Moon Gate Villa

After finding the narrow access road, we received a warm welcome from Lionel and Rob. We spent four wonderful days at their lovely property. It was a pleasure to stay in the cottage, enjoy the beautiful garden, and always feel like we were staying with friends. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Rob & Lionel

Once you have found and turned op the driveway of Moon Gate Villa, you enter a world of friendliness and calm. Well, except for the enthousiastic welcome by the menagerie of endearing pets. But the warmth of welcome by Rob and Lionel is unsurpassed. All you need to know about Kerikeri and the villa, just ask Rob and your brain is fed, while Lionel is the go-to man for your senses. Immerse yourself in the luxury of this hidden gem, with its garden, the calm of tropical landscaping, the soothing sound of streaming water (not after 9 pm), the in-house pond with its skylight, the kingsize bed with its soft linen and all the amenities you can think of, even slippers for the poolside. And then the breakfast buffet is still to be enjoyed! We could not have wanted more from a farewell to New Zealand.

Five stars is not enough for Moon Gate Villa and Lionel and Rob. We had 3 wonderful days there. Cupid’s Curl was quiet, with a very comfortable bed, plenty of room and a private space in the gorgeous garden. And the breakfast…Lionel is an amazing chef. Fabulous breakfast made to order. He and Rob told us so much about Māori history, pronunciation and places to go. What a wealth of information! And such fun! They made us feel like longtime friends. We hope to get back. If you are anywhere nearby, go there. Or better yet, make a trip just for a stay there.

This hidden and gem and their owners deserve 6 stars. The hospitality, ambience, food, personal stories and all the unexpected extras were above and beyond. They anticipated and executed on every little thing. Truly a special place that we would wished we'd have booked longer.

American singer Belinda Carlisle once had a big hit with the song 'Heaven is a place on earth'. Now we have found this 'little piece of heaven', it is situated in Kerikeri, New-Zealand and is called 'Moon Gate Villa'. Rob does the stories, Lionel the kitchen, the excellent breakfast, the very lovely garden with the cosy little swimming pool do the rest. Thanks a lot, Rob and Lionel, keep up the good work!

From the moment we got out of our car we felt like we were visiting old friends. Lionel and Rob were incredible hosts. No detail was missed whether it was the accommodations or the presentation of breakfast. Just wonderful!

Wonderful place to stay in the very northern part of NZL. We enjoyed our time here very much; too bad it was only for 2 days.

The villa is marvelous! The hosts Rob and Lionel are unbelievable friendly and supportive. We enjoyed every minute we were there! We should have stayed longer...

We spent three wonderful days at Moon Gate Villa. The setting is stunning, the food excellent and the service exceptional. A truly unforgettable stay — thank you so much, Rob and Lionel!