Takapuna Motor Lodge

I think this is a valuable place worth for simple family.

Avoid this place!!!! This accommodation provider charges your credit card BEFORE you arrive at the property, so you have no chance of a refund when you arrive to find the owners are fraudsters with no conscience and no standards whatsoever. There is no check-in procedure and no 'reception' services, so your credit card that was entered into the booking is used, and merchant fees charged on top. Because you don't check-in, (you have to call a phone number for the code to a drop-box) so there is no alternate ways to pay. Once they've charged your card, they will not refund you, despite your refusal to stay at their accommodation once you arrive to find it is awful. The photos of the property online do not show the true state of the accommodation. The rooms are unsafe and unhealthy, and are unable to be fully secured as locks are broken and window latches are missing. There is an Indian voice who hides behind the phone number, never showing themselves or coming to discuss issues. The rooms are dirty, mouldy, and in a state of disrepair. There are exposed wires on the electric blankets, the windows don't close properly, and the gaps around the floors and holes in walls also let a constant cold breeze through so the units are freezing cold. We had 3 fan heaters running for the night we were there (we slept in our clothes and left early) and the unit was impossible to get warm. The property is being used as transitional housing and is in a poor state. The people living there are being taken advantage of. One person told us they are paying $1300 per week through WINZ and that they receive no services. The property markets free wifi (it is unsecured) and satellite channels. ( IF the TV works you might get TV1 & TV3). The photos attached to this review are of the second room we got after we complained to the voice behind the phone number, but the pics still don't quite capture the extent of the issues, and certainly don't capture the freezing cold breeze constantly blowing through the unit. We left early from our booking of a 2-night stay and even after ringing the voice hiding behind the phone number to check-out early and advise we weren't using the 2nd night of accommodation due to the above reasons and the fact they had misrepresented their property online, they still said they would not refund us for the night we wouldn't be using. After we left the property, they attempted to charge our credit card yet again, but thankfully we had already clocked that they were super dodgy and blocked our card so their transaction didn't go through. We ended up finding a place just down the road for $5 more per night and it was excellent, it was clean, really high quality with tiled bathrooms and super comfy beds!! If you can't afford the extra $5 for a better hotel, you'll be warmer and more comfortable sleeping in your vehicle.

Was quiet and easy to get to bus stops and shops. Only thing was towels had holes and stained.