Beach/ocean view
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Reviews of Kaikoura Waterfront Apartments

3 out of 5
Kaikoura Waterfront Apartments
126 Esplanade, Kaikoura, Canterbury

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 265 out of 375 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 86 out of 375 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 14 out of 375 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 375 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 375 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Celia

Travelled with family
Close to the sea with views of the ocean. Plenty of places to eat within 15 mins of our accomodation. Central for all excursions.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth, Sutherland

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The room was spacious. Amazing view and location.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Neil

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff fantastic, when asked if we could change unit to ground floor.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Deborah, Fort Lauderdale

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Timothy, DOLLAR

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very decent and well located. Basic and clean with great parking outside unit. Very walkable.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Wolfgang

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Nicely located to waterfront, good parking. Not so sure about dishes left in d/washer and request to take rubbish away …. Staff invisible , made no attempt to welcome us ….
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Waterfront on 26 Feb,2024
Thank you for your review and feedback, which is very much appreciated and will help us improve our service.We are so pleased you got to enjoy our beautiful Kaikoura ,

6/10 Okay

Wade

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Think carefully before choosing the economy room rate at these apartments. We did and found a view of the gas cylinders and the neighbours washing, no way of heating anything in the room except electric jug and toaster, no dishwasher, no table and chairs except outside on the south side, a very small bathroom where sitting on the toilet straight was a bit of a challenge. All of these things are fine if you know that’s what you are going to get, but the website looks so enticing and really there is not that much difference in price.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Waterfront on 22 Feb,2024
Thank you for your feedback regarding our economy apartment the information is clearly stated on all websites as to what you are purchasing, it is a shame it didn't meet your expectations the last thing we want is for you to be disappointed. I hope you got to enjoy our beautiful Kaikoura. Safe travels Poppy

10/10 Excellent

Anita

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic apartments.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Hi, Anita thank you for your great review. I do hope you will come and stay with us again sometime in the future in beautiful Kaikoura.Poppy

6/10 Okay

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Small poorly laid out suite in the back of the property. The toilet faced the door. Internet did not work in the evening on both days we were there. We were told that this was commonly a problem.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 4 Feb,2024
I'm sorry you were not happy. We do have an issue getting wifi in the back units, hence why we have acquired a technician to fix the problem ASAP. Again our apologies:)

8/10 Good

Leah, Bald Hills

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you Leah for giving us a review. I do hope you will come back and see us next time you are in beautiful Kaikoura.

6/10 Okay

Steven

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Stay was ok,apart from trying to payment off credit card early when we were pay at property. Also you had pay extra for service and clean towels every day,also needed few repairs .
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Hi, Steven thank you for your review I have taken your comments on board and will try to rectify them. Your feedback is so important to our business as is your satisfaction and overall experience. I do hope you will choose to come and stay with us again in beautiful Kaikoura

10/10 Excellent

Kellie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you for your great review we are so pleased your stay with us was a positive one in beautiful Kaikoura.We do hope you will visit us again sometime in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Raewyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property was very comfortable and well equipped. Check in was easy
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
We are so please you enjoyed our lovely apartments. Thank you for your great review we are so pleased your stay with us was a positive one in beautiful Kaikoura.We do hope you will visit us again sometime in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Margaret

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you for your great review we are so pleased your stay with us was a positive one in beautiful Kaikoura.We do hope you will visit us again sometime in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you Andrew for your great review. We are so pleased your stay with us was an enjoyable one in beautiful Kaikoura.We do hope you will visit us again sometime in the future.

10/10 Excellent

MARTHA

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location and view are great
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you for your great review we are so pleased your stay with us was a positive one in beautiful Kaikoura.We do hope you will visit us again sometime in the future.

