Whangarei: hotel con bar

Hotel has invested & upgraded however not in the public areas where carpet looks distinctly tired. The rooms has new carpet, a huge round mirror and bespoke fittings however the bathroom still has the old tiles and 1980s 45° plastic shower which feels very claustrophobic. No liquid soap & soap cakes are supplied. Complimentary tea & instant coffee but a very bare fridge except for UHT milk pods. TV has usual freeview stations including ABC (Aussie), French TV & DW (German) but no Sky channels. Unfortunately the entry door has 1 inch gap underdoor which allows a lot of noise to intrude. Also no smoke seals or auto closer (non complying under current NZ Building Code but probably OK as built before NZ Building Act 1992 came into force). Party walls also allow a lot of inter-room noise (we left the bathroom fan on to provide some background masking). Aircon/heating is provided by a domestic looking & yellowing hi-bay heat pump which didnt try. Breakfast was standard fare with bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, cereals, raw juice etc. Espresso is available on request but extra cost eg. $6 for Latte. Plenty of carparking and convenient walking distance to Town Basin. Concluding, hotel is slowly upgrading but still a lot to do - 3.5 stars

Restaurant review: I went with a group of friends so luckily sociability was more of a priority for me than the food and this was the saving grace for the night. Flames in my opinion cannot be described as an atmospheric dining experience as touted. For the non discerning diner who is happy with pub style fare the menu served, it was questionably passable. Those seeking atmosphere or a romantic intimate setting should look elsewhere. That aside the staff were pleasant. Overall the standard of food was not up to basic chef standard which makes me question if there was a trained chef in the kitchen.. My chicken Parmigiana and accompanying risotto balls were deep fried and overcooked resulting in dry fillets rather than succulent as described in the menu. The tomato sauce was missing and it was covered in what looked like a crinkled yellow sheet of plastic type cheese. The accompanying piece of broccoli and bok choy provided a welcome relief to this desert fare. I managed to get through half of the meal only. Complaints abounded from others who complained of tough steaks, dark brown chips, coleslaw instead of seasonal salad and the desert menu looked more suited to a child's menu being lots of over-sauced and cherried icecream and a panacotta that was tasteless and resembled a very solid door stop .What was served was at odds with the description on the website and I failed to see where any real or imaginative cooking or presentation had taken place. It all seemed more like freezer to deep fryer fare and this is fine if those were our expectations and the menu priced accordingly. If this review seems harsh its not meant to be, I wish it were the opposite but hopefully it will lead to reflection and improvements. its just that I can tell when food is not prepared with care and love and its somewhat irritating when ingredients are seemingly trampled on, they deserve better. Suffice to say, I will not be frequenting this restaurant for a 'dining experience' again. Unfortunately no photos were taken as despite the poor quality of food the company was excellent and we all had an enjoyable time catching up.

Here for work with Fulton Hogan the kitchen/wait staff here are absolutely amazing so friendly helpful and catering to specific needs always willing to go the extra mile for you I highly recommend, they even take the time to get to know you a little a look after you Pau has been the most friendly and helpful person nothing is ever to much for her to help out with

Nell'hotel motel, la biancheria da letto è molto pulita, tutti gli aspetti sono ok, ma il prezzo è abbastanza buono, sostanzialmente soddisfa i requisiti. Facilità di parcheggio e buon rapporto qualità prezzo.