It's not especially modern, but there's old-world charm and history here that many enjoy - it's one of only two major buildings that survived that 1931 earthquake. Service is attentive, rooms are good size, there's a library filled with over 1,000 books, and town is just footsteps away. Rates are NZ$375 queen or Jacuzzi room; NZ$395 to NZ$925 suite.
The Master's Lodge, 10 Elizabeth Rd., Bluff Hill (www.masterslodge.co.nz; tel. 06/834-1946), is a real find, with just two units (NZ$908 includes breakfast). Once owned by tobacco baron Gerhard Husheer (the master), the gracious home has been restored to its original splendor and is now under the ownership of Larry and Joan Blume - ex-New Yorkers who are among the best hosts I have encountered. The large suites have million-dollar views over the city and bay, and their elegant appointments are faultless. One has a private bathroom, the other an unbelievably stylish en-suite bathroom with an elevated tub. No kids 12 and under.
In Hastings
Glen Aros Country Estate, 1549 Raukawa Rd., Hastings (www.glenaros.com; tel. 06/874-8885), is a beautifully restored 1914 country homestead with six big, modern bedrooms for NZ$1,000, breakfast, predinner drinks, and canapés included. It has a peaceful garden setting and four-course meals (NZ$115) which showcase the best Hawke's Bay produce.
In Havelock North
This is where you'll find the biggest concentration of fabulous cottage, B&B, and new apartment accommodations. Black Barn Vineyards, Black Barn Road (tel. 06/877-7985; www.blackbarn.com), offers the best among them. They include Summerlee from NZ$1,650 for three couples; Rush Cottage for NZ$400; the Black Barn for NZ$675, which sleeps four; and the River Houses for NZ$675 to NZ$1,650. All are seriously classy.
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8 Results
- Hotel
Black Barn
16 slices of heaven—that's what's on offer at Black Barn Vineyards. The owners of this boutique winery (its bistro is excellent as well) have stylishly refurbished 16 homes, and filled them with the kind of amenities that encourage repeat visits. All have kitchens, some have attached…$$$Havelock North
- Hotel
Hicks Bay Motor Lodge
If saving money is your prime concern, this extremely modest—oh heck, spartan—1960s-style lodge should fit the bill. Rooms are very dated but clean. And make sure you have everything you need when you check in because you won't even be offered a teeny bottle of shampoo in the…$Hicks Bay, East Cape Road - Hotel
Master's Lodge
Once owned by tobacco baron Gerhard Husheer, this gracious home on a hill contains two large and elegant suites. Both are colorful and filled with stylish Art Deco antiques, plush beds (made up with fine Egyptian linens), original artworks and such mod cons as Bose Wave Music systems…$$$Napier - Hotel
Millar Road
Perched high above a small vineyard with postcard-perfect views of the vines and ocean, these two modern, 2-bedroom villas are filled to overflowing with fine contemporary New Zealand art and design. Both have full kitchens, an open fireplace and a heated pool. Nearby 3-bedroom…$$$Hastings - Hotel
Portside Hotel
This is the pick for travelers who want convenience, and don't care that much about character. Not that the rooms at Portside are ugly; they actually have furnishings that are a cut-above the standard motel, with solid wood furnishings, slate floors in the kitchen and handsome…$Gisborne - Hotel
Rangamarie Beachstay
You'll fall asleep to the sound of waves lapping against the shore at Judy Newell’s B&B; situated above one of the coast’s loveliest golden sand beaches, all rooms have sensational views of the bay and private decks from which to enjoy them. But many come, quite frankly, to enjoy…$$Anaura Bay - Hotel
The County Hotel
Let's raise a glass of port to the historic Country Hotel! A highly convivial, free port reception is included every night in the dignified library here, so why not? It's that mix of geniality and tradition that makes this place so special One of only two Edwardian-era buildings to…$$Napier - Hotel
The Farm at Cape Kidnappers
"Plaid luxury". That's the best phrase we can come up with to describe the appeal, the tremendous appeal actually, of this rustically glam lodging. Plaid (tan and white) is used as a throw on the beds, and those beds are all in design-magazine caliber suites that have their own…$$$Te Awanga/Cape Kidnappers
