Putaruru Hotel

Is a traditional hotel , basic and economic room. Not much expectations

Was old hotel with only the basic elements. Needed a fresh paint and redecorating

Good location. Classic art deco style building. Has been great in its heyday. Nice old features such as: downstairs lobby, staircase and reception rooms (currently unused). We booked the 'Queen's Room' - the best bedroom in the hotel. Nice, with comfortable bed but the carpet needed a good clean. Note: Hotel is under renovation - both inside and outside. Here are some recommendations: there should be someone at Reception during check-in and check-out times; the Reception office area needs a good tidy-up including cleaning the glass entry doors; re-carpeting the main staircase and completing the exterior painting should be a priority, as should interior carpet cleaning or replacement.

My partner and I read reviews before booking this hotel. We were expecting it to be dated, basic, and old, with peeling paint and torn carpet. We saw the review that compared it to “The Shining.” We aren’t fussy or high-maintenance, we are low-budget travelers, and we have a sense of humor so we didn’t have too many worries when we booked this. Unfortunately, when we arrived the vibes were much less “The Shining” and much more “The Walking Dead.” We confirmed with reception that we were able to check in early afternoon, since we would not be able to check in in the evening. The city itself was a borderline ghost town. We were met on check-in by a kind young receptionist, and that was the only good thing I have to say about the hotel. As soon as we were done checking in, the reception area was gated closed. There were no other signs of human inhabitation in the hotel. We made our way through the run-down lobby and hallway to our room, and saw that despite a request for a large bed we’d received a room with two twin beds. The windows were open and the room was freezing cold in April. The room had two space heaters but only two outlet plugs in one corner of the room - and after testing the space heaters, only one worked (a little). There was no other source of heat in the room. The bathroom was hilariously beat-up and drafty. Nearly every room on our floor was in some stage of repair with doors open, carpet torn, mattresses on the floor, etc. and no signs of habitation within the last few months. We left our room for the evening as long as possible, knowing we wouldn’t enjoy any time spent there. When we returned to the hotel after dark, it felt like we were breaking in to an abandoned property - there were absolutely no lights or signs of human activity inside or around the hotel. Everything was pitch black and we needed flashlights to find our way through the hotel to our room. Again, this felt very zombie apocalypse. The “Resident Evil” games were livelier and less creepy. Our room was freezing cold. The mattresses felt as old as the hotel and we could feel each individual spring beneath us. The space heater rattled and I spent the night questioning whether it was a fire hazard. Needless to say, we couldn’t sleep. At all. It was far too cold and uncomfortable. I regret not moving to sleep in our rental car. By the morning, my back was wrenched. We’d booked a second night and it was not refundable but we ate the cost and booked a different room elsewhere for barely more money and ZERO regrets. I’ve read the reviews that describe a loving owner attempting to restore this property, but at its current state it genuinely feels like it should be condemned instead.