Kakatu Retreat

We booked this place early morning for two nights. It was a fantastic property and well equipped however the communication with someone that either works there or the owner was impossible. Terrible check in experience.( the only bad thing about the place) You require a code to get into to the property and the room. We never received any instructions and both phone numbers were automatically being transferred to voice mail. Also no response to several email. We waited in front of the property for about an hour and asked several neighbours if they had any idea how to contact the owner. The next door neighbour let us in and texted the owner. We almost gave up since it was 9 pm and we needed to go to bed. The communication definitely needs work if no one is in the property to let you in and the place is not walkable distance to the town. ( my only complaint)

The only thing is the gas bottle ran out for the bbq haha

It was a great experience. Room and all equipments was perfect. Hosts were friendly and understanding. Very clear explanations for the reception area.

Comfy, cosy, friendly owner, welcoming, great facilities

We’ll set up accommodation. Good self serve breakfast. Nice communal lounge. Need to drive to get amenities 5-7km. Close to beach and nice walks. Good hosts. Know their business. Very similar to hotel/motel stay. Pay cash. Ok value for money

This place was everything myself and my partner and our friends needed for a overnight stay. The Host was lovely and friendly greeting us on arrival. There was a big clean and tidy community kitchen with everything we needed for our stay. The rooms were nice and tidy and quite spacious. The location was perfect with no more than a 3 minute drive into the town of Kaikoura. We will definitely be staying here again and would highly recommend this to friends looking for a nice quiet spot to call home for the weekend.

All good

Beautiful rooms with great views and excellent facilities

This accommodation has very spacious rooms that were quite accessible. The bed is a large king with a remote that elevates or vibrates your head or feet, although only half of our bed worked. The shower is effectively the entire bathroom so if you have mobility issues, you could use this space easily. There was no in-room sitting space (other than the bed) so we borrowed a few chairs from the dining room and sat them around the wheeling table (the type you have in a hospital in America) and we were just fine. The deck runs the length of the place so it was a great place to meet up with neighbors. It was spotless and the hosts were very informative.

Beautiful, spacious, and clean accommodation

Comfortable

This place is like an upscale hostel with a fully-stocked community kitchen (including breakfast ingredients), living area and deck. But the rooms are private, comfortable and clean. The staff was great and we met some interesting travelers.

we arrived early and were in a rush, which is never a good combination! We called the owners, who were very understanding and helped us check in early and get settled quickly. The service was fantastic. And so was the place!

We had a lovely stay at Mary’s beautiful house. Facilities are perfect for people on a road trip. Excellent provisions for breakfast. It’s a little bit out from Kaikōura so a car is essential. Host Mary was a great help with advice and places to go. Definitely recommend.

This property is away from town. Nice property and great breakfast options. Essential to have a car if you stay here. We had a shared bathroom. It was ok.

A beautiful property with lovely host. The room (golf view) was huge, the bed immense!. Everything was spotless, the area very quiet, overlooking the golf course. Large communal areas with lovely decking. Help yourself continental breakfast with lots of choice. Highly recommend.

Very nice place , comfortable and affordable. I would recommend staying here.

This is budget accommodation that is really great. Scrupulously clean, lovely owners

Great place to stay, clean and comfy beds and friendly staff

The room was extremely cozy and private. We checked in late, but the owners were very responsive and helpful getting us situated. The listing on Expedia does say that check-out is 11am, but it is actually 10am. If we had stayed in the area longer, we definitely would have stayed here longer.

This is a B&B set a short distant from city center and sits in a golf course community. The host was friendly and was available if needed. Our room, the “ Golf View,” had an enormous California king bed. The bed was comfortable, the room was clean with individual room climate control and the en suite shower had great pressure. There was a communal kitchen for cooking and the host provided cold cereal, bread and milk for morning breakfast. We enjoyed our stay.

The hosts were great, the place very nice and clean and the surroundings beautiful. We enjoyed other guests in the communal kitchen and dining room.

Very nice location in a quiet area, a 5-minutes drive from Kaikoura town centre. Close to the beach which is nice for a walk. All is very clean and new. We felt very comfortable from the first moment. Also the hosts were very friendly. Good to know for others: Breakfast is not served but is self-service in the kitchen facilities - coffee/ tea, cereals, toast, honey/jam. There is a fridge in the kitchen where you can store stuff which you bring on your own.

