Name: Woodlyn Park
Address: 1177 Waitomo Valley Road, Otorohanga, Waitomo, NZ

8/10

Excellent

27 Jun 2026

Vickie

Very cool place!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 May 2026

Binglin

Very fun experience, we lived in the front side of airplane. Space is a little small, but fun experience. The front desk guy is super helpful and recommended some good food for us.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2026

Vikram

Only issue was access to rooms which was uneven

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2026

Tzu Meng

Awesome experience in the cockpit. But due to rain overnight, could hear the rain on the plane roof while sleeping on the upper deck.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

Noah

Great design need a bit updating.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2026

Elaine

Location was great, we stayed in the tail end of the plan, for tall people remember to bob down as we smacked our heads on a regular basis. Basic accommodation but it had a fridge, small kitchen area shower and toilet.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2026

Kerstin

The receptionist was super kind , friendly and it was really easy to check in ...
Wish the plane would look more cared for on the outside.. inside was nice, but outside looked very neglected..

But the overall experience was very, very nice 👍🙂

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

25 Jan 2026

Susan

Room was clean and tidy and spacious.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

18 Jan 2026

jeffrey

We were so disappointed in the place. We did not even stay. We checked in went to our room. It was dark dingy. The bedspread looked to be 50 years old and probably not washed in that long. The bathroom was actually down steps not even on the same floor as the bedroom, which is quite dangerous at

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Jan 2026

Samantha

Once in a lifetime experience, staying in the captains quarter was amazing. We had 3 floors. 1 full bath. It isn’t luxurious but that isn’t what we were going for. I stayed at the Hobbiton house before too. Once is a lifetime thing. Now, the property and grounds itself is rundown but again, I didn’t go for that reason. My family was so excited about it and it was fun.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2025

Kira

Everything was amazing and such a unique experience

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Nov 2025

John

A bit of a summer camp vibe, but decent accommodations in a quiet area with wonderful views from the train car

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

09 Oct 2025

Neil

Advertised as a Hobbit room. Definitely not worth the drive or $450 per night. Charges for extra adults who then have to sleep in single bunk beds. Sofa only seats 2 people.
Pros - guy at check in was very informative
Cons - everything else
Don’t be fooled into thinking it is a boutique hobbit experience

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Aug 2025

Natalie

Very cute Hobbit Home on the exterior. The interior was not hobbit themed ( so much potential for a great motel stay) and a rather mediocre motel.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2025

Sarah

Our room was water damaged so they changed us to a larger room at no extra cost. Definitely recommend great service

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

12 Jun 2025

Amy

Property is getting old, has a musty smell, but loved sleeping in my hobbit hole-

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

09 May 2025

Cam

Great location within 2 mins of the Waitomo caves. Great staff. Only issue was the train carriage moved a lot when you walked inside

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2025

David

The kids loved it and felt like they'd walked into the Hobbit

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2025

jo-ann

Property was nice but maybe a bit overrated and expensive for what we got. Eg captains chairs in lunge , rattan was worn and covered up. Not comfortable.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2025

Sally

Very quirky, kids would love this place. Fascinating history of how it was established.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Mar 2025

Jeremy

Quirky

A very different type of hotel room which was quirky and enjoyable. The ship and rooms could do with some tlc but if you’re after something left field this is perfect.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2025

Robert

Nice and Hobbit-like. The fridge does a breathish noise, probably an Oak hiding behind. We switched it off during the night.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2025

Marcin

Very unique. Definitely required for any bucket list.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2025

Brian

Overall a unique experience

This was a very unique place to stay and would have been comfortable overall except it was very warm inside the room. It was a very humid night and the fan and air conditioner could barely keep up. Had it been cooler it would have been much more enjoyable.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2025

Pat

Very unique property with cool accommodations

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2025

Sydni

This was the coolest, most unique hotel I've ever been to!

