We chose Panorama on the strength of its view and it didn't disappoint. The rooms all faced the Pacific Ocean, with a spectacular view of the snow-capped Kaikoura ranges on a clear day. I could sit on the balcony all day, sipping a cuppa with such wonderful views. At night, if you are daring enough to leave the balcony doors open, you can be lulled to sleep with a lullaby of the waves.

The wooden cabin was functional and clean, although it could have been decorated in a slightly more charming way. Nonetheless, I love the cabin feel of the spacious room and we had fun making ourselves hot chocolate and coffee with the cooking utensils provided. The microwave came in handy too. The King-sized bed was comfy although the owners may want to consider re-orientating it to face the seafront.

For those not driving, it could be a bit of a walk into the town. Takes about 30 minutes but with such beautiful scenery, its quite a nice walk actually. Similarly, it takes a good 40 minutes to walk to the seal colony but the rewards are well worth the effort. We saw a few seals basking in the warm sun and they were just an arms length away!

We stayed in an upper room overlooking the water and mountains - it was the most beautiful view of any of the (many) hotels/motels we stayed in on our holiday. There were 3 of us in our group and the accommodation had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. The motel was well located on the seafront, just a short walk to pubs and restaurants nearby (the Green Dolphin was great). The owner was friendly and helpful. We only stayed one night; should have stayed longer. Great value too.

I stayed here with my wife for two nights mid October. We had an upper level room and much the same as the previous reviewer, the room was in need of modernisation. The shower was a small plastic cubicle with a shower curtain. This didn't hold the water back and each time we took a shower the bathroom flooded. This was obviously the norm as the walls were showing signs of rising damp. There was no bath.
Not sure what was in the bed; the following night both of us were covered in bites. Two days on, still itching....
Lot's of other Motels in Kaikoura; I for one wouldn't go back to the Panorama.

We stayed in a "lower level, seafront king" room for one night and contrary to most other reviews, didn't particularly like it. The room was in desperate need of updating; the wooden walls could've been charming in a log cabin-like way but instead just looked tired. The bathroom too was old. In addition, we got a slightly frosty reception from the female owner upon arrival. Perhaps it was because we arrived an hour later than expected at 9pm but after a long day and a long drive, it would've been nice to have a welcoming host.

However, on the upside the sea view from the room was fantastic and the location for dolphin swimming and whale watching was very good.