We had a lovely stay and I highly recommend. The team are very welcoming and helpful.

Exceptional, well appointed property set in a beautiful neighborhood setting near walking paths including a path less than a half of a mile from a beach. Accomodations are well thought out & common area allows many chances to get to know other guests. Lovely self serve continental breakfast. Stephen & Mary are wonderful hosts!

Right beside bike trail. Mary very welcoming. Great set up

We were stopping for the whale watching, for which Kaikoura is renowned. The welcome by Stephen was friendly and most helpful. The facilities are excellent. The room was spacious and comfortable with a great adjustable bed, complete with massage function ! It's a scenic quiet location with easy acess to all Kaikoura's amenities.Thank you and Happy Christmas, Tony & Teresa , Dublin.

Great stay lovely location well recommended!

Our stay was good other than you could hear the people walking in the room above us and we had to make or own breakfast which was just toast or cereal. We never seen the B&B host after we checked in. Room was very clean bed was hard.

Liked Location to shopping centre, Staff were great with room enquiry change, Didn't like road noises, other wise very nice place to stay.

Best place to stay in Kaikoura. Super clean, comfy beds and amazing facilities.

I have never slept in a garage before, however comfortable. The garage door was hidden behind a curtain, but the tracks were still on the ceiling. The positive thing was that it was very large and had 2 single beds + 1 Queen bed (all very comfortable), as well as a refrigerator. Bathroom was across the hall, not in a private area. Kitchen & living room was a shared space on the floor above (with an elevator). It was well stocked for breakfast and the area was modern and bright. It was very quiet and was in a mainly residential area. It was cool in March, so I really appreciated the electric blanket on the beds. I would recommend it for a single night's stay.

We stayed for 2 nights and found the room to be spacious clean and comfortable. Basic breakfast supplied you just helped yourself which worked well for us. Beautiful views from all sides of the property, 5 mins drive from town centre where there are loads of eating options.

Stedet og værtsparret var uovertruffet. Et nyere hus med alle moderne faciliteter nødvendige for et behageligt ophold. Vi brugte de tre dage vi var der til at vandre og komme ned i gear.

Very clean and well maintained accommodation. Most guests were middle-aged or older, so things were fairly quiet when I stayed there. The place is a couple of kilometers from the middle of Kaikoura, so you will want a car if you are staying there.

Wonderful stay. The bed was very comfortable and the facilities were exceptional. Kitchen and dining area was spacious and well stocked. Beautiful view from room. Very friendly and helpful staff.

This accommodation was very close to the start of our cycle experience "The Hurunui Heartland Ride" and in this regard the owners were very helpful. The complex was outside the main town so it was quiet, clean and spacious.

Mary and stephen are excellent hosts and more thsn happy to transport you in to town

Extremely clean and tidy. DIY breakfast suited our early departure although very little a diabetic could eat. Room was well equipped but smelt like a care home. Air con unit at head of the bed so cold air falling on us. Ok for a night .

We had expected an up-market B&B but alas the place is like a converted Care Home. We didn't see our host until our final day. Breakfast was do-it-yourself with stuff left in the cupboards. There were a couple of cans of fruit plus cereal. Our room: Golfers View, looked out onto the road and some houses. We asked to be moved to a room with an actual golf view but we're refused. So not happy.

A great location with native bush nearby and excellent views of the local scenery and mountains. Facilities were good and the other guests pleasant to share the place with. Very handy to Kaikoura but gave the sense of being out in the country so very relaxed.

Felt like a retreat in a nice quiet area

Nice quiet location, slightly out of town. Immaculate room - very clean and everything you needed. Mary was really helpful in her suggestions of some beautiful walks along the peninsula. Her potted flowers were gorgeous!

Such a beautiful nature 😊 Definitely worth the money

Outstanding! We had scheduled a short rest and relaxation break at Kaikoura. Kakatu retreat was a delightful surprise. Just far enough out of town to be peaceful, with a wonderful view of the mountains and the sea. A large deck to relax in the sun. The retreat is just that – complete relaxation. The bedrooms and en suites are well designed, with very comfortable beds and great thought – caters well for all, including disabled people. The kitchen area is spacious, full of light and air, with plenty of cooking facilities and refrigeration storage. Our hosts, Mary and Steve could not have been more helpful and friendly – many thanks for making it such an enjoyable state. We will definitely be back. Highly recommended.