The room was clean, and excitingly unique. The properly was so warm, and even the pig came over to greet us! Truly a once in a lifetime experience

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2025

Andrew

Unique structure, friendly staff

Convenient location. Friendly staff. Spacious quarters. Could use some maintenance on the exterior and my son's bed down stairs wasn't very comfortable. Mine upstairs was good. Did enjoy the quirkiness of it

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

12 Jan 2025

ELIZABETH

Woodlyn Park Plane Cockpit

Very unique property to stay in. Check in was very easy and lots of information given about the area including attractions and places to eat. Location was amazing.

We stayed in the cockpit of the plane which was incredible. The beds were very comfortable and there was a small kitchenette with the usual amenities. The toilet/shower was more than large enough.

The only downside (if there is one) is that the cockpit area was incredibly hot (we were there in the height of summer) and although there is air conditioning downstairs, because of the small hatch to get up to the cockpit, it doesn't really reach to it. However, after dark it did cool down and was much more bearable. It did not detract from our experience but might be something to be aware of.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2024

Sydney

Stayed in the train- it was so quaint and quiet and lovely. Low ceilings but otherwise perfect.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2024

Jack

Great little stay.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

10 Dec 2024

Jennifer

Unique experience! We enjoyed our overnight in the plane cockpit unit, but with a small child we wouldn’t stay much longer. However, would still highly recommend just for the experience!

Leisure Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

04 Dec 2024

Joel

This property is either very old or hasn’t received any proper maintenance from management (probably both). The room smelled moldy, there were dead bugs on the floor, and ants crawling on the bed the night we checked-in. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, no matter how “fun” it sounds to stay in a hobbit hole.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Nov 2024

Katy

Very hot in co kpit on a sunny day

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2024

Vasilina

Great unique experience sleeping on the ship, 5 minutes drive to glowworm caves

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Nov 2024

Warren

Quirky properties, clean and comfortable.
Some don't have air conditioning.
Overall good.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Sep 2024

Adrianna

It was a pleasurable stay in the Train Car hotel for our stopover in Waitomo. Very cute and cozy. Had all the amenities we needed. Just recommend keeping the interior doors open at night to keep both the bathroom and kitchen/living room area warm.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

17 Aug 2024

Damon

Close to waitomo caves, we stay 1 night in the aeroplane. It was warm, clean. I would stay again.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

02 Jun 2024

Robert

Basic inside, cute outside

We've stayed here before so knew it was basic and roomy. The old curtains have been replaced and it was pretty clean. Linens were comfortable. The space heater was dated but worked. Cute place, overall needs some love, attention and definitely needs updating. It could be adorable. We missed the donkeys on the roof this time.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2024

Grant

Kids loved it, real cool experience. Front office lady was a breeze to deal with. Coming back to stay in the plane next

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2024

Linda

Quiet. Birds. Clean. Comfy beds

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2024

Ailsa

Stayed in the cockpit and we loved it.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

17 Mar 2024

ROBERT

Cool concept, well past it's prime

We stayed in the plane cockpit unit. It smelled so bad of sewer that we had to keep the windows open, and the bathroom fan/light on 24/7. Besides that, it needs a major deep cleaning. The heat pump unit hadn't been cleaned in ages and mold can be seen inside of it. The corners of the floor in the bathroom have a bunch of buildup in them. The bathroom sink is so small that it's barely useable. Would not recommend this unit - can't speak to the other rooms on the property. To be fair, the owner seemed nice, and we didn't bring up any issues at the time because they had limited office hours and we were tired and just wanted to leave.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2024

Mitchell

He stayed in an old boat. Very cool

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2024

Stephen

Close to Waitimo Caves

What a thoughtful place with so many eccentric choices !! Quiet comfortable and close enough to the village with its choice of places to eat plus 10 minutes from the cave’s entrance

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2024

Jennifer

We stayed in the plane cockpit and it was not only charming and fun but comfortable. The owner gave us great instructions about things in the area and was very welcoming.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2023

Carl

Such an awesome place to stay! I wish I had a longer time there and stayed in other themed rooms

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2023

Sarah

Fun stay in a hobbit-themed room. Large and spacious. Designed for a bit longer stay. Close to restaurant options.