8/10 Good

Elizabeth

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Hi, Elizabeth thank you for taking the time to give us a nice review. I hope you will visit us again if you are ever in beautiful Kaikoura

6/10 Okay

Shahid

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
We were sold a stay at not a cheap price. We received an email saying that the unit was at the back, without cooking facilities and no view, would we like an upgrade. As none of these limitations were in the Expedia description this sounded like a bait and switch. If they were in the ad then why would they have sent us the email. Essentially I feel cheated and exploited and will never trust this establishment or recommend them. The premises themselves were adequate and NOT good value.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry that is how you felt the upgrade offer is meant to be solely to advise you of the position of the room as they are our cheapest rooms and to avoid you being disappointed by giving you a choice. It is not intended to deceive anyone and hope you did enjoy your time in beautiful Kaikoura. Safe travels.

10/10 Excellent

Courtney

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 4 Feb,2024
Awesome!

8/10 Good

Gregory

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you for your good review we hope you enjoyed your time in beautiful Kaikoura

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Over night trip for work. Apartment was great. Easy check in system
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you for your great review. I do hope you come and stay with us again in the future in our lovely apartments.

10/10 Excellent

Veluppillai

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Closer to the beach. Clean. Friendly staff.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 17 Dec,2023
Thank you for leaving such a fantastic review, we are glad to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us :)

10/10 Excellent

Narelle

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We only stayed one night, but wished we were staying longer. We had a 2 bedroom apartment with patio. It had everything we needed and was roomy enough for 2 adults and 2 children. The beds were comfy, the kitchen had everything you need, it was quiet, parking was good and it is just a walk over the road to the beach/water. We would love to come back and stay abit longer. :)
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Hi NarelleThank you so much for your fantastic review, so pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay with us.

4/10 Poor

Tony

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Sorry to say we were disappointed as this ranks the lowest rating we have put on a motel ever. We travel extensively. The blinds, the fittings were all very tired. Surprised by what the front units looked like our the front. Unit looks like it was fitted out with product out of the deconstructioned houses out of Christchurch earthquake
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Dear TonyThank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We sincerely apologize for the dissatisfaction you experienced with the unit type you had booked. We appreciate your perspective and would like to provide some clarification regarding our unit types.It's important to note that all our apartments, including the economy unit you booked, feature the same high-quality fixtures, decor, and furnishings. The blinds throughout the entire complex have been newly installed within the last two years to ensure a comfortable and modern setting.The main distinction between our Apartments and the 1-bedroom economy unit, you had booked, lies in the fact that, as advertised, the latter does not include cooking facilities or views. We understand that this difference may have contributed to your disappointment, and we genuinely regret any inconvenience this may have caused.We want to emphasize that guest satisfaction is of utmost importance to us. Had we been aware of your preferences upon arrival, we would have been more than happy to explore options for upgrading to an apartment closer to the front of the complex, providing you with a more tailored and enjoyable experience.Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with us.

10/10 Excellent

Teresa

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Hi TeresaThank you for your 'Top' review, please to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

danhua

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Thank you for your amazing review Danhua

10/10 Excellent

Gina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic accommodation with reasonable pricing!
The 2 bedroom apartment unit that we stayed in was amazing! Very well furnished with large sitting area and very well stocked kitchen. Highly recommend this accommodation. If you are spending time outside of your room for meals or drinks, we recommend one of the second level units, which have large balconies with adequate seating and nice views. There are 2 units on the backside of the property that do not have a good view. Suggest avoiding these two units.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Hi GinaThank you so much for taking the time to review your stay and top score!We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time with us.

10/10 Excellent

ML

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Waterfront on 13 Feb,2024
Thank you for your great review we hope you will come back and stay with us sometime in the future in beautiful Kaikoura.

10/10 Excellent

James

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Thank you James for your top score!

10/10 Excellent

Paula

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautifully decorated and set up apartment with very close proximity to the sea and township. Lovely area to sit outdoors with view of the sea. The only suggestion I would make is that there be a sheer curtain for privacy as well as the blockout curtains, so that you could have the curtain open in the morning and not worry about people passing by being able to see in. Thanks for a lovely stay, would def stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Hi PaulaThank you for taking the time to review your stay with us, your feedback is important.So pleased to hear back that you loved your time with us.Thanks again for the top review!

10/10 Excellent

Mary, Austin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great stay. Bedrooms are pretty small, but otherwise all good.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Thank you so much for your top review!

