Pukehina Retreat and Lodge

Image 1 of Pukehina Retreat and Lodge

488 D Pukehina Parade Pukehina Beach RD9 Te Puke 3189, 3189 Pukehina, New Zealand

Guest reviews: 8.3

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HOTEL OVERVIEW

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first pulled up to Pukehina Retreat and Lodge – you know how these Bay of Plenty coastal spots can be hit or miss. But walking into this place, there’s something immediately calming about it. Maybe it’s the way they’ve positioned everything to catch those ocean breezes, or how the whole property feels tucked away from the world despite being right on Pukehina Parade. The check-in was refreshingly low-key, none of that overly formal hotel stuff, just genuine Kiwi hospitality.

What really got me was how they’ve managed to nail that sweet spot between retreat vibes and actual comfort. The rooms are properly spacious – I mean, you can actually unpack without playing Tetris with your luggage – and the beds are the kind you sink into after a long day exploring the coast. The bathrooms are modern without being sterile, which honestly matters more than you’d think. You’re literally a two-minute walk from Pukehina Beach, and not the touristy strip either. This is where locals bring their kids for a proper swim, where you can actually hear the waves without competing with jet skis and crowds. Early mornings are magic here – just you, the beach, and maybe a few dedicated fishermen casting their lines.

The lodge sits in this perfect position where you get the coastal lifestyle but you’re still close enough to Te Puke (about 15 minutes) when you need supplies or want to hit up one of the decent cafes in town. Parking’s never an issue, which anyone who’s stayed at beachfront places will appreciate. The staff actually know the area – they’ll tell you which beaches have the gentler surf for kids, or where to grab the best fish and chips without the tourist markup. What I really respect is how they’ve kept things authentic without letting standards slip. Sure, it’s not going to blow you away with flashy amenities, but everything works properly, it’s clean, and there’s this sense that they genuinely want you to have a good time rather than just extract maximum dollars from your wallet. The whole place has this relaxed energy that seeps into you – by day two, I was automatically slowing down, actually reading my book instead of scrolling my phone. That’s worth more than fancy marble bathrooms, honestly.

HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS

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Reviews

Staff: 9.2

Comfort: 9.2

Location: 10

Facilities: 9.2

Cleanliness: 7.5

Value for money: 7.5

Roimata from New Zealand (10 March 2025)

9/10

Everything especially the host

Jimmy from New Zealand (1 August 2024)

9/10

Excellent home that is large, clean, and with peaceful environment - away from everyone!

What could be improved: We could not access the beach!

Debbie from New Zealand (11 March 2025)

5/10

The location was beautiful, the outlook and section were lovely, and the house was modern The host was friendly (though unorganised). What could be improved: The property is advertised (and charged) as 5 star, and while it has the potential to be this, that was not our experience. When we arrived at 3pm the host was still at the property...

Debbie from New Zealand (11 March 2025)

5/10

The location was beautiful, the outlook and section were lovely, and the house was modern
The host was friendly (though unorganised).

What could be improved: The property is advertised (and charged) as 5 star, and while it has the potential to be this, that was not our experience.

When we arrived at 3pm the host was still at the property cleaning and still had to come back later with the wine, bath salts, and the towels as they were still drying. She stayed at the property until 8-9pm tidying her attached studio (this has its own entry but also has an internal door into the hallway so really didn't feel like we had the property to ourselves).

The cleaning (or lack of) was the biggest issue with our stay.
The pool area had not been done and there were still half finished drinks in the pool area from the previous guests.
There was cutlery and a serving spoon in the draws with food still on them so we cleaned everything before using it.
We cleaned out bottle caps and an empty bottle out of the bar leaners (assumably left by the previous guest).
Towels were folded on the beds still damp. The BBQ was not clean enough to be used. Thick dust under the beds showed they are mopped around but not under.
Also the coffee/sugar/shampoo/beauty products etc is all communally used by past and current guests.

We were advised of and charged an additional $355 in cleaning/linen fees by the host that booking.com 'forgot to add'.
Not wanting to lose our booking we paid this.

Not wanting to give a harsh or unfair review I did send these and many more examples of where our stay did not meet expectation through to the host hoping our stay was the anomaly and maybe just hadn't gone to plan, but was given the brush off.

All in all, given the price paid we were very disappointed with our stay.