6/10

Pleasant

24 Nov 2023

James

This ship has sailed, should be retired for sure

Property is quite run down. Clean but old. The floors are far from level in the boat. The fridge was at 30 degree slant. The beds downstairs were way too soft. It was a hammock. There is a strong moldy/ musty in the room until we opened the port hole.....YES port holes. There are a few window exhaust fans but one is really loud and the other is completely broken so just makes a ton of noise and doesn't work. Wouldn't take much to improve the property.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2023

Mark

Awesome Funky Accommodation

Awesome funky place to stay. The Endeavor boat's room was bigger than I expected, and very clean and comfy. The farm animals were a great surprise. Location is a several minute drive from Waitomo Caves and shops. Amazing place. We'll be back again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2023

Cheng

The kids had lots of fun at the airplane unit

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

05 Nov 2023

Vimal

Very unique rooms set next to a farm. Very quiet and peaceful. We stayed in one of the 'boat' rooms and it was quite musty, especially downstairs. Also, because of the proximity to the farm, quite a few flying bugs in the bedroom.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2023

Scudder

I would like more history of the Plane and of the other rooms available as well. This was a great place I have recommended to my friends that are visiting New Zealand.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Oct 2023

Michael

Fun design and convenient location. Wifi wasn't the greatest but we were just there for 1 night so didn't really affect us

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2023

Nick

My yng boys loved the Hobbit house and cldnt stop asking when we’re going back to stay in the boat and feed the food scraps to the pig again

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2023

Jay

Close accommodations to waitomo caves. Liked having a separate room for my daughter. Friendly check-in, we arrived early and the host saw us (not at the front desk for early check in) and came over for our check-in

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jul 2023

Rochelle

It was a fun unique place to stay.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2023

Antony

A great place to stay with kids ( and big kids) close to everything. Its different which is the main reason why we stayed. The experience was great and we will rebook

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2023

Olaya

The private accommodations are very unique! We stayed in the plane tail and loved it. Towels were included which was really convenient. The space also had a kitchenette where we had breakfast (with goodies purchased at the nearby general store). Hot water and heating worked excellently.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Jun 2023

Curtis

This is a fun, funky property. Rooms are built from old boats, train cars and airplanes. The rooms are spartan but comfortable. The beds were firm & we slept well. Location is a several minute drive from caves and restaurants in town.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2023

Nancy

This was a charming Hobbity place. But the interior had all the amentities I needed. Also, the staff was very nice upon my check-in.

8/10

Excellent

16 Apr 2023

Siying&Long

Booked this for my 6 years old son, he loves it! great experience!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 Mar 2023

Tina

Difficult communication with operator

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

02 Mar 2023

Nicki

A unique concept but it's way overdo an upgrade.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2023

Andrew

Chocks away ! A Bristol Freighter is the way to go

Woodlyn Park very different than your usual motel stay but rather exciting and why not when you’re on holiday visiting waitomo . I stayed in the back of a Bristol Freighter . A truly unique experience and one I enjoyed immensely. It even comes with AC for winter experiences . The shower was gas hot water and very good .

Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2022

Verified traveler

Unique experience, fun for the family.

Was such a fun, unique experience staying on the boat. It was more spacious than we expected. The farm animals were an unexpected treat. I suprised the family when we pulled up to the boat, we all had a great time. As in other reviews, the boat smells a bit musty as an old boat would. Fine if you do not have asthma/allergies. We all slept well. There was one bunk bed that was near a ceiling that looked a bit moldy so did not use that bed. Thrilled with our stay.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2022

Danielle

What a gem this place was and just a wonderful unique experience! Sleeping on an old ship surrounded by sheep and a pig named Joseph was nothing short of awesome! The owners too were super lovely and shared the history of the park! Would definitely come back and highly recommend. Also a 3 minute drive to the glow rooms and huhu cafe which was delicious. Thank you again for the wonderful hospitality!

