We don't normally stay in this sort of place but someone else booked it on our behalf. Couldn't really complain - the location was very central, the room large and comfortable, with everything we needed and the staff keen to please.

The library area with complimentary port was a nice touch. We didn't eat at the hotel but had a drink in the bar. My only complaint was that the sparkling wine I ordered was completely flat, but it was replaced immediately.

We stayed here overnight on the way back from a North Island wedding just after New Year. It is in a good location just off Marine Parade (fronting onto Napier's park-lined if rather forbidding stony beach) and handy to several restaurants. There is off-street parking just across the street. Perhaps we didn't inspect the fittings as closely as other reviewers, but overall we thought the building's conversion to a hotel has lasted quite well both in terms of general decor and the comfort of the rooms. Our room was not large but was adequate for an overnight stay, meeting requirements for a good night's sleep and a well-appointed bathroom. We could have done with a little bit of space in the mini-bar fridge which was jammed full of items for sale leaving no room even for a bottle of water. The wireless internet worked well. The dining room was light and airy and the continental breakfast had a good range of options. The reception and dining room staff were friendly and helpful. I agree that I wouldn't rate this hotel as five-star by international standards but we thought it gave value for money for an overnight stay.

I can absolutely not recommend the place. It’s far away from any historic charm, it just old and filthy. Whoever did the renovation in 1993 did a poor job, tasteless, cheap and without any sense for style. What a shame for the building. The rooms are small and just fell horribly (out)-dated (and I usually love everything Victorian). The service was lacking any professionalism, obviously they hire some work and travel students with no previous hospitality experience. Nothing wrong with this in general, but please train them. The front desk was mostly deserted. If you love to hear some hooligans at 1.00 am smashing glass on the footpath outside, you are in the right place, the (nasty) Irish pub is just on the other side of the road. You can also hear (absolutely) everything from your neighbors in the next room. Oh, and they charge for the daily newspaper (without clearly stating this at check in). However, they reimbursed me after I complained about this.

A hotel with character with staff that certainly did their utmost to please their hotel guests. Not a hotel that is up to the quality of the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong or the Shang Ri La hotel chain but the quality and service are a match to this hotel's charm. The dinner in the dining room was superb and this was the first place in New Zealand that met my expectations on making a decent cup of coffee in a country that has it's own defined way of making coffee. The banana loaf for dessert was so good I ordered it two nights in a row. The staff even arranged for my room even though I arrived a day early, had a newspaper delivered to my door in the morning and relayed messages from a tour company. I will make it back to New Zealand one day and this is one of the hotels that will be on my list.