we'd booked the motel but on checking in were upgraded to the hotel. We were here for just one night on the way up to Rotorua and this was convenient, comfortable and reasonably-priced. I'm not sure there's anything to see in Palmerston North

Grew up in Palmerston North and wanted to stay in a nice hotel, so Hotel Coachman was my first call. Unfortunately, have to say I was disappointed. Booked two Deluxe rooms, which when we checked in I would have to say didnt quite meet my expectations of 'deluxe', my room was spacious but like other guests have commented on is dark and seems out dated. The bathroom although had a spa bath had the shower over this and the shower head was quite close to the wall so didnt make for an amazing shower.

My friends room not so spacious, however just as dark if not darker and scarily with african masks and memorabilia in it (not really great for promoting a good nights sleep), although bathroom was a better configuration.

Unfortunately its the little things that seem to bug me the most when you are paying deluxe room prices
* plastic rubbish bags just put into a square basket
* a little kettle that looks like a travel jug
* wine glasses that look like they were out of the ark
* no instant coffee
* rubbish NZ Wines in the mini bar when we are the mecca for wine
* little tubs of milk that dont date (although very forthcoming when we ask for real milk)
* a loo roll that only had a little bit on it
* room service trays in the hallways from the afternoon before till the next morning
* no duty manager on at night to be able to get a bigger bottle of decent wine
* threads coming out of the carpets


However on the positive location is great, staff are eager to help when you can find them, the beds are comfy and the wireless internet being free (however it was snail slow).

Would I stay again probably not in fact we are going home a day early rather than spending another night.

In closing like another reviewer has said if the rate of this was about $80 a night less then the expectations on the hotel experience wouldnt be so high.

Very friendly staff and a has a look of old mansion. The lift jerks to a halt and can be scary. The rooms are clean but has a shape that might not be very inviting for all. The bed and the bath is clean but with no frills. The coffee is freshly ground is is very aromatic. The resturant provides quality food and wines.

This was our first stay at this hotel and was a little disappointing for the price of the rooms.

First impressions
- The staff were generally welcoming and helpful
- The Deluxe rooms are surprisingly small, quite dark, there is no view (but then there is no view in Palmerston North city anyway so no biggie) the decor was pleasant the room was a little frayed around the edges the carpets were wearing. A good-sized bed that was very comfortable.The bathroom was clean and tidy although a shame that there was no separate shower. Amenities were average. The room for two people with accompanying luggage felt cramped. There is unlimited free wireless which was excellent. TV channels were limited to local as far as we could tell.
- The hall areas and stairwells are quite tired and in need of a touch up
- Reception area looked good with the christmas tree etc
- Restaurant staff were very pleasant, restaurant decor was pleasant
- Pool and surrounding area is quite small and there didn't appear to be any sunloungers available (we however did not ask for them so that may be all that is required) the gym is very small and the equipment is in varying state of repair.
- Huge underground parking which is secure with lift access to the rooms

We had originally booked in for the Deluxe room B and B but after the first breakfast we changed back to room only. This was because the breakfast was huge, it was delicious though so you have a big appetite go for this option it is good value.
Changing back to room only was no problem at all.

The only problem we had with the room was the servicing of it, this was quite inconsistent and if you are going to charge a premium for hotel rooms then the expectation is that there will be a hotel-level service. On one occasion the sheets were not changed and they were clearly not clean. I rang the reception immediately and they were helpful in ways to manage the situation at that point of time. The next day we received an apology note from the Manager along with some cookies/chocolates and a $20 credit posted to our bill. This again was appreciated. We did feel however that things as simple as changing the sheets should not be overlooked and $20 was a trifle meagre for what was essential a motel room for the night. We did not however raise this issue any further with the management.

Overall we thought it would have been a good hotel if you were paying $120-$130 per night but only an ok hotel for $170+ per night.

In the future we would opt for a motel option to avoid the disappointment of not receiving the level of service that we would expect from any hotel