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

05 Nov 2022

Michelle

It is a unique accommodation that's for sure! Place was clean and tidy. Comfortable bed. Lots of space.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Sep 2022

Roberta

Definitely different staying in a Hobbit house and it was warm.
Close to caves and dining options.
Shower left a lot to be desired with warm water and no pressure, but it's out of town so can't expect everything. Beds were comfy.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

04 Aug 2022

Ying

There was no water to brush our teeth, no water for shower, no water to flash the toilet. The owner were nice tho.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

01 Jul 2022

Jocelyn

We were really looking forward to this unique accommodation. When we opened the door, the musty smell hit us right away. The bench seat was very uncomfortable for adults to sit on and the table was attached to the opposite wall with only 2 chairs. The windows all need replacement as you can’t see out of them. The fan in the cockpit was running all night and kept my son awake. I understand it’s an old plane but a little TLC would go a long way.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2022

Janine

This was a fab nights stay. We stayed in unit 2 of the ship and the bed was really comfortable. It can get quite cold at night but there are great heaters in both rooms which work really quickly. You have tea coffee and a toaster in the room so bring your bread and butter with you fir a cheap breakfast. The homestead though, a cafe down the road (by the big red apple) does amazing $3 pies. Everything was very clean and there was a picture of the ship on the wall from when it was in use as a ferry. It was a fun place to stay with great little features like portholes. The furniture is a little dated but priced accordingly and we found it warm and inviting. We arrived late at night so didnt get to appreciate the view of the ship beforehand but when we woke up to a crisp cool morning, you could hear the sheep and pigs moving around outside (in a different field ) and it felt like you were really breathing fresh air and were on a working farm. Nothing was too much trouble for the owner, who was so lovely. I was very happy with my stay and will definitely be back again. My only feedback is that it is very dark at night so some movement lights around each property would be very helpful to navigate your way around when going to your room at night.
The carparks are conveniently close to each site though. My sister stayed in the plane which was also great but I preferred our unit as it was a little larger, including a bigger tv.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

08 May 2022

Brent

Needs a good refurbishment and a good clean

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

25 Apr 2022

michelle

Sleeping in an old ship was pretty cool. Great comfortable beds! Heaters in all rooms so warm. Lots of parking.
Property could do with a little t and c to freshen it up...eg painting. Overall a great little place to stay.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2022

Emelie

The unit was a train carriage which was so much fun for the kids and adults alike. Next time we might get the hobbit unit!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2022

Reet

great place to stay, we stayed in plane end and it was fun! great place, very accommodating

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

20 Dec 2021

Hayden

Just no

Mouse poo, cockroachs, pevious guests hairs all over the bedspread.

This place should be awesome but owners have obviously given up

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

It was an unique experience staying in a plane and 11 year old loved every minute.
Unfortunately the themed units look tired inside and out and are in desperate need of some maintenance. It would be a shame for so many families to miss out on this experience if the units aren't appropriately maintained.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

Excellent for kids to stay

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

03 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

A different design - quite unique - Trains and boats and planes converted to motel units

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2021

Shar

Awesome NZ getaway

Awesome unique to stay, on a boat 😊 owner very friendly and helpful. Gave us extra places to view for free and places to dine

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

Great location and amazing sleeping facilities. Very unique and warm. Also great kitchen for cooking your own meals.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

My 7 year old loved the fact he was sleeping on a boat, everything was clean and tidy and was enoug space for four of us

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2021

Nicola

Great family accomodation

We stayed overnight in the ship (#1). There was more than enough space , a complete kitchen, lounge to relax in. Our kids loved the novelty. Great value for money .. would recommend to families!!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

A unique style of accommodation - loved the novelty of staying in a boat on land.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

15 Mar 2021

Verified traveler

No one to check in with, note on office door for us. Saw someone shifting sheep but they did not introduce themselves. Were they managers? No info about property. Maintenance is obviously a challenge. Property very run down. Had to call mobile to find out what to do on check out and where to leave key.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Mar 2021

Andrew

List to Starboard !

