Benton accommodation from NZ$129

Large property with two restaurants on site. Affordable with no issues. Good for a night stay. Not in the most desirable area, but it worked. The stand out was the staff at the breakfast buffet. Be prepared to be treated like you are in a 5 star hotel. I don’t think I’ve ever been treated better dining or otherwise.

Room was clean but so old with paint chipping and a moist mildew smell. Bed was concave and we both slept in the middle (not by choice). Would I stay again? Maybe…it is a beautiful old historic hotel in a great location, but they still need to update so you don’t feel like you are staying in an old dingy roadside motel.

Where shall I begin? I normally do not make reviews, however our experience prompted one. There were 3 elevators, 2 of which did not work, and the Derby and other events were going on in town. One time, we tried to take the stairs to the ground floor to avoid the wait, only to find out it was a fire exit only. They have the soap dispensers on the wall (no bars of soap), which were empty in the shower. This should have been an item checked by the cleaning crew. The shower's water pressure was not the best, and the shower could have used a cleaning. No vent in bathroom. The hotel did not have a fitness center. Breakfast cost $15 (we did not try it). Parking options by yourself were down the street or went through a third-party to pay in another lot. We chose valet, $20 a day. The valets were probably the highlight of the stay, as they were always courteous and timely. Bring cash to tip these gentlemen (as you should), because you can't add it to your bill. During checkout, we were told we could not get a receipt because it went through a third-party, which I have never experienced before in traveling for 20-plus years. This seemed a bit sketchy. The hotel is within walking distance of bathhouse row and other attractions, so there is that. We had a room on a corner or edge, so other rooms may differ in layout. In ours, you could hear the elevator all night. Do your research on other hotels close by before selecting one.