The County Hotel

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.

We have just had the most amazing stay at the County Hotel Napier. The ambiance was warm and inviting..Angela is a wonderful host, so caring and genuine. The food was superb and so was the service. Our room was beautiful,every detail was top notch . The Heatpump was on and it was so clean and beautifully cozy. Thank you so much for making our rare break away so lovely for us.

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.

The staff at the County Hotels are friendly and efficient they made our weekend stay a real pleasure. Our room had a spotless bathroom, a very comfortable bed and was serviced each day - except Sundays. The whole hotel wonderful old world charm, port in the library on the gloomy Sunday afternoon in Napier made up for the not so good weather.

The building looks very grand and the public areas are very Art Deco but do not be fooled. The rooms are well appointed with all mode cons but the dark wood furniture and panels represents the history of the town and it's rebuild from the 1931 earthquake. The bed super comfortable, lots of hot water and a nice touch with in the evening in the "library" while looking at the books enjoy a complimentary glass of port from the decanter-so good. Did not use the restaurant but the food did look good too. Perhaps the best the staff and hands on owners nothing was too much trouble and you felt more a house guest than staying in a hotel. Certainly return and the cost of a room was most reasonable and excellent value for money.