We originally booked in the Endeavour Unit in the Ship. It was not clear from the booking site that the toilet and bathroom are situated down in the hull of the ship, down stairs from the relatively modest sized bedroom, making the midnight trip to the little room a bit treacherous. The right hand side of the bed slopes alarmingly away to starboard with the floor contour. This ship is not on an even keel ! As we were the only guests staying the night, a quick call to the proprietor allowed us to move rooms to the Train carriage which at least had a flat floor. But we had to pay the extra $30 involved with staying in that accommodation. The carriage is reasonable, but with a minimum of effort and expense it could be made significantly better. Some of the water on the floor of the open shower pools around the base of the toilet so bathmats and towels are required to soak up the excess water. The furniture is adequate, but not in keeping with the theme and it would not be too difficult to attend to that to give the full experience. The outside grounds are rough and ready, and the driveway rough and rutted in places - again without too much effort this could be rectified. The experience promised much, but fell well short of expectations. Avoid booking the boat, the train was OK, and the plane with two units looks like it might be on the cramped side. Having visited Hobbiton on our tours, the Hobbit Holes again appear to suffer from a lack of thematic furniture and decor.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2020

Deborah

Close to Waitomo Caves, good for family stay. Felt the outside had been let go, poor WiFi. Could of done with a few blankets.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2020

Wendy

The Hobbit unit was spacious, clean and well appointed. The bunk beds were really big like a king single bed and the main bed was very comfortable. The shower had great water pressure.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

28 Nov 2020

Liz S.

Nice idea but getting a bit shabby

1) There are a number of options in the listing for this property but they weren't itemized so it was difficult to know what you were actually going to get.
2) Communication was poor and needs to be more proactive. There's no contact phone/email on the listing and the property manager hadn't contacted me with check in details the day before I was due to visit. I had to find the website to find a mobile number. They were friendly and helpful once I contacted them.
3) The room was nicely equipped and clean.
4) I thought this would be a bit of a fun experience for the night! But I'm afraid it was a bit disappointing. It's all a bit shabby and in need of some TLC.
5) Nice country vibe.

8/10

Excellent

03 Oct 2020

Verified traveler

Crazy staying in a plane. But kinda dusty and \"machiney\" for the kids sleeping in the cockpit.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Sep 2020

John

We stayed in the Bristol Freighter aeroplane in the forward cockpit section.
It was quite unique for the kids. It could do with a bit f maintenance though, cockpit leaking in the heavy rain and evidence of water trickling down into the kitchen nook ceiling area (soft ceiling).
Quite pricey for the one night but I suppose you pay for the novelty factor

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

20 Sep 2020

Antz

It was good, had almost everything we needed. Didn't like the bleating sheep the first night of our stay.

Business_and_leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Aug 2020

Verified traveler

Great experience but chilly

The experience was amazing and unique, however, for a family of four it was cramped in the living area and the whole unit in the ship was very cold.

Heating is supplied but they are old bar heaters and there is no ventilation down stairs to get fresh air.

I slept in jeans in a big hoodie!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2020

K

We had very unique

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2020

Verified traveler

Interesting property with the different accommodation available.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jul 2020

Verified traveler

Was great the owners gave lots of info on what was good to do in the area. Just needed carpet on one of the ramps was slippery with the frost

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

25 Jun 2020

Verified traveler

Train was cool..................small for 4 people

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2020

C

The uniqueness of this place is worth a visit alone. We had the train, it was warm, very comfortable good cooking facilities as well as peaceful. You just have to try it for yourself. The whole area is worth a visit and our host was especially helpful with activities and where to eat. A really enjoyable stay. We shall return.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

This was such a quirky place to stay. Magical. We stayed in a cabin, very comfirtable. So so clean.
We were met by a lovely kady, so dmiley abs friendly. She was very helpful and informative.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2020

Tim

Amazzzing

Amazing unique place, very close to the glow worms caves and close enough to Rotorua. Staff were very polite and accommodating. AAA+++ would recommend.

Friends_and_family Friends