Fitzherbert Castle Motel: NZ's BEST Kept Secret (Stunning Views!)
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the supposed "Best Kept Secret" that is Fitzherbert Castle Motel in New Zealand, and I'm about to give you the REAL lowdown. Forget the polished PR blurb; this is going to be raw, unfiltered, and maybe a little bit chaotic. Let’s see if this castle can actually hold up.
First Impressions & The Vibe:
The whole "Castle" thing? They aren't kidding. It’s…well, it looks like a castle. Stone, imposing, promising views. My first thought? "Okay, this is either going to be unbelievably romantic, or I'm going to feel like I'm about to be knighted…or maybe both?" The parking situation was blessedly easy - free, on-site, and plentiful. Big ticks for accessibility right off the bat. Finding the reception was another story… a bit of a maze, but hey, part of the adventure, right? Oh, and there was definitely a sense of 'hidden away' - which, if you're looking for a romantic or relaxing escape, is a massive plus.
Accessibility & The Bits That Matter:
- Accessibility: The elevator was a godsend for luggage (and my aching knees after a long flight). The grounds seemed reasonably flat and navigable, though I didn’t specifically check for wheelchair-friendly routes to the pool or restaurant. Need to give them a call about that.
- Wheelchair Accessible: Need to verify specifics on the rooms and facilities.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Needs a deeper dive into the specifics.
Getting Connected (Internet & Such):
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! YES! Thank the internet gods. And it actually worked, which is a victory in itself. Streaming Netflix in bed after a day of exploring… priceless.
- Internet [LAN]: Fine if you work at a desk.
- Wi-Fi in public areas: I’ll say this: good. Didn't experience any dropouts.
The All-Important "Things To Do" and "Ways to Relax":
Alright, here's where things get interesting. The brochure promised bliss. But did it deliver?
- Pool with view: Okay, the pool was gorgeous, especially at sunset. The view? Absolutely stunning. Honestly, I think I might have spent a solid two hours just floating there, staring into the distance. This is where the 'stunning views!' part absolutely rings true.
- Fitness center: I peeked. Looked suitably gym-like, with the standard equipment. Didn't actually use it - I was on holiday, dammit! But nice to know it was there.
- Spa/sauna: The sauna? Yes. The spa? Not when I booked.
- Massage: Ah, the massage. Book it. Just do it. The masseuse (I wish I remembered her name!) was a magician. I walked in feeling like a crumpled paper bag and walked out feeling like a brand new, slightly oiled paper bag. Worth every penny.
- Swimming pool [outdoor]: Well, it’s the pool with the view, so… yes.
- Body scrub, Body wrap, Foot bath, Gym/fitness, Steamroom, Swimming pool, Spa, Spa/sauna, Sauna: Didn't get to utilize all of these, but they are options here.
Cleanliness and Safety (Because, You Know, We Need to Care):
- Cleanliness: The room was immaculate—spotless. No dust bunnies in sight! I’m a bit of a cleanliness freak, so this was a major win.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: I hope so…
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Good.
- Hand sanitizer: Plentiful and strategically placed.
- Hygiene certification: Unsure, would be good to know.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Fingers crossed.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Always good to know
- **Fire extinguisher, Smoke alarms, Safety/security feature, Security [24-hour], CCTV in common areas and outside, Non-smoking rooms: **Checks all the boxes. Felt safe, very comfortable.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (Fueling the Adventure):
- Restaurants: The main restaurant was…fine. Nothing mind-blowing, but perfectly acceptable. The breakfast buffet was a solid option.
- Breakfast [buffet]: They had the usual suspects – fruit, pastries, eggs, bacon, the works. Got my day off to a good start.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Necessary, for me.
- Poolside bar: Yep, perfect for a cocktail (or three) while watching the sun go down.
- Room service [24-hour]: Didn't use it, but knowing it's there is always a plus.
- Happy hour: Yes, please!
