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

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.

Hosts John and Helen treat you like family when you stay in one of the comfortable rooms here; each comes with a local decor theme (bush, cave, farm, and swamp), superqueen bed, and a second deck entrance. The cozy guest lounge features recycled native timbers, books, a wide-screen TV, honor bar, stellar views of the green countryside, and an appealing outdoor barbecue area and fire pit. The communal complimentary breakfasts—including free-range eggs and local honey—are seriously good. Located on the edge of Waitomo Village, the sign warning that anyone who mentions the steep driveway will be fined NZ$2 sets an appropriately convivial tone.

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.

Modern and clean, this delightful holiday park in the heart of Waitomo Village offers tents, powered campervan sites, cabins, and a self-contained motel. Some cabins have breakfast-making facilities, but there's also a well-equipped communal kitchen here, as well as a guest lounge with TV (free movies available) and a guest laundry. Other park amenities include a gas barbecue, swimming pool, hot tub, children's playground, and Wi-Fi available throughout the property. 

This motel-style complex comes with a good selection of amenity-packed units. There's a flexible mix of studios and one-bedroom suites with whirlpool baths, mini-refrigerators, and microwaves. There are also two-level, two-bedroom family units with full kitchens and a pair of fully accessible units, plus a luxury honeymoon suite. All have smart televisions (with Netflix, Lightbox, and Youtube built-in), safes, and king beds. A conference room and small gym are also on-site. Supermarkets and cafés are within walking distance.

A blend of upscale "flashpacker" lodge rooms and stylish self-contained suites and apartments give visitors to the Anndion Lodge lots of flexibility. There’s a shared lodge kitchen and outside you'll find a covered barbecue area, saltwater pool, hot tub, and infra-red sauna. Inside, there's a cozy TV lounge with an extensive DVD library and pool table.

Aimed primarily at business travelers, the spacious digs here, with their handsome yet comfy decor and convenient location are popular with tourists, too. A stylish mix of accommodations include studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. All are self-contained, serviced, and soundproofed. Continental and cooked breakfasts are available at extra charge.

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.

Roughly 30 miles upriver from Pipiriki, this private farm enclave can only be reached by jet boat or kayak. The remote location rewards with magnificent river and forest vistas. Accommodations range from fully catered lodge rooms to self-catering bunkrooms and cabins. Lodge owner Jo also runs jet boat tours upriver to the Bridge to Nowhere and provides jet boat shuttle services for hikers and mountain bikers within the national park. Canoe trips and rentals are also available.

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. 

Located only blocks from the central city, rooms here have more character than a standard motel thanks to art deco-inspired interiors and colorful furnishings throughout. The lower units open onto small patios, although the only views are of the tall fence bordering the property. Off-street parking is available to guests, as is Netflix in the rooms. Check-in is via a text message and lockbox system. 

The city's largest hotel occupies a 1927 heritage building (check out the cage-style elevator, one of the country's oldest). In addition to comfortable queen-bed rooms, the hotel has an on-site restaurant serving modern New Zealand cuisine, a cozy house bar, and a larger bar with big-screen television for sports viewing. It also has major conference and function facilities, so a stay may be shared with wedding guests or meeting delegates.

A place for travelers rather than party animals, Ducks and Drakes offers character, color, and modern accommodations within walking distance of shops, cafés, and Pukekura Park. Rooms come in all shapes and sizes, each scrupulously clean. Those in the main building (singles, twins, doubles, and dorms for up to six people) share bathrooms, but there are plenty to go around. Guests also share an outdoor veranda, communal kitchen, cool dining area, sun porch, two cozy, warm lounges, and full laundry facilities. Five self-contained motel units with kitchenettes open to gardens and have off-street parking.

Even just arriving here is an exceptional experience—whether by boat or the namesake Flying Fox, a cable car that carries you across to the remote, west bank of the Whanganui Rive; once here, you can choose between two-bedroom cottages, an off-grid tiny house, Treetops studio, or a glamping tent. The cottages were hand-built using salvaged materials; inside, rug-covered floors, tie-dye throws, carved screens, and wood-burning stoves create a warm, cozy ambience. Distinctly eco-friendly, facilities here include wood- and gas-fired showers and solar lighting; moreover, the entire property is certified organic. Both self-catering and bed-and-breakfast options are available, and other meals can be provided (ask in advance). Glamping and camping facilities are available in the summer months. A little store carries a few products as well as home-grown produce. You can get to the Flying Fox from Whanganui on the Whanganui River Road Mail Tour; if you're driving, there's secure parking on the road side of the river.

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.

High on the mountain, this hotel and restaurant has a deserved reputation for its dramatic setting and fine food. Guest rooms look out over the lower forested slopes. A café serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks while the dinner restaurant offers contemporary and classic cuisine featuring local produce. Trails from the lodge explore a mix of subalpine shrublands and dense forest.

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.

This is a fairly standard apartment-style chain hotel, but it's the newest in town, and it's as close as you'll get to the central city. It comes with some extras like access to an off-site gym and secure car parking. The one- and two-bedroom apartments have separate living and dining areas, and even the studios have a small kitchen and laundry facilities.

The location (a five-minute walk from town and from the harbor) and family-friendly facilities are key attractions here. Accommodations range from studio units to a self-contained, two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartment with a kitchen, lounge/dining area, and private courtyard. Shared guest facilities include a large, sheltered courtyard with a barbecue, well-equipped kitchen, and hot tub. The owners are a mine of local information if you need a few pointers.

Elegance and character team with modern amenities in this renovated Edwardian inn in the center of town. Rooms are decorated in Victorian furniture with lots of mahogany. Four of the eight suites have whirlpool baths. Downstairs, the restaurant–bar has traditional English character with a Kiwi twist; expect a cozy roaring fire (in winter), historic Whanganui pictures on the walls, standard bistro-pub fare, a wide choice of imported beers, and more than 50 single-malt whiskies.