Where do I begin to tell you all of the wonderful things about Margie’s “New York” apartment in Napier, NZ? Let’s start with Margie, the fabulous Super Host. She is quick with all communications and very pleasant and helpful. Since we booked almost a year in advance, by the time we arrived, I felt like I was meeting a dear friend! She even had accepted a package I had had delivered. Margie met us at the apartment and showed us around the pristine and pretty 2-bedroom apartment. She left us a lovely welcome basket with a nice NZ wine, fresh eggs, bread, grapes, nuts and delicious chocolate! She even had some basics and milk in the fridge for us.
The location is fantastic, right in the Central Business District (CBD) on Tennyson, where we could walk to everything in Napier. There are lots of restaurants, cafes, and shops all around. There is even the new Central Station Bistro and Cafe downstairs which is super convenient. Because we were there for the Art Deco Festival, we loved being able to walk to all of the events and take a break and go back to our apartment for a few hours. For outlying areas, we took Uber and did tours. There are many winery tours and the NZ wines are wonderful.
The apartment is practically brand new, as it was restored only a few years ago in the old Napier Fire House. Everything is styled in the Art Deco theme to keep with the history of the town. The decor was beautiful and everything was high quality. One of my biggest priorities when traveling is a good bed and the mattress was so comfortable, it was easy to sleep in late! As a bonus, there was air conditioning which was nice to have on the warm days. The recessed lighting in every room provides great light at night and there is natural daylight coming in through the windows during the day.
New York is a very spacious apartment with a great kitchen, well stocked with everything you’ll need and a communal pantry. All of the appliances are very nice and there is great cabinets and counter space. A grocery store is within walking distance and on Saturdays there is a Farmer’s Market, literally across the street at Clive Square. It’s great to be able to make meals at home when you don’t want to eat out and since we stayed for 11 nights, we made use of the kitchen a few times. The bathroom is really nice also with a large walk-in shower, heated towel rack and great lighting, a cabinet & large drawers. The towels and linens were very nice. Margie even provided nice shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I always bring my own because I have sensitive skin, but was able to use these nice NZ products. She also provided extra towels and toilet paper! We also had a laundry room.
The WiFi works great and that was a high priority for us as we have to handle some business while traveling. The TV is nice to have but the NZ stations are limited and they seem to love their infomercials! We were able to hook up our laptop and have Netflix as an alternative. There are 2 sofas in the living room which was nice as they became his and hers! There is also dining table. It was a quiet location even during the festival week.
There are 2 flights of stairs to get up to the apartment and no elevator, so if you have mobility issues, it could be an problem. Once upstairs, everything is one level. If you can handle steps, this is a fabulous apartment. There is no bathtub, so if you like to soak in a nice tub like I do after a long day or to ease aches & pains, that’s the only downside. On the upside, there are lots of massage therapists in town. I went to JD Thai Massage, right across the street that was so good, I went twice during our stay!
Overall, this is one of the best Airbnb experiences we’ve had and we always stay with “Super Hosts.” I highly recommend Margie and her apartments in Napier. I’m sure you will love it!