Donegal House

Hotels
8.4 (975 reviews)
258 Schoolhouse Road , Kaikoura , nz

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

Free beach shuttle
Offsite parking discounted rates available
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Terrace
Family rooms
BBQ facilities
Luggage storage
Fax/photocopying
Tour desk
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great food
Beautiful location
Comfy accommodations
Cons:
Room cleanliness issues
Dated room aspects

Categories

Cleanliness
8
Some concerns about room cleanliness with mentions of bugs.
Service
8.77
Outstanding, friendly, and accommodating staff mentioned multiple times.
Location
8.51
Great setting and beautiful gardens, peaceful location.
Room Quality
8.15
Comfortable rooms, but some dated aspects mentioned.
Amenities
8.39
Good facilities but suggested enhancements like a microwave.
Value for Money
8.35
Good value for the price considering the overall experience.
Food and Beverage
8.59
Fantastic food and drinks in a pleasant atmosphere.
Overall Experience
8.47
Very enjoyable and relaxed stay with good recommendations.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-09 00:40

Property Description

Tranquil Lakeside Retreat

Nestled on 6 acres of stunning lakes and gardens, Donegal House provides a serene escape.

Irish Hospitality at Its Best

Enjoy the charm of a traditional Irish bar, delectable dining options, and a sunny terrace for relaxation.

Local Experiences Await

Let our tour desk arrange exciting activities like swimming with dolphins or exploring Maori culture.

Ready to experience the perfect blend of nature and comfort? Book your stay at Donegal House now!

Important information:

If you expect to arrive outside reception opening hours, please inform Donegal House in advance, using the contact details found on the booking confirmation.

Please note that due to the recent earthquake, some roads are closed and alternate routes may need to be taken to access the property. For further information please refer to the New Zealand Transport Agency's website.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM

Property Policies

  • Groups

    When booking more than 4 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Parking

    Free private parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed).

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 1 year old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 1 year old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    Children from 2 years old to 16 years old stay for NZD 20 per person per night when using an existing bed.
    People no matter the age stay for NZD 20 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    You haven't added any extra beds.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.4
Based on 975 reviews
Cleanliness: 8
Service: 8.77
Location: 8.51
Room Quality: 8.15
Amenities: 8.39
Value for Money: 8.35
Food and Beverage: 8.59
Overall Experience: 8.47
J
John • couple • nz
5
2026-04-24 • via Nuitee
P
Pete • family_with_children • nz
9
2026-04-22 • via Nuitee
K
Karen • solo_traveller • nz
5
Pros:

The meals at the restaurant were wonderful

Cons:

Room was outdated, uncomfortable flat pillows and an old tv that didn't even receive all the freeview channels 😞

2026-04-19 • via Nuitee
• couple • au
9
2026-04-18 • via Nuitee
A
Anita • couple • nz
10
Excellent stay, would go back again.
Pros:

Great setting, friendly staff !

Cons:

Nothing !

2026-04-18 • via Nuitee
A
Amanda • couple • gb
7
Pros:

Rural location

Cons:

No WiFi which I needed to plan for next itinerary.

2026-04-15 • via Nuitee
J
jackie • family_with_children • nz
8
Pretty place to stay . Good restaurant .
Pros:

Close to the surf and friendly people . Nice views and nice garden .

Cons:

My mistake but there wasn’t cooking facilities and I should have checked before booking . Shower leaked a bit.

2026-04-13 • via Nuitee
L
Lucie • solo_traveller • nz
8
Great location, but very noisy this time around
Pros:

Love the location, the views and the food

Cons:

There were some very rowdy people, they were starting to drink as we arrived at around 1.30 (or maybe they had already been drinking), played their music loud, talked very loud and were overall really noisy. They were about 2 rooms down from our room. We went for a drive hoping that it would have calmed down a bit when we came back, but it only got louder. We asked the staff if we could switch rooms and found out that these people had hired almost the entire wing, for a week. Fortunately the staff were really helpful and switched us to a bigger room, at the far end of the wing. We had to pay a little extra but did not mind if that meant less noise. Our neighbours were also complaining about the noise from those units. The next morning it started again at around 8 am. I am glad we only stayed one night, and despite a previous really good stay, we might go elsewhere next time we go to Kaikoura.

2026-04-13 • via Nuitee
R
Rupert • family_with_children • nz
9
Great place to stay and eat!
Pros:

Friendly staff, great restaurant with cool vibe

2026-04-13 • via Nuitee
S
Steve • couple • nz
10
One of the highlights of our trip up the coast
Pros:

Great location, facilities and staff. A very warm and down to earth experience and will definitely stay again.

2026-04-13 • via Nuitee
C
Colin • couple • nz
8
Great stay
Pros:

It’s situation and ambience

Cons:

Room and bed a little small

2026-04-13 • via Nuitee
M
Mitra • solo_traveller • nz
9
2026-04-12 • via Nuitee
A
Antje • couple • de
8
2026-04-12 • via Nuitee
K
Katharine • extended_group • nz
7
Staff were outwardly rude to people when speaking to them.
Pros:

Irish influence

Cons:

They did not play Irish music, disappointing

2026-04-10 • via Nuitee
L
Linda • couple • nz
7
Rooms need some upgrading
Pros:

Staff were super friendly and helpful. Restaurant meals were great.

Cons:

Room was dated but clean. TV only had a few channels and the internet was intermittent. Would have been helpful to have sheer curtains as our room looked out over the deck and garden and if you didn't have the curtain pulled across and in darkness, people could see straight into the room.

2026-04-10 • via Nuitee
S
Stuart • couple • nz
9
Pros:

Staff were excellent. Very Helpful

2026-04-09 • via Nuitee
R
RODNEY PAUL • couple • nz
9
Donegal House is our first choice for accommodation when passing through Kaikoura
Pros:

We didn't arrive until after 9pm, host James was very welcoming and provided us with crockery & cutlery to enable us to use our breakfast ingredients in our room as the dining room was not open the next morning for breakfast.
The room was very comfortable, clean & tidy with good facilities.

2026-04-08 • via Nuitee
S
Sheryl • couple • nz
10
2026-04-08 • via Nuitee
S
Sharon • solo_traveller • nz
7
2026-04-07 • via Nuitee
L
Louise • couple • nz
9
A great night's sleep!
Pros:

We had a lovely night at Donegal house. We ate at the restaurant there and the food was lovely and the staff super helpful. The room was clean and there was no noise from other guests.

2026-04-06 • via Nuitee