7 Best Hotels in North Island's West Coast, New Zealand

These rustic yet chic studio and one-bedroom villas sit on a clifftop with stunning views of world-famous surf beach Oakura. The villas are built of recycled 100-year-old French clay tiles and hardwood wharf piles. For bigger groups the "underground" villa, built against a bank and capped with a grass roof, offers two queen bedrooms, two bathrooms, and space to host a party. All units have cooking facilities, the owners provide breakfast on request, or you can drive five minutes to Oakura Village and its many cafés.

This stylish, purpose-built lodge is set on Blue Duck Station, a multiuse tourism, farming, and conservation venture beside the Whanganui River. Built according to strict environmental standards with extra-thick insulation and glazing, the super king and twin en suite rooms share a fully equipped kitchen and outdoor BBQ. Remote Blue Duck Station is a destination in its own right; you can head to the river for jet boating or canoeing, explore the farm on horseback, or find out more about conservation efforts to protect rare blue duck and kiwi that live around here on an ATV bush safari. There’s a café, too, and The Chef's Table Restaurant with dramatic views. Other lodges on the property cater to large groups.

This unusual accommodation started life on the South Island in 1924—as a boat—which the current owner found, moved to Whanganui, turned it on its side, and embedded it into a hill as an exclusive accommodation overlooking the river and city. It's self-contained with a bathroom, hot tub, pool, and kitchenette, and it's less than a mile across a bridge to the city's restaurants and cafés. The tiny house is also right on the edge of the Mountain to Sea cycling trail and Whanganui's Round the Bridges walk.

Right at the edge of town, with views over the harbor, you can choose from a two-bedroom historic cottage or several two-story apartment units, each with a king bed and a sunset view. As you walk out of the driveway, turn left, and you will be at the water's edge and the historic Bow Street jetty site within a minute. Turn the other way, and you just need to walk 50 meters to the main stretch of shops and restaurants.

A coastal vineyard a short drive south of New Plymouth offers the chance to stay in chalets with sweeping sea views. Perched on a hillside, balconies look out across grazing paddocks and the rugged coastline below, with Paritutu Rock and the Sugarloaf Islands visible to the right. In the other direction are expansive gardens and rows of vines, as well as views of Mount Taranaki. Family-owned and -operated Okurukuru vineyard also has a cellar door on-site, and the vineyard bistro conveniently serves lunch and dinner from Thursday to Sunday. 

Stylish and modern, central New Plymouth's only waterfront lodging is handily placed next to the Puke Ariki Museum. Each room has sea or city views and superking or queen beds; configurations range from studios with showers (no tubs) to elite studios with individual whirlpool baths and penthouse suites with separate bedroom, double whirlpool bath, shower, full laundry, and kitchen facilities. Salt, the hotel's popular restaurant-bar, feels minimalist—all the better to appreciate the view of Len Lye's 148-foot Wind Wand statue across the road.

Personable owner Terry Parkes has transformed this 19th-century heritage building into an opulent city retreat decorated with eclectic furnishings and contemporary art by leading Taranaki artists. The hotel's stylish, individually designed accommodations blend luxury amenities (double whirlpool baths or massage showers) with its heritage features. Adjacent to the hotel are four suites, three with kitchen facilities. Table at Nice, the hotel restaurant, is considered one of New Plymouth's finest.