If you are into a motels that have WiFi, 40+ channels of SkyTV, hottubs, then go stay there!!!... The Clearwater is like a favourite pair of jeans or shoes, that no matter how tatty they appear, you feel good in them, it is a classic 1950's bohemian feeling New Zealand motel... yeah sure, the garden needs a tidy up, and first impression you think it is a soviet style gulag, but the old saying is, don't judge a book by it's cover and this is an old NZ book from way back, rustic charm is the word a real estate person would use, functional is another that springs to mind, it has Freeveiw TV (with SBS as well), shower is damned hot! (40 gallon hot water cylinder for those who like 1 hour showers), the usual kettle, toaster, fridge, the owners Roy and Bon are not into blowing hot air, they are laid back (not don't give a toss) but laid back in way where they treat you for you and not what you do people, Bon has the units spotless, you won't catch anything nasty in the place, unless you picked up abit at a local pub for alittle slap and tickle, location spoton !, if you are staying in unit 3, you have one of the best views of Kaikoura, walking distance to the Commercial Hotel (Brighton St), stroll down to the swimming pool turn right out the gate, walk for 3 minutes and you will fall into the pool, basically it is slap bang in the centre of Kaikoura. This motel is not for people who whinge, it is catering for the piece of the market that is sadly forgotten in this day, it screams low cost, clean, safe for target market mum and dad with 2 kids, dad making 38k, driving a Toyota station wagon, who is on stuggle street, but not flat broke, and the backpacker on a self drive, yes pictures can be decieving, but it is a place where I will stay again, and I would say alot of other Kiwis would stay at, for that economical, back to basics, roof over your head..... if you are yearning to just have a classic holiday like you did when you were a child, well the Clearwater is it...... enjoy.... PS leave your laptop, cellphone at home ok....trust me

Initially attracted to this Motel via www.ratestogo.com, based on location, price and a photo which turned out to be a little deceptive in the way it was cropped.

On arriving at the Motel, our reaction was to continue driving and look for other options. This is an aged hodge podge of buildings masquerading as a motel complex. It is more a collection of functional seaside batches on a very open section, than a motel.

As we had booked for 2 nights we returned for an inspection and were shown studio and double units. unrepaired broken windows were evident along with superficial attempts to freshen the place up by painting over aging wallpaper.

The male proprietor was initially welcoming, but was clearly expecting our reaction. His insistance that the motel standard was up to a 2 star rating is a cop out for laziness and a desire to get away with what he can with regards to unsuspecting travelers.

We refused to stay at the cost of one nights accomodation. Shortly after we departed we were interested to see one of the rooms offered to us, being advertised on roadside signage at a cheaper rate.

The Clearwater Motel is an embarrassment to the Kaikoura community and to the New Zealand tourisim industry.

DEFINITE NO GO.

Two star Motel - Yeah Right

This is the worst motel I have ever stayed at and it is way overpriced.
The rooms are old and shabby, the wallpaper is peeling off the walls, the couch was broken, the shower hardly worked at all.
There was no milk provided in the fridge which is usually expected. We were charged a lot of money for what we would expect to pay for a clean modern unit.
To top it off the owners were the rudest people I have ever some across.

The pictures on the internet is not what the motel looks like, Its shabby, looks like crap and feels like your sleeping on a slab of concrete. The owners can hardly speak english which doesnt help either. We recommend not to go there, It ruins your whole holiday.