10/10 Excellent

Sandra

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The apartment was roomy and had a large fridge, dishwasher, washer/dryer, stove /oven. The large balcony was a beautiful place to sit and enjoy the ocean and mountains. Staff were very accommodating for our late checkin. Easy walk to shopping and diwntown. Beach across the street. A great two night stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Waterfront on 16 Dec,2023
Hi SandraThank you for your fantastic review. We are pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us :)

10/10 Excellent

Kristine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
What a view. Great town.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Waterfront on 3 Nov,2023
Hi KristineThank you so much for your top rating, we are pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your stay :)

8/10 Good

Catherine

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Waterfront on 3 Nov,2023
Hi CatherineThank you so much for taking the time to review your stay :)

10/10 Excellent

Raewyn,

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Waterfront on 12 Nov,2023
Hi RaewynThank you for your top review! pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A lovely stay at kaikoura waterfront apartments. The staff were super friendly. We were able to check in abit earlier which was incredibly helpful. We were gifted milk on arrival and there were hot choclate, tea and coffee packets to use. It would have been handy if there were little butter packets. The beds were very comfortable and we hired a porta cot for our little one Overall a wonderful place to stay.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Waterfront on 9 Oct,2023
Hi JenniferThank you so much for your top review, we are so pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Jasmina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Modern, well appointed apartment with great views over the water and mountains :) We had a great stay, thank you!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Waterfront on 9 Oct,2023
Thank you! We appreciate you taking the time to review your stay. Wonderful to hear back that you enjoyed your time with us :)

8/10 Good

sacha

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Waterfront on 9 Oct,2023
Thank you, we appreciate your review

10/10 Excellent

Bryant

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
After tripping around the South Island for the past nine days this accommodation was the best we experienced. Will be recommending to others.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Waterfront on 4 Oct,2023
Thank you Bryant, that is so good to hear back!

10/10 Excellent

Lisa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Waterfront on 4 Oct,2023
Thank you for your excellent rating, please to hear back that you loved your stay with us!

8/10 Good

Timothy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A good apartment that overlooked the beach and towards the mountains. I was upstairs, so had better views than those downstairs. Everything inside was nice and made for a comfy stay. Walking distance to town, or a short drive. The only negative - we had a smoker in the room next to us and all we could smell was smoke. It was absolutely foul. Get with the times and ban smoking from your venue, guys. I wouldn't stay here again simply because of this.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Waterfront on 24 Sept,2023
Hi TimothyThank you so much for taking the time to review your stay. I'm sorry to hear back about the unpleasantness caused by another guest. If known I would have spoken to them.Thank you again for your feedback, I'm glad the rest of your stay great.

10/10 Excellent

Catherine

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Waterfront on 24 Sept,2023
Thank you for your awesome rating, pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us :)

8/10 Good

Colin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Convenient
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Waterfront on 19 Sept,2023
Thanks for taking the time to review your stay with us Colin, pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your time with us.

10/10 Excellent

Ben

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property was warm, clean and in a good location. The lady in the office was friendly.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Waterfront on 27 Aug,2023
Awesome to hear back Ben, We are pleased you enjoyed your stay with us !

10/10 Excellent

Simon

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Waterfront on 22 Aug,2023
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Semantha

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Completely contactless, no human interaction at the property at all ! Lovely warm, comfortable accommodation. Bit hard to see unit numbers and parking space numbers after dark, and the stairs to the upper level quite steep so if you want the view but have any mobility issues be prepared. (pack light or bring someone with you who can carry your bag up !) Overall, it is a lovely place to stay with everything you need.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Waterfront on 12 Aug,2023
Hi SemanthaThank you so much for your review, it's great to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us :)

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Waterfront on 31 Jul,2023
Awesome to hear back! Thank you

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing sunrise on the beach, steps away
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Waterfront on 29 Jul,2023
Thank you for taking the time to review your stayThe views are Magical!

10/10 Excellent

Robyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Waterfront on 30 Jul,2023
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! we are pleased to hear back that you enjoyed your stay with us