The County Hotel

I recently attended the Wine Street Restaurant’s Winter Art Deco Brunch. It was a delightful experience. We were warmly greeted by Angela and Natasha who looked after us attentively. The setting was beautiful, and the food was delicious and generous. It was a lovely experience. I often dine at the restaurant and Chef Richie’s food is up with the best in Hawke’s Bay.

We had 3 nights in Napier's County Hotel. The Edwardian-era building is historic in that it was one of the few substantial commercial premises in the city that survived the devastating 1931 earthquake. In those days it was the HQ for Hawkes Bay County Council. So, it predates the great Art-Deco reconstruction of the city in the 1930s, for which the city is famous, and its architecture and style do not reflect that. The hotel is well located with regards Napier's downtown area and the shoreline of Hawkes Bay. The hotel is quite small, with rooms not numbered but each named after NZ native bird species, which is a nice touch. It calls itself 5-star, which I thought a bit of a stretch. The public areas are certainly decorated appropriate to a bygone era and the place has the feel of an old-fashioned gentleman's club. There is even a library with lounge chairs and complimentary port available. Didn't actually see anyone using it; in fact guests were few and far between when we visited. The whole place was very quiet. Our room was of moderate size at best and was definitely not 5-star. There had been a half-hearted attempt at a luxury feel but didn't quite cut it. Perhaps we were meant to luxuriate in the library. There was limited space for our luggage though one bag did just fit inside the narrow, stand-up wardrobe. The bathroom was of a good size but I thought the shower mounted over the steep-side claw-foot bathtub was an accident waiting to happen. I guess if you did take a stumble getting into/out of the bath you could always clutch at the sheer nylon shower curtain, but pretty sure it wouldn't save you. There was also a small balcony overlooking the carpark and which provided access to other rooms. Off-site parking was available in a lot across the street for an extra $15 per night. Staff were super-polite and helpful, though they could not do much when the lift was broken down on our last day.

When you arrive at this so called five star hotel it looks nothing like the pictures. The outside is run down, dirty and there is a broken window being held up by tape. You enter through a side entrance. The staff are very welcoming and the hotel is quaint in the public areas. We were in the Whio room. The outer windows were dirty and broken, there was a hole in the carpet where the joint had split, there was dirt /thick dust round and under the radiators., some of the furniture was chipped and the walls needed a lick of paint. The fan in the bathroom was filthy and I am surprised we didn’t get ill from the old and very dirty shower head. The fridge (which was so noisy it kept us awake all night for the best part of three nights) was very old and had brown stains in it. Reception closes at 5pm and so if you need anything at night you have to make a phone call. After seeing the restaurant with the dirty windows and dismal appearance from both inside and outside we decided to eat elsewhere. There is no servicing of the rooms on a Sunday. Luckily we left on the Saturday. The whole place needs investment to bring it up to anywhere near five stars.