Great place to stay. Exceptionally clean. Spacious and well equiped. Lovely room with really comfortable bed. Would recommend to everyone looking for a place to stay near Kaikoura. Well done on achieving excellencr.

Location great, loved the room and the shared kitchen and lounge

Suited me for a one night stay. Quiet, lovely room, big bathroom, accessible, lovely big modern kitchen upstairs (lift avail) with everything you could need. Owner very helpful re my late arrival

The owners were so lovely and the views from the balcony were spectacular!

Property is well equipped, bed was very comfortable heating great.

Was a last minute booking due

친절하고 방두 깨끗 강추

Mary very welcoming

Great spot and friendly people ... Very clean and modern ...

Mary greeted you when you got there, she showed you around so you were comfortable with your surroundings, offered advise on some good places to go - it was a lovely, comfortable place to stay with beautiful surroundings, well equipped with everything you may need - very peaceful & serene.

Very comfortable, peaceful, and exceptionally clean place to stay. We had a double twin room on the first floor and it fit our one night stay needs well. The room was spacious enough for our two big packs and the beds quite comfortable. Shared bathroom was large and easily shared with the other couples staying too. Common kitchen area has everything you may need, is a lovely setting to chat with others, and has fantastic views of the mountains. Very short drive to the beach and town.

Convenient location, informal, good shower., friendly and helpful staff.

Our stay was beyond wonderful! What an amazing find with super kind hosts. Everything you could need in the kitchen and plenty of space so you aren’t even aware that other people share the facilities. Beautiful location and Ms Kathy was just a gem of a lady! We will definitely return :)

Great place.

the lodge has everything that you want. Mary was an excellent host. we woulld highlly recommend this stay!

Beautiful! Friendly owner. Amazing views. Beautiful amenities all spotlessly clean. DIY breakfast with everything you could want! Highly recommend!

Modern, clean and good location just outside Kaikoura. Breakfast is plentiful and diy in a separate kitchen/dining area.

Nice accommodations located a few miles outside the city center. Shared bathroom. Shared kitchen.

Le lieu est un peu loin si vous êtes à pied mais le calme du lieu et l'extrême gentillesse des propriétaires compense largement. De plus, la plage déserte après le petit bois qui est à 5 minutes à pied est un spot parfait pour le coucher du soleil. Vous avez une grande cuisine et pièce de vie avec une vue magnifique sur les montagnes pour prendre votre petit déjeuner. C'est très propre. Je recommande plus que jamais.

Our stay at the Kakatu Retreat was interesting. It's about 4 km out of Kaikoura, and initially we thought that was an issue. However, it worked out better. It was quiet and had really nice views. It was right beside the local golf course, and the local pro - Toni - welcomed us to the house (she's a friend of the owners). On the hotels.com description, I remember Kakatu being listed as a hotel. However, it is a B&B. I think there are 7 rooms in total. I don't believe the owners live onsite. The facilities themselves are great. There is a large kitchen, fully stocked, a living room and rec/room with a ping pong table. Plus, there's a wrap-around balcony with some tables. You're free to prepare your own breakfast from what's available in the fridge, and there's a separate fridge for guests to store their own things. You can also use the facilities to make your own meals during your stay. There's also a free laundry facility downstairs. We stayed in the Mountain View room. Only complaint was it's warm (from the sun) and we couldn't get the AC to work. Not sure why. The owner works with old age homes, and has made the building 100% handicapped accessible. The only thing we found was that, especially in the bathroom, it seemed to smell like a facility. Overall, we were very pleased with our stay at Kakatu and recommend it highly. PS - if you're going whale watching, go in the morning! Winds tend to pick up in the afternoons.

Brand new earthquake resistant building survived the 2016 Quake in grand style. Fully disability accessible, gorgeous facility with amazing view! Amenities all work perfectly, TV, WiFi and in true B&B style, breakfast is provided from a well stocked pantry in do it yourself fashion. Operators are awesome! Great value! Highly recommended!

It was wonderful, very Friendly. nice and tidy rooms,

Immaculate & warm. Would recommend; close to golf course and not far from town

Super friendly host provided great recommendations for the area with very clean accommodations. Would highly recommend this place to stay.