Travellers: 2 friends travelling with two 3.5 year old kids. July 30-1Aug 2022.
Upon arrival, lockbox broken- and we found it difficult to get in (and out) the back door without really shoving it. Even harder when cold- not a promising start to the holiday!
Locks- No dead bolt on easy-to-open sliding lounge door- something to keep in mind when travelling with children like we were.
Fire nice, esp already being set up on arrival but can't keep going all night without waking every few hours to add another log... a heat pump in main room would have been amazing... save running 3 heaters that barely kept the lounge (or bedrooms especially) warm. Water bottles provided but no electric blankets. Freezing in the morning and didn't really warm up.
Curtains on upper lounge windows would help keep some warmth in- and in the kitchen (would add a little more privacy too...I felt a little exposed at nighttime)
Curtains in bedrooms are light and bitsy... not block out (just for parents with little ones needing dark to sleep).
Shower in general leaves a lot to be desired. Thermostat is hard to control. It was either scolding or freezing. Hard to find a satisfactory temperature for an adult, let alone a child. (Washing long hair would be really difficult!). The room was very cold too. Light flickers in bathroom.
A couple of other lights throughout house weren't working either.
Jug in kitchen was very temperamental.
Beds very different between rooms. Some soft, bouncy- others quite firm. Some better quality pillows would be nice- perhaps bring your own just in case!
Sockets/Plugs... single plugs only in bedrooms which means you can't charge a phone AND have a heater on. Nor can you use any more than one device at a time. On that note, no WiFi. Basic TV channels
Cleaning- again, attention to detail needed- around beds, bathrooms, kitchen drawers. Musty smell too.
Positives- spacious, homely, plenty of seating, nice garden for summertime outdoor activity, close to new world, easy commute to Mt ruapehu and Taupo.
Two things would encourage us to stay again... a nicer shower/bathroom, and better heating options. Without these, we would unfortunately look elsewhere for our next stay.