We had the honour of being the first guests at The Tui Tree. Right from the time I booked it, Wendy had been very responsive to messages. She asked about my kids' ages to stock up toys, and gave suggestions on what to do around the island. However, when we got there, we felt the place wasn't ready for anyone to stay. In short,
Good:
1. Warm welcome from Wendy
2. Relatively central in Waiheke
3. Lots of toys for my 5-year-old daughter so she was thrilled
4. Breakfast arranged for us with muffins, toast and cereal
5. Comfortable beds, and good shower area
6. A smart TV was just installed the previous day and we could use our own Netflix password on it
Can be improved:
1. When we entered, we were informed that the toilet seat was broken, but still usable as long it didn't wobble..
2. One bathroom light wasn't working, making it very dim
3. Bedside lamps on the table but disconnected and no power point sockets to connect to
4. Lots of insects around the area so couldn't leave windows open, but it was too hot to leave them closed
5. No ventilation other than two table-top fans that were dusty
6. Milk and Coke were provided in the fridge but were completely frozen and undrinkable. The "fridge" was probably a freezer.
7. NO WIFI!! This is a very basic thing to have and is mentioned in the listing but it wasn't ready when we checked-in. And when we tried the password that was eventually given to us, it was wrong! It was handwritten so we tried various combinations but Wendy herself wasn't sure.. There must've been a network and password as there was a smart TV in the room!?
8. Very small and tight space - basically two bedrooms beside each other and a bathroom. No space to sit and have meals inside the house. It's a bit misleading considering the description says we have the whole bottom floor, but we're actually sharing with the host who is right next to the bedroom. We could even hear the TV!
9. Considering the lack of space, it was quite pricey with a huge cleaning fee of $85. Feel it's not worth it.
So overall, we wouldn't recommend the place unless some changes are made. Things like the broken seat and light could've been fixed before we came, as it wasn't a last minute booking.. We booked at least 2 weeks prior to arrival so nothing was done about it until that morning itself! It was difficult for us to appreciate the nice gestures like breakfast and toys with all the above issues.