Waimea Plantation Cottages, a Coast Resort

Unfortunately not impressed Unfortunately we were very disappointed with the 2 bedroom, ocean front cabin we booked. For the amount of money we paid ($3500 AUD) for 4 days, we expected a much higher quality than what we got. Upon arrival we were provided water and towels for the 4 days but housekeeping never came during this period. We were fortunate that we had supplies for a 2 bedroom cabin and didn't run out of clean towels. There was a constant nasty smell in the living area, ants in the kitchen and due to the condition of the cabin, it was easy for bugs to get in. We had to buy bug spray and air freshener. The kitchen was dirty with the cups and glasses sticking to the shelves as if they hadn't been used for years. We ended up having to wash everything before using. Although the cabins are heritage, the overall feel of ours was old and not at all maintained. Now the beach .. we didn't realise that you couldnt swim on it which was extremely disappointing. It's a very rough beach and not very inviting. As a heads up, the location was not the best for tourists as the local village did not offer many options if you were to stay onsite. The area was extremely quiet and we ended up spending majority of our time away from the cabin (on purpose). I don't like giving bad reviews as often hotels do disappoint but I don't expect or accept that when being charged $800+ a night. In this case for the price we paid, it definitely was not worth it. However I found all the negative reviews posted by others who stayed here, mirrored my complaints so I'm not alone in my comments.

Beautiful location, horrible reservations, check in and management staff. Quite mean actually! Beautiful location but check in staff (Harley) Reservation manager and assistant manager were THE most unprofessional I've ever encountered. We came in a large group that took a whole year to plan and the staff never answered calls, only emails, were vague on most questions and when we asked about getting our cottages close together since some were elderly we were told you get what you get. Upon check in we were told the big house was not available and no reservation by us in their system. (we had the receipt) The check in person told the assistant manager we yelled at her, not true at all! In fact we were verrrry nice. The assistant then called our group leader and yelled at her! Evidently Harley told her we yelled at her so she called to yell at us! We all heard the exchange and all our leader said, after the yelling session, very politely, "Can we at least get what we paid for? The 3 of us that checked in with our group leader are all retired from the hospitality industry and were floored with this surreal experience! The weekend stay was lovely except for encountering anyone from the front office staff or assistant management side, very sad for such a beautiful place.

Quiet location, charming cottages! My husband, 18 month old daughter, and I loved staying at our cottage! We stayed at an oceanfront 2 bedroom cottage, and it was perfect for our needs. The cottage was so much larger than we expected, and we loved having the kitchen space. The AC worked great in all of our rooms, and while the cottage was more charming and rustic, it was so well cleaned and kept up. We loved the open air shower, the lanai, and the fact that the beach is fairly isolated. The beach is about 50 yards out from our lanai, but you can still hear it clearly and I liked being further back from the water. It was perfect to go on for evening walks, and I appreciated that no one could swim in it. The grounds were amazing, so beautiful and well kept up! The food at the on site restaurants was delicious, and so convenient. Definitely would recommend staying here, especially for families. Were already missing it!

So peaceful and beautiful We enjoyed our stay. The place is so quiet and restful. The cottage was perfect for our family of 5. It is close to the beautiful Waimea canyon and some speedboat harbor. It is far from the north shore, but being away from the busy touristy area is worth it.

A 2- star cottage at a 5-star price We stayed at the Waimea plantation cottages from June 3-9. Unfortunately, we were assigned one of the older cottages and it was run down and smelly – not worth the “5 star price” we paid for it. The grounds themselves were wonderful – close to the ocean and meticulously maintained by friendly staff. And the variety of birds roaming the grounds were an endless source of entertainment. The swimming pool was spacious and had a great view overlooking the ocean. But the cottage we stayed in – a smell like cat piss we could never get rid of, ants that crawled out onto the sink every night, the kitchen was woefully inadequate and it was an exercise in frustration trying to cook in it, dishware and glasses were dirty and stuck to the cabinet shelves that lacked any kind of shelf liner, and underneath the sink – it was totally gross. The on-site restaurant is worth checking out – great barbecue offerings and a “draft beer wall” that would be a beer lover’s paradise. It’s too bad we had such a bad experience with the cottage, because the setting itself was lovely. My advice is that if you plan a vacation there insist on one of the new cottages and one with a true ocean front