More about Cook's Lookout Motel
Great Hospitality, great accommodation
by TripAdvisor Member BrianBlenheim
My wife & I , with another couple, shared a unit at Cooks Lookout for three nights recently and cannot speak highly enough of the generous hospitality we were all accorded by our jovial hosts, Norm & Shelagh.
We very quickly came to feel as if we had known them for years, even though they were from the other side of the world.
Their help with organizing day excursions, boat trips etc proved invaluable and they even obliged to the extent of recording Coronation Street for us !
As for the units and facilities etc, I believe they are rated 4 star and that is what they are. Comfortable, clean, roomy and well appointed.
And what about that million dollar view ! We thought we were in paradise sitting out on the terrace for breakfast while the sun lifted above The Bay of Islands and distant Russell township.
Overall , excellent value for money. We will be back.
Brian & Kathy,
Blenheim.
Fantastic Bay of Islands and Cook's Lookout.
by TripAdvisor Member oscar75
Just a short note to say thank-you to Norm and his wife for a lovely stay at Cook's lookout.
The accomadation was superb value for money, rooms were clean and tiday and the views across the bays were tremendous.
The advice and helpfulness of Norm and his wife allowed us to really make the best of the 3 days we spent in the Bay.
Would recomend a stay here to anyone.
Thanks again!.
Alistair and Gillian Reid.
Not as expected - disppointed
by TripAdvisor Member BruceAustralia
We arrived at this motel in November and found it did not meet our expectations at all. We were disappointed with a number of things about the motel: cleanliness, offensive mock-up/statue, and atmosphere. The motel rate is on the expensive end for the district and nicer rooms can certainly be found at cheaper rates. Without going into further detail, and to avoid disappointment as we experienced, we'd like suggest that any potential visitors go and see the motel first before making any bookings as you wont get any money back if you prebook!
Beautiful View
by TripAdvisor Member atstewart
After a long drive from Auckland it was a relief to arrive at the Cook's Lookout Motel. We had changed our plans last minute and we were able to reserve a room without any problem. Our room was very clean and had a fantastic view of the bay from our bed, and out the patio doors as well. Aside from the regular kitchen findings there is also a BBQ that is free to use - a very nice touch when eating lots of restaurant food.
Norm and his wife were very helpful upon our arrival, giving us a rundown of the area and a few recommendations on restaurants and attractions to do while there. Norm's familiarity with all the various tour and attraction offerings was a great help. He was able to recommend the perfect tour and itinerary for our short stay in the area.
Thanks!
Beauty in the bays
by TripAdvisor Member DAWSON65
My wife and I recently visited the Bay of islands, our party included our 1 year old son and in-laws visiting from Malta.
We arrived at Cook's lookout just after Christmas and were warmly welcomed by Norm and Shelagh. Throughout our stay they went out of there way to ensure that we had everything that we needed and more. This included arranging various trips and helping out with getting to know the local area.
We stayed in a 2 bedroom family suite which had been recently renovated. This had a beautiful deck with magnificent views (see pic). Other facilities included hot showers, a tidy ktchen,TV, plenty of storage space and a comfortable dining area. We also took advantage of other facilities on site including the swimming pool BBQ area and superb hot tub.
I would recommend this motel and will hopefuly be visting again in the future.
what a find!
by TripAdvisor Member helenSolihull
We have just returned from a 3night stay over new year at Cook's Lookout and would highly recommend it. The location and views are amazing. Norm and Shelagh were very welcoming and obliging - they even made a special bed for our 2 youngest kids so they could share a room with their brother and sister. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them. Norm booked our dolphin experience boat trip before we arrived and recommended some restaurants locally too. The apartment was well equipped with toaster, kettle, saucepans etc. Everything was immaculately clean and well kept. The pool, spa and trampoline were all popular with the kids and very close to the apartment. It is a peaceful and quiet place away from the bustle of the resort, yet close enough to visit restaurants etc. There is a large supermarket close by too. Our only regret is that we didn't stay longer. Thanks for having us!
Great Place & Friendly Managment
by TripAdvisor Member NicTravs
A group of us stayed here between christmas and new year across 3 varying rooms and we were all very pleased with the accommodation.
All rooms were clean, spacious and well equipped. The view is as they state - a million dollars - and the on site facilities were great.
The management in particular deserve a mention as they are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They are willing to help with everything - activities in Paihia or in my case forwarding some forgotten items home.
A great place to stay for all the family, would strongly recommend this property.
Average Motel, Nice view
by TripAdvisor Member wombat23
There is no denying that Cook's has a lovely view, that the management were friendly and helpful, and that the room we got was clean and neat. All as expected, based on TA reviews.
But it is over-priced and isolated, without much in the way of services available if one was disinclined to drive. After traveling around the North Island and staying in a variety of motels a notch or three below Cook's in price, Cook's is pretty typical in quality but high in price. Our motels were not random finds, but places suggested by TA and other guides as good values. I had actually booked us there as a slightly luxurious stint on the trip. In other words, Cook's is not a great value, unless you weight the view at a million dollars. The room was clean but entirely lacking in character, with dated appointments. The TV was small and mounted on an arm high up, with no DVD player. There was no stereo, and the kitchenette was merely a hotplate and a tiny fridge, with less equipment than we had seen elsewhere. The place was small to average, and the bath unexceptional. Wi-Fi internet access was available but pricey. The roadside-sized signs warning people to stay off other people's bits of rental were on the extreme side, and the pool was not entirely kept up when we were there (probably the owner did not expect swimming in the crappy weather we had that week).
In the end, we appreciated the good communication by Cook's management (good people), the view, and the clean, solid quality of the motel. It was not, however, a value in our opinion, and Trip Advisor readers should not expect a resort when they read the reviews.
Peace, Tranquility & Amazing views
by TripAdvisor Member stevoAuckland
My wife described this as ‘Heaven on earth’ and I have to agree that it was one of the best holidays that we have had. We booked Cooks Lookout pretty last-minute and really had no idea what we would find on our arrival. What a pleasant surprise!! The unit (number 8) was very modern and clean with good kitchen/bathroom facilities and the views were absolutely spectacular. It was complete peace and tranquillity and the only noise was from tui’s and crickets. On arrival we were met by the owners, Norm & Shelagh, who were the perfect hosts. They couldn’t do enough for us during our stay. Nothing was too much trouble, and even after we had left & arrived home, Norm rang me to say that we had left a book behind and that he would post it on. One of the most important things that attracted us to Cooks lookout was the ‘No smoking’ environment, which applied throughout the grounds, which meant that no matter where we were, we did not have to suffer the residual smell of cigarettes and there were certainly no ‘butts’ left lying around the place. Well done Norm & Shelagh for looking after the interests of non-smokers!! The motel has a wonderful pool with a perfect temperature, a trampoline for the kids (18 & 16 year olds in our case), a poolside BBQ area and a wonderful private spa pool facility. We even had an unexpected guest joined our party (which took us up to 7) and Norm & Shelagh accommodated this without hesitation. All in all, a modern, well maintained and relaxing environment which we would highly recommend.
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