Bay Of Islands Lodge

From the moment we arrived at The Sanctuary @ the Bay of Islands, we felt genuinely welcome. Heather is an exceptional host who combines warmth, professionalism and a real passion for making her guests feel at home. Barbara, who prepared our first breakfast, was equally wonderful. She shared some insights into her Māori culture, answered all our questions with patience and enthusiasm, and made us feel part of the place rather than just visitors. A special mention also goes to Leo, the resident cat, who added an extra touch of charm to our stay. We were fortunate to have the property largely to ourselves and thoroughly enjoyed the comfortable lounge with its beautiful views over the bay. Breakfast on the sunny terrace was a highlight. Heather and Barbara were completely flexible about our preferred breakfast time, and the homemade frittata was particularly delicious. They both went out of their way to help us with restaurant reservations, and Heather even drove us to what turned out to be the best restaurant in town. The room was comfortable, the shower excellent, and we slept extremely well. Above all, it was the genuine hospitality that made this stay so memorable. We would not hesitate to stay here again and highly recommend The Sanctuary to anyone visiting the Bay of Islands.

The Sanctuary at the Bay of Islands is a small boutique hotel, wonderfully tucked away near Paihia. We had a lovely, quite spacious room with a balcony and a magnificent view over the bay. We received a very warm welcome, and our host, Heather, was incredibly helpful. She even arranged a table reservation for us at Charlotte's Kitchen in nearby Paihia, which we can highly recommend. The hotel is also a perfect base for exploring the area; for instance, it's very easy to take the ferry from Paihia over to Russell for a day trip. Breakfast featured a buffet, along with additional cooked-to-order warm dishes. We felt very well looked after and enjoyed our stay from start to finish.

Absolutely wonderful three night stay here at the Sanctuary. The breakfasts are substantial, the bedrooms blissfully comfortable, the views magnificent. Heather is a wonderful host and her offsider (whose name had escaped me!) is so very helpful as well as being a good cook. We are so glad to have stayed here.