- Coffee shop, Desserts in restaurant, Salad in restaurant, Soup in restaurant: Didn’t visit any of these, might need to be evaluated.
- A la carte/Buffet/Vegetarian/Asian/International and Western cuisine in restaurant: Got it.
- Bars and snack bars: All good.
Services and Conveniences (The Little Extras):
- Daily housekeeping: My room was always spotless when I came back – magic!
- Concierge: Helpful and friendly.
- Laundry service: Used it – efficient and reasonably priced.
- Luggage storage: Convenient.
- Elevator: A lifesaver!
- Cash withdrawal/Invoice provided/ Ironing service/ Luggage storage/ On-site event hosting/ Safety deposit boxes: Standard stuff, all good.
- Facilities for disabled guests/ Doorman/ Dry cleaning/ Food delivery/ Gift/souvenir shop: All there.
- Air conditioning in public area/ Air conditioning in all rooms: Essential!
- Airport transfer: Worth checking into.
- Business facilities: They have them if you MUST work.
For the Kids, Couples, and the Like:
- Family/child friendly: Seemed to be, but I wasn’t traveling with kids, so I can’t fully vouch for it.
- Babysitting service: Check for availability.
- Couple's room/Proposal spot: Well, it is a castle…potential romantic vibes are high.
- Room decorations: Mostly fine.
- CCTV in common areas, Check-in/out [express, private], Non-smoking rooms: All present.
The Room Itself (My Humble Abode):
- Air conditioning: Absolutely vital.
- Free bottled water: Always appreciated.
- Wi-Fi [free]: Of course!
- Bed: Comfy.
- Blackout curtains: Essential for a good night's sleep.
- Coffee/tea maker: Yes!
- Desk: Useful for working/planning.
- Hair dryer: Standard.
- In-room safe box: Safe.
- Mini bar: Limited but there.
- Private bathroom: Clean and functional.
- Separate shower/bathtub: Luxury.
- **Slippers, Towels, Toiletries: **Present.
- Wake-up service: Didn’t use it.
- Additional toilet, Alarm clock, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Carpeting, Closet, Complimentary tea, Extra long bed, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mirror, On-demand movies, Reading light, Refrigerator, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Shower, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Window that opens: All there.
The Verdict (The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth):
Okay, so is Fitzherbert Castle Motel really New Zealand’s “Best Kept Secret”? Look, it's not perfect. The food isn’t Michelin-star level. The decor is maybe verging on "slightly dated castle-y." (But hey, it's a castle!) But the views are stunning. The massage was divine. The staff were friendly. It's peaceful, and it's well-located if you're exploring the area. It's a good base camp to explore the natural beauty. And the free Wi-Fi? Always a win.
Here are the PROS:
- Stunning Views: Seriously, the pool and the sunsets were out of this world.
- Amazing Spa (Massage!) Go. Just go.
- Convenient Location: Easy to get around.
- Cleanliness: Top marks.
- Free Wi-Fi: Crucial.
- Good Value for Money: Overall, a good price for what you get.
- Accessibility A good start
Here are the CONS:
- Food. Not the best… at all.
- **The
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this isn't your average pristine itinerary. This is… well, this is me attempting to navigate the Fitzherbert Castle Motel in New Zealand. Prepare for whiplash. And maybe a bit of existential dread. Let's go!
Fitzherbert Castle Motel: A Journey Through Chaos (and Possibly Mildew)
(Disclaimer: This schedule is fluid. My mood, the weather, and the availability of decent coffee will dictate the final outcome. Don't @ me.)
Day 1: Arrival and the Awkward Embrace of the Motel Room
- 14:00 (ish): Arrived at Palmerston North Airport. The wind here? Brutal. I feel like a tumbleweed that's managed to escape the dusty plains. Grabbed a rental car – a ridiculously sensible Toyota, naturally. Hoping it's not a lemon. (Cue the inner anxiety: Will the brakes work? Will I accidentally reverse into a sheep? Will I remember to drive on the left? Argh!)
