Quirky resort in Punakaiki”

The Punakaiki Resort seemed to be one of the only hotel standard accommodations near Punakaiki, so we were grateful that we had this luxury. The only other options seemed to be hostel / backpacker style accommodation. Its location near the Punakaiki pancake rocks makes it an ideal stopover for those driving through on the West Coast Road. The food at the restaurant (there aren't many dining options nearby) was actually very good. However, the hotel did seem to be understaffed, and although they were polite and got their jobs done, the staff seemed flustered at having to cover multiple roles. One odd thing was how the reception is not connected to the 'chalet' style rooms by a covered walkway, which we noticed given it was raining incredibly heavily when we arrived.

great location”

We enjoyed our 1 night stay at Punakaiki Resort. The location was perfect for visiting the pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The facility was clean and staff helpful and friendly. Our only complaint was that our rooms were at the back and difficult to access with no parking nearby. But we would recommend this resort.

Pristine Environment - lovely location”

The hotel is in a lovely location in one of New Zealand's iconic landscapes. The eco room was a little tired, but the environment made up for this disappointment. The restaurant had an amazing view across the beach and we enjoyed watching the sun setting over the Tasman Sea. Meal a little over priced, but was fine. The bush walkway and beach were great, as was the wildlife. Punakaiki rock formations were awesome- and were the primary reason for staying overnight. Will book normal room next time.

Well-appointed resort. Warm service. Food could be better.”

Close proximity to the pancake rocks. Good view of the sea from our room. Found the location of the parking a little awkward in relation to the apartment entrance - we had to lug our luggage around towards the main road where the entrance to the apartment units were along a narrow walkway. No direct link between the apartment units and the reception/ lounge/ restaurant. The lady processing our check-in was warm, courteous and made us feel very welcomed. Checking in was a breeze - as per our other accoms in NZ. Room was well-appointed and spacious - there are 2 near-queen-sized beds! Also, this is weird but we really liked the shampoo, shower gel and exfoliating soap provided. Had our dinner at Jacob's Grill. We had the tomato basil soup (delicious, though the serving was smaller that the portions we have seen elsewhere in NZ), cajun chicken pasta (tasted alright but got too overwhelming towards the 2nd half - the portion could feed 2 adults), and the baked chicken (dry and lacking in taste). We probably should have ordered the steak, but we wanted a break from beef that evening. Prices were expected of a resort.

Comfort by the sea”

We really enjoyed the attentive service and generous sized rooms. We stayed in an eco suite which is a bit back from the beach but still has an amazing outlook with sunsets to swoon over. I loved the bonfires down on the beach in front of the hotel and the gorgeous dining room. All the food we tried was lovely and reasonably priced. If you want to get away, unwind and just walk a few trails or sit and watch the ocean roll in with a nice wine in your glass then this is the place for you!

not much of choices for food. limited staff”

Punakaiki is a small town that is very outskirt. Restaurant is limited esp after 5 pm, we were big group the restaurant at the resort cant really have us as we didnt make any reservation prior and there was only one person in the restaurant who take care of everything,

Beautiful room in a perfect location”

We had an ocean view room with two queen beds. It was a lovely, comfortable stay and we can highly recommend this resort. A 2 minute drive from the pancake rocks too! We ate at the restaurant, but honestly found it a bit overpriced and the food was quite bland. But there were no other negatives than that. Would definitely visit again if we are in the area.

You can't go wrong with this hotel.”

This is it if you wanna stay in Punakaiki.

Lovely location and views”

We wanted to spend a night along the coast to break up our south island driving, and this was a wonderful spot to stop. We walked up to the pancake rocks before sunset, and had dinner at the resort restaurant right on the beach. The rooms were spacious and attractive.

Comfortable stay with great dinner”

Located near to attraction Pancake rocks, only about 5mins drive away. Room is spacious with ocean view. Toilet is clean but not so new. Hotel restaurant serves great food, price is reasonable, worth a try since there is no other restaurants in that area. The lounge area looks great for a relaxing drink after dinner too.

Tranquil getaway”

There really isn't much to do in Punakaiki, except rest and relax. If you are someone who loves to take in a good book and listen to the waves crash, this is a great place to do that and just get away from the madness of the city. The staff were lovely and attentive, and the room service from the hotel restaurant was delicious. It truly does feel like you are in another world when staying here. It is a short 5 min drive down the road to the local pub where you can take in some tv-watching with the locals and get a pint of beer.

Fantastic Ocean View”

GO THERE. PUNAKAIKI WAS GREAT

Good location”

5mins walk to pancake rock. Sea view resort with sky full of starts at night. Rooms are clean and restaurant foods are good. Nothing to complain during my stay there.

great spot ”

The Resort is less than one minute from Pancake Rocks and the blow hole. Awesome service, modern fitout, and situated right on the beach. The view of the sunset from the balcony was lovely.

Excellent”

Clean and adequately appointed rooms but a small space at this price. No cooling with very small screened windows and so very little flow through ventilation made the room stiflingly hot. The floor added to the heat - it felt like underfloor heating had been left on overnight. Don’t know the cause but the effect was very unpleasant.

Beautiful peaceful surroundings”

We arrived at sunset, checked into our room which was a balcony view of the beach (just beautiful!) then spent the late afternoon walking on the beach before dinner. We only spent one night here as we'd just driven over from Christchurch to do the adventure cave rafting in Charleston. Couldn't have picked a more perfect place to stay. The following morning we drove 2 minutes up the road and saw the pancake rocks and blowholes which were definitely worth seeing (you only need an hour tops to do this).

Romantic Retreat”

Lovely location, and lovely good sized rooms. For the money I would expect to have had Sky TV, a few plates & cutlery etc so if eating food other than their restaurant's or breakfast could use them, pen and paper to write on, a couple packs of 2 biscuits to have with coffee is common to have these days. Wee things but handy. Meals were lovely as was the room and location lovely. I do intend to return to.

comfortable, relaxed”

Great. Good service with comfortable beds, clean room. Most importantly, a great ocean view balcony. Checking in and checking out is fast and easy. The restaurant is a bit pricy but it is fine dinning setting. No food nearby, so must eat in the restaurant. No cooking in the room.

The best hotel to get up close and personal with the Pancake rock”

The beautiful hotel with great dinner by the Tasman sea right next to the Pancake Rock. On the right hand side of the hotel beach, you can just walk to experience the magnificent Pancake Rock.

Amazing View!”

This place was so beautiful and the location was very close to all the attractions in the area. We had easy access to the local restaurants/cafes, as well as sites like the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Being right on the coast, the view of the sunset every night was stunning, and was definitely a change of scenery from the mountains we had been driving through. The food was great and the staff were lovely and very helpful. Definitely value for money and would highly recommend to anyone who is visiting the West Coast of NZ South Island.