Stratford Motel & Holiday Park

HOTEL OVERVIEW

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much when I first pulled up to the Stratford Motel & Holiday Park on Page Street – I mean, it’s right there in the name that it’s trying to be two things at once. But you know what? Sometimes that actually works out pretty well. The place has this sort of laid-back, practical vibe that feels refreshingly honest after staying at hotels that try way too hard to impress you with fancy lobbies you’ll never use again.

What really struck me was how they’ve figured out the whole family thing without making it feel like a daycare center. The holiday park side means there’s actual space for kids to run around (and tire themselves out, thank god), while the motel rooms are tucked away enough that you’re not dealing with constant noise if you’re just passing through. I stayed during late summer and there were definitely families around, but the layout keeps things surprisingly peaceful – you can hear the occasional burst of laughter from the playground area, but it’s more charming than annoying. The rooms themselves are clean and straightforward, nothing fancy but everything works. The bed was actually comfortable, which is more than I can say for some places charging twice as much.

Here’s the thing about Stratford that a lot of people don’t realize – it’s perfectly positioned if you’re doing the Taranaki thing properly. You’re basically at the base of Mount Taranaki (well, twenty minutes or so), and the Forgotten World Highway starts just down the road if you’re feeling adventurous. The motel staff actually know this stuff too, which was refreshing. They gave me better directions to the mountain lookouts than Google did, and warned me about the road conditions on the highway (saved me from a potentially miserable drive in my rental car). Parking is easy and free, which feels almost revolutionary after dealing with city hotels. Check-in was quick and friendly – no pretentious nonsense, just “here’s your key, here’s where everything is, let us know if you need anything.” The kind of service that makes you feel like a person instead of a credit card with legs. Sure, it’s not going to win any design awards, and the coffee in the morning is decent but not spectacular. But sometimes you just want a clean, comfortable place to sleep that doesn’t cost a fortune and doesn’t make you jump through hoops. The 8.4 rating makes sense – it’s the kind of place that does what it promises without drama or disappointment.