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After a day of hitting some art spots at Whangārei, our family of two adults and a teen pulled into the Kauri Villas late in the afternoon. The first thing you'll notice is the amazing view of the coast. We were greeted by out hosts Andrea and Mike, and shown to our cottage, which was cute and clean. It was a Monday, and our hosts informed us that most of the local restaurants would be closed (it was also the off-season). Luckily, the cottage had a fully equipped kitchen, and the nearest grocery was 2 minutes down the road. The cottage even had a dishwasher, a real gem for any traveling cooks. That evening we helped ourselves to a hot tub/ jacuzzi and played some billiards in their ”gameroom,” which is really more of a beautiful bespoke barn with a sound system, nice lighting, and everything from ping pong to video games. We had a perfect family game night without leaving the property. We started off our first morning with a great breakfast cooked by Mike, and then used the villas as our home-base for hitting some of the great local hikes. On our second and last morning, we mentioned to Mike our fondness for the sheep that we could see from our bedroom window, and Mike offered to let us hand-feed them! As animal lovers, it as a treat to hand feed some adorable sheep that put up with us petting them. As travelers from the USA, a return to the Kauri Villas is probably not in the cards any time soon, but I would highly recommend this spot for both a quick vacation, or special event like a wedding where you want a fantastic location to celebrate. Great space, great hosts.

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.

Amazing service, so helpful. The food was delicious 😋 everything we ordered was perfect, breakfast and dinner. Super kid friendly there. Clean rooms t.v that we could hook our phones up to. Great parking close to alot of things.

Please look after Pau the same way she looks after us! She is amazing.She makes mine and the boys stay very good. Pretty much the only reason we come back is cos of her. The food is yum, portions could be bit more for us though as some of the boys don't come breakfast yet we are still charged for it, but if we ask for extra food they don't really give it cos it aint in the ”budget” of $110 that our company pays for food everyday.

In the motel hotel, the bedding is very clean, all aspects are ok, but the price is pretty good, basically meet the requirements. Easy parking and good value for money.

After many years working in high end luxury lodges - I realised the thing that set us all apart was the service we provide and our ongoing pursuit of exceeding the guests expectations. Whilst the Pembrooke Lodge is not a Luxury Lodge (and nor does it pitch itself to be), the service I received way exceeeded what I expected. Firstly - the rooms are dated yes - but they are VERY clean and spacious and the bed very comfortable. I arrived early in the morning as I was heading north for the day on business so asked if I could park my car on site as I was travelling with a colleague. Not only could I leave y car there, but was handed the key and told to check in to the room if I wanted to - and is was not quite 10am!!! Upon returning from Kaitaia, I went to my car to see something over my drivers side window - and immediately thought that someone had broken in - but no, I had left the window open and after a beautiful morning in Whangarei - the heavens opened in the afternoon and the owners saw my open window and took it on themselves to cover the gap with a towel to prevent the inside of my car getting wet. I was of course incredibly grateful. That is the stuff that impresses me and reaffirms in my mind that this is exactly the place I will return to, over and over when transiting Whangarei. I will also tell this story a hundred times in the hope that other travelers through Northland experience the wonderful husband and wife team who manage the Lodge. Thank you for a memorable stay in your lodge and yes - I will absolutely return!!

Was an ok stay for one night slightly higher pricing and the mattresses were a bit past so not a good sleep unfortunately then we were rudely awoken by someone bashing on our door and didn't stop til we opened it only to go sorry wrong room this was at 7am unfortunately we left before open hours of the office or we would have asked for a partial refund on our stay

The hosts Jennie and Peter were very approachable and knowledgeable. They went the extra mile to make me feel welcome and looked after. The motel is close to a New World and a Countdown, the Octagon Theatre which offers excellent theatre and dinner deals, one of Whangarei's favourite restaurants Suk Jai Thai restaurant, bus stops, and many cafes. Great value for money. Highly recommended.

What a lucky find. First time in Whangarei and this place is a home away from home. Great walking location with major supermarket next door. This place is super clean,fabulous kitchen with fabulous gas oven,very comfortable tv lounge.Good comfortable bed and strong hot shower. Nothing to complain about here and most of all the hosts Selina and Jackson are delightful. I will be back.