SURROUNDINGS

Restaurants & cafes:

  • Cafe/bar Golliwogs: 21 km
  • Cafe/bar Experience Comvita: 21 km
  • Restaurant The Trading Post: 21 km

Beaches in the neighbourhood:

  • Pukehina Beach: 0 m

Closest airports:

  • Tauranga Airport: 44 km
  • Whakatane Airport: 53 km
  • Rotorua Regional Airport: 56 km

ROOMS

  • Estimated price from: $632. Three-Bedroom Villa with 1 extra-large double bed and 2 × 1 large double bed for Max persons: 6
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Image 4 of Pukehina Retreat and LodgeImage 5 of Pukehina Retreat and Lodge

FACILITIES

Shops:

  • Barber/beauty shop

Kitchen:

  • Children's high chair
  • Dining table
  • Coffee machine
  • Cleaning products
  • Toaster
  • Stovetop
  • Oven
  • Tumble dryer
  • Kitchenware
  • Electric kettle
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator

Bathroom:

  • Toilet paper
  • Towels
  • Towels/sheets (extra fee)
  • Additional toilet
  • Bath or shower
  • Shared toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Toilet
  • Free toiletries
  • Bathrobe
  • Hairdryer
  • Shower

Outdoors:

  • Outdoor fireplace
  • Picnic area
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Sun terrace
  • Private beach area
  • Barbecue
  • Private pool
  • BBQ facilities
  • Patio
  • Balcony
  • Terrace
  • Garden

Wellness:

  • Full body massage
  • Hand massage
  • Head massage
  • Couples massage
  • Foot massage
  • Neck massage
  • Back massage
  • Spa/wellness packages
  • Foot bath
  • Spa lounge/relaxation area
  • Spa facilities
  • Light therapy
  • Body wrap
  • Body scrub
  • Body treatments
  • Hair styling
  • Hair colouring
  • Hair cut
  • Pedicure
  • Manicure
  • Hair treatments
  • Make up services
  • Waxing services
  • Facial treatments
  • Beauty Services
  • Sun umbrellas
  • Sun loungers or beach chairs
  • Open-air bath
  • Hot tub/Jacuzzi
  • Massage Additional charge
  • Spa and wellness centre Additional charge

Transport:

  • Airport shuttle Additional charge

Activities:

  • Beach
  • Tennis equipment
  • Hiking Off-site
  • Golf course (within 3 km) Additional charge
  • Tennis court Off-site

Living Area:

  • Dining area
  • Sofa
  • Seating Area
  • Desk

Food & Drink:

  • Wine/champagne Additional charge
  • Grocery deliveries Additional charge
  • Snack bar
  • Minibar
  • Tea/Coffee maker

Accessibility:

  • Hearing accessible
  • Entire unit located on ground floor

Miscellaneous:

  • Air conditioning
  • Non-smoking throughout
  • Allergy-free room
  • Heating
  • Soundproof rooms
  • Family rooms
  • Non-smoking rooms

Outdoor & View:

  • Inner courtyard view
  • Landmark view
  • Pool view
  • Garden view
  • Sea view
  • View

Room Amenities:

  • Socket near the bed
  • Drying rack for clothing
  • Clothes rack
  • Tile/marble floor
  • Private entrance
  • Fan
  • Ironing facilities
  • Iron
  • Hot tub

Languages spoken:

  • English

Cleaning services:

  • Laundry

Safety & security:

  • Fire extinguishers
  • CCTV outside property
  • Smoke alarms
  • Security alarm
  • Carbon monoxide detector

Media & Technology:

  • Streaming service (like Netflix)
  • Flat-screen TV
  • TV

Reception services:

  • Invoice provided
  • Private check-in/check-out

Great for your stay:

  • Spa and wellness centre
  • Private bathroom
  • Balcony
  • Parking
  • Air conditioning
  • Terrace
  • Kitchen
  • Free WiFi
  • View
  • Airport shuttle

Building characteristics:

  • Detached

Outdoor swimming pool Free!:

  • Open all year
  • All ages welcome
  • Infinity pool
  • Pool with view
  • Heated pool
  • Salt-water pool
  • Pool/beach towels
  • Pool cover
  • Sun loungers or beach chairs
  • Sun umbrellas
  • Fence around pool

Entertainment and family services:

  • Indoor play area
  • Board games/puzzles
  • Books, DVDs, or music for children
  • Board games/puzzles

Other for your stay:

  • Linen
  • Wardrobe or closet
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HOUSE RULES

Pets:

  • Pets are not allowed.

Parties:

  • Parties/events are not allowed

Smoking:

  • Smoking is not allowed.

Check-in:

  • From 15:00 to 23:30
  • You'll need to let the property know in advance what time you'll arrive.

Check-out:

  • From 06:30 to 10:00

Age restriction:

  • Check-in is only possible for guests aged between 18 and 90

Cancellation/prepayment:

  • Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodation type. Please check what conditions may apply to each option when making your selection.

HOTEL ADDRESS

488 D Pukehina Parade Pukehina Beach RD9 Te Puke 3189, 3189 Pukehina, New Zealand

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