- 14:45: Find the Fitzherbert Castle Motel. It looks… well, it looks like a motel. A slightly faded, slightly charming motel. My expectations are firmly in the "low-to-moderate" range. The sign says "Welcome." Hope they mean it.
- 15:00: Check-in. The receptionist (a delightful woman with a smile that could melt glaciers) is friendly, but I'm immediately hit with the feeling of being slightly underdressed. I'm wearing hiking boots and a questionable t-shirt. This motel screams for a polo shirt and khaki pants. Note to self: Invest in polo shirts. Also, khaki pants.
- 15:30: Room exploration. Okay, here's the real test. First impression: it smells faintly of… clean? Maybe. Or maybe it's just the lingering ghost of a previous guest's air freshener. The bedspread? Quirky! Definitely not what I expected. The view? A parking lot. But a New Zealand parking lot, so I'm choosing to be optimistic. Bathroom check. The showerhead is… well, let's just say it looks like it's seen some things. But hey, hot water! That's a win.
- 16:00 - 17:00: (The Great Refrigerator Disaster of '24): Okay, the minibar is… miniscule. I open it up with great hope (the beer I was planning on getting didn't exist!), only to discover a sad selection of overpriced snacks and ONE sad water bottle. A desperate search ensues. What I really need is a real fridge to stop my snacks from becoming a soggy mess! Note to self: Buy a travel cooler.
- 17:00 - 18:00: (The Existential Dread of the Couch): I plop down on the couch, feeling a profound sense of, I don't know, emptiness? The kind you get when you are alone in a strange place with nothing but the sound of your own thoughts for company. I start to wonder if I've made a mistake booking a week here. Is this it? The peak of my travel aspirations? (I begin to feel the panic start creeping up my throat. I must distract myself. Must. Distract.)
- 18:30: Dinner. The motel doesn't have a restaurant, so I'm off to find something. The thought of another convenience store meal makes my stomach clench. I want… I need good food. I'm desperate!!! I'm running on pure adrenaline at this point and I hope I find a place that serves food.
Day 2: The Botanical Gardens and the Quest for Decent Coffee
- 07:00 (ish): Woke up. Survived the night. Victory! Now, the coffee situation. There must be good coffee in Palmerston North, right? Right? I'm already feeling the withdrawal symptoms.
- 08:00: Armed with a map (and a profound sense of doubt) I venture I must make my way to somewhere that serves coffee. I'm going to find a cafe. I'm going to drink the best coffee in town. And if I can't, I'm going to become a barista myself and open the cafe of my dreams on the side of the road!
- 09:00 - 12:00: The Palmerston North Botanical Garden Debacle: Found the Botanical Gardens. They're lovely, actually. Soothing. The kind of place where you can wander around and pretend you're a sophisticated traveler. I pretend I am in a Jane Austen novel. I admire the flowers. I try not to trip over the roots. I judge the other tourists. (Bad human, bad!) They're incredibly peaceful. I love them. Then I get lost. And wander around for an hour, feeling like a particularly inept explorer. Note to self: Buy a compass. And maybe learn to read a map.
- 12:00: Lunch. Found a cafe. The coffee is… acceptable. The food is… edible. My standards are clearly lowering with each passing hour. I'm starting to think I might actually need the polo shirts and khaki pants. I'm sinking into the tourist abyss!
- 13:00 - 17:00: Back at the motel. Attempting to write. Failing miserably. The parking lot view is starting to depress me. I contemplate whether I should rearrange the furniture. (No. Resist the urge.) I read a book. I feel stir-crazy.
- 17:00: Another coffee hunt. This time, I'm determined. I'm going to find the perfect coffee. Or die trying. (Dramatic, I know. But the caffeine withdrawal is real.)
- 18:00: Dinner. Success! (Sort of.) Found a restaurant that's slightly less depressing than the convenience store. The food is… okay. The company? Me. Still me.
