The County Hotel in Napier

The room was stuffy and very hot. The air con was not working correctly. I was moved to another room. I encountered the same problem in this room. I was told that “it was a hot day”. I drew their attention that it was only 22° outside and the room was set at 17° and it was much much hotter. I was then moved to a much smaller room and assured that the air-conditioner was brand-new which indeed it did seem to be. This room however was very small, had a tiny window and was facing the baking afternoon and the bathroom was like an oven. On stretching out on the bed the old headboard clattered as it was not fixed to the wall. I thought I’d make a cup of coffee to find that there was only instant coffee, and no coffee pod machine. There was no curtain above the bathroom let alone any blackout curtains. This establishment brands itself as a Napier‘s finest five star. I had booked and paid for three nights, but was so tired and had become so disillusioned that this hotel would not be able to resolve the problem despite doing their best, and I had wasted so much time I checked out and found another hotel nearby, which was efficient, cool, and with a lovely sea breeze and view. Overall the experience was wanting, the place seemed very very empty and desolate. If you like the old character and history, it may be of interest to you, but it lacks the basic amenities for any hotel let alone one that brands itself five star.