New Plymouth Observatory Tours and Activities

The room and amenities were good, though the room was somewhat smaller than anticipated. The biggest problem was I arrived shortly after 9 pm after hotel reception had closed for the day or night. There weren't any keys or instructions for me, even though I had reserved a room. An employee at a neighboring restaurant called the owner. who told him how to get access to the keys in a lock box outside. However, the whole check in process--getting keys, getting into the parking garage, and getting to the room took about 45 min. to an hour. I should note that I found it common for hotels and lodgings in New Zealand and Australia to close their receptions and buildings at 6 pm, 7 pm, and 8 pm. This hotel was actually open to 9 pm. Sunset or dusk was about 8 pm. The next morning the hotel reception apologized for all the problems I had checking in.