Day 3: The Driving Debacle and the Majestic Mount Ruapehu (Maybe)
- 09:00: Road trip! (Finally!) The plan: Drive to Mount Ruapehu, gaze at the snowy peaks, feel inspired. (Or, you know, maybe fall flat on my face in the snow after attempting a selfie.)
- 10:00 - 12:00: The Great Road Trip Obstacle Course: Rental car performs surprisingly well! Almost drive off the road. Almost get lost. Nearly collide with a sheep. (Seriously, are sheep the national animal of New Zealand?)
- 12:00 - 13:00: Lunch… Again! In a small-town cafe. I find myself ordering a sandwich, eating with the strange feeling that I may be slowly disappearing into some alternate reality.
- 14:00 - 16:00: The Majesty of Ruapehu (Mostly Hidden by Clouds): Arrive at Mount Ruapehu. It's… cloudy. Really, really cloudy. I can barely see the peak. My majestic view is a swirling grey mass of disappointment. Decide to take a walk anyway. I imagine myself as an intrepid mountaineer. I slip on a patch of ice. I nearly fall. My intrepid mountaineer fantasy is shattered.
- 17:00 - 18:00: Back to the motel. Defeated.
Day 4 - 7 (The Weeks of Wonder):
(These days are a blur of trying to explore the local sights, and dealing with bad weather… Coffee runs… The constant struggle to maintain an upbeat attitude. Mostly, it's me trying (and failing) to find some sort of meaning in… well, in everything.)
- Day 4: Another cafe! The coffee's a bit better today. I feel… less hopeless. Explore another garden… Still get lost. I'm starting to think this is some sort of personal quest.
- Day 5: The "I give up" day. (I decide to spend the day in my motel room, reading a trashy novel and eating the overpriced snacks from the minibar. It's the height of luxury.)
- Day 6: Another road trip! Drive to the beach! Get sand in shoes. Feel mildly invigorated by the ocean air. Vow to exercise more.
- Day 7: The grand finale. Pack. Say goodbye to my slightly faded motel room. Reflect on the trip. It's been… a thing. A chaotic, slightly disappointing, occasionally uplifting thing.
Final Thoughts:
The Fitzherbert Castle Motel? It wasn't perfect. Far from it. But it was real. And sometimes, that's all you need. And, hey, at least I (sort of) survived. Now
Unveiling Swiss Cottage: Pakistan's Most Luxurious Living Experience
Fitzherbert Castle Motel: NZ's BEST Kept Secret (Seriously, Why Did I Tell You?) - Your Questions, Answered (Maybe)
Okay, so... "Best Kept Secret"? Really? What's the catch? Does it involve sheep and dodgy plumbing?
Look, I'll be honest. Part of me seriously regrets even *whispering* about Fitzherbert. It's… well, it's *magical*. Okay, maybe not *magical*, but the views? Forget about it. They’re stunning. Seriously, I’d pay good money to have those views tattooed on my eyelids, just so I could see them *all the time*. The catch? Hmm… well, the plumbing’s seen better days, let's just say that. And the sheep? Nah, they're generally well-behaved. Mostly. Sometimes, there's a rogue one that wanders through the parking lot. Adds to the charm, right? I mean, it's not the Ritz, people! It's *real*.
What *specifically* are these "stunning views" everyone's raving about? Photos can be deceiving.
Okay, here's the deal. The views are… *breathtaking*. Seriously. I remember the first time I drove up there. I was exhausted, grumpy from a dreadful flight, and the weather was being its usual unpredictable self. Then I turned the corner, and BAM! The whole valley just… exploded. Rolling hills, the river snaking through the bottom, and a sky that felt so vast, so *big* that it felt like you could just fall right into it. It's that feeling of… *freedom*, you know? Like you can finally breathe after holding your breath for a lifetime. And the sunsets?! Forget about it. I saw one that was so vibrant, so ridiculously beautiful, I actually *cried*. Pathetic, I know. But the views… they're worth the crying.
Is the Fitzherbert Castle *actually* a castle? Because I'm picturing turrets and drawbridges.
Alright, let's clarify this. It's a motel. A *motel*. Don't go expecting a full-blown medieval castle. There's no moat, no dungeons (that I know of…), and definitely no jousting tournaments. The "Castle" part is… well, I honestly don't know where that came from. Maybe the name is a bit pretentious? Maybe a bit… *deceptive*? I mean, it *sort of* looks castle-ish from a distance… or maybe I just have a vivid imagination. But hey, the rooms themselves are charming in a "retro Kiwi bach" kind of way. And who cares about turrets when you've got those views? Just don’t show up expecting to be knighted. You’ll be sorely disappointed.
What are the rooms like? Clean? Comfortable? Do they have… *bed bugs*? (Shudders)
Okay, honest time. The rooms are… functional. Clean-ish. Look, this isn't a five-star resort, alright? The furniture is definitely… vintage. Think beige, and probably older than you are. But! The beds are surprisingly comfortable. I've slept like a baby in those beds, lulled to sleep by the crisp mountain air and the absolute quiet. And bed bugs? I’ve never seen any. Thank GOD! But I’m a bit of a germaphobe, so I always give the mattress a quick once-over. You should probably do the same, just in case. (Better safe than sorry, right?) Also, the showers? The water pressure is… variable. But that's part of the charm (yep, using that word again). If you’re fussy, or have high standards, maybe Fitzherbert isn’t for you. But if you're after a unique experience? You'll be fine.
Is there Wi-Fi? Because I NEED to post photos of these views.
There *is* Wi-Fi, but let's be honest, it's as reliable as a politician's promise. Sometimes it works brilliantly. Other times you might as well be attempting to send carrier pigeons with your photos. If you're a serious digital nomad, or rely on the internet, plan accordingly. Download your stuff before you arrive. Embrace the enforced digital detox! Seriously, put your phone down, look out the window, and *live*! You’ll thank me later. You’ll be so amazed, I guarantee you'll get lost in the moment, forgetting about Wi-Fi and posting photos.
What's the best time to visit? When are the views at their… *zenith*? AND do they take pets?
The BEST time? Anytime! Seriously. Every season has its own magic. Spring bursts with color, summer is perfect for those long, lazy days, autumn paints the landscape in fiery hues, and winter? Snow-capped mountains, cozy fires… pure bliss. But the *absolute* best time to visit? That’s subjective. Personally, I adore autumn. That crisp air, the golden light, the crackle of leaves underfoot… *chef's kiss*. The sunsetting in spring around late-afternoon-early-evening offers the most vivid colors. Seriously, my heart leaps every time! And no, sadly, I don't think Fitzherbert Castle Motel takes pet. I don't know about the owners and their requirements. Give them a call!
Can you tell me about a particularly memorable experience? Something that really stands out.
Oh, mate, do I ever. I remember one time, I was staying there alone. It was late autumn, and the wind was howling, rattling the windows. I lit a fire in the little fireplace (yes, some rooms have fireplaces!), and poured myself a glass of wine. The rain was lashing against the glass, and for a while I was watching the sky, where the clouds and its shadows danced. I thought to myself that I was alone, but the views... they were never a lonely companion. And then, during this moment, the sky decided to put on a light show. First, a flash of lightning, then clap of thunder that shook the foundations. And then, the most incredible rainbow I’ve ever seen. It arched clear across the valley, a vibrant, almost unreal bow of color. You could see both ends! I swore to myself. I'd never seen anything like it, and I’m not sure if I ever will again. It was that moment when I realized… that Fitzherbert Castle Motel wasn't just a place to stay, it was an experience. A truly *unforgettable* experience. I can almost feel the chill in the air, the smell of the wood burning… and the absolute, overwhelming *beauty* of it all, even now. It wasn't just a rainbow; it was a perfect moment. And that's what Fitzherbert offers: moments, beauty, and memories you'll never, ever forget. Even the dodgy plumbing adds to the story,Cozy Stay Spot
