Glowworm Motel

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2026

Susan

The lovely, friendly, man at the desk was very welcoming, and offered great advice on what was in the area to visit, etc, i.e. attractions and eateries.
For our one night stay, the unit was very clean, tidy, comfortable, and offered everything we needed.
We will be back again and would love to stay longer. Thank you xxx

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2026

Emma

We had a great stay. The room was incredibly clean. Bed comfortable and shower nice and hot with good power. Great recommendations for the local area too.
Definitely value for money and we would stay again.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

03 Jan 2026

Albert

The room was nice to stay in, and the room was maintained.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

24 Nov 2025

Stefan

Place was ok

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2025

Emily

Really friendly and helpful owners and the room is very clean.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2025

Tracey

Clean and comfortable older motel. Room had everything needed for either summer or winter stays including electric blankets. Only stayed couple of nights for local activities but wouldn’t hesitate to stay again. Owners lovely and very helpful. Recommend

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2025

Mary

The kitchen was great to use. It was very well stocked with plates, pans, utensils etc. We enjoyed our stay, and our host was very helpful. The glowworm tour he suggested was amazing 👏

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2025

Delwynn

Unit was a bit dated. Would ne nice to spruce up the kitchen - give it a deep clean.
Shower was good, nice and hot.
Good heaters.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2025

Emily

Great stop over

We let the owner know we would be arriving late and he was very friendly and accommodating. The place is old but super clean, quiet and the shower is good. We had a good, sound sleep.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Jul 2025

Tania

A great basic motel. Super clean and close to Waitomo caves and a couple places to eat. Had everything you need. Motel is dated but super clean & comfortable and that’s all I care about! Kitchen amenities good. Heater was on & room was warm for us on arrival.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2025

Caroline

We were only there for one night as we were travelling to Auckland.
The unit was perfect for our requirements. Super comfy beds and quiet.
The host was really lovely too.
Would definitely recommend and stay again ourselves.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2025

brianna

The staff were amazing they put the heater on for us before we got there beds were nice and they waited for us as we had a late arrival

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2025

Jill

Very convenient for me in the circumstances. Chris was very friendly and welcoming.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

05 Feb 2025

Glenn

This was older style accomodation, but more than adequate. The rooms were clean, everything worked and the host was a wholesome helpful property manager. We would stay again when next in the area.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2025

Ireen

Excellent service. Nice information and history given regarding the area and things to do while you are in Waitomo.

8/10

Excellent

03 Jan 2025

Doreen

It's an older property with limited amenities, however the room is clean and the area is safe. It's off the beaten path, but not far from Waitomo Cave.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Dec 2024

Andrea

Nice clean and tidy self-contained unit. Pleased with accommodation. Pity it was hard to find where to check in. Good signage would solve this. Planting some low maintenance native plants (pongas and using limeston rock features) near the front without costing a fortune would be a lovely addition to the name. Would stay again.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2024

Melanie

Lovely warm welcome. Lots of information given about the caves and walks. Room was great with everything we needed.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Oct 2024

Irene

We had a good overnight experience staying at Glow Worm Motel. Of course it is not a 5-star hotel, but pretty neat and the rate is just compare to other motels in the area. Located near Glow Worm Cave, dining areas, fuel station, etc. Host is very accommodating and provided guide and tips to go around in Waitomo.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2024

Catherine

Convenient location between the family event we attended near Pirongia and the local touring afterward (Waitomo cave area). Comfortable room. Only down mark was the shower which was a little sparse in its water flow and pressure

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2024

Michael

Great place to stay and have a break

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2024

Karen

The people were so hospitable and helpful. Provided lots of helpful advice about local must-go destinations and eats. Very clean rooms with nice kitchenette and cooking supplies.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2024

Pamela

Had a pool, which in the 30deg heat was awesome. Chris was great too. Very personable. Cheers

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2024

Nathan

Great stay and great service!

We checked if we could check in early and they allowed us to! It was very helpful for our schedule. They helped us get everything we needed during our stay and were very helpful in telling us about the area. Room was spotless and beds were comfortable and not broken down. Thanks for the great stay!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2024

Hartmut

Nice room, nice shower, all clean and well maintained. Exceptionally friendly reception with valuable hints on glow worm experience just on a nearby bush walk and on coastal route south. So helpful and welcoming!!!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2023

Kara

Perfect accommodation to see glow worms (and hedgehogs).

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2023

Marcelo

What a great place, hosts were amazing, great location, great customer service, super helpful with information, and keen to make sure we had the best time at the place and in town. THANK YOU!!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2023

Tonneal

My family of three enjoyed over 1 night stay, we were greeted by the friendly owner who kindly gave us some advise about the local area.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2023

Kathleen

The man who checked us in was very nice. Took the time to tell us where the glow worm cabes were and gave a map how to get there. Brought us milk for coffee and helped with the washing facilities. Would reccomend :)

8/10

Excellent

26 Feb 2023

Marc

Decent size room with mini kitchenette. Owner was super helpful and friendly. Quiet and green space, just off Hwy 3 heading toward the caves. So a great spot for a night if you're exploring the caves. I knocked a point off for the terrible shower (very weak pressure at a comfortable temperature, an old version of the model where the on and hot/cold are built into the shower head, awful design)

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jan 2023

Nicola

The owner met us at check in and spent time answering all our queries about road conditions, places to eat and laundry facilities. He was so friendly & helpful. Our son had a great swim in the pool & loved it! The summer weather has been terrible in this area so the garden looks a bit wild, however the room was clean & comfortable & met the requirements of our stay. The motel is very convenient to the main highway, Waitomo, Te Kuiti & Otorohonga.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jan 2023

Cherith

Brilliant helpful management. Extremely clean and spacious room. Great bedding and comfy beds. Great location.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2023

Lee

Very comfortable stay. Our twin room was spacious and bed comfy. Chris was very helpful in advising us of things to do around the area. Short drive to cafes and Waitomo Homestead.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2023

Josh

Very nice stay. Perfect location for glowworm caves. Flexibility given for late check in, easy to contact.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Oct 2022

PASCAL

The owners were very friendly .. Merci

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2022

Martin A

Location , ease of getting to Caves and main highway

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2022

Sinead

The lady who checked me in was very nice, room was comfortable but there was a bit of road noise during the night.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

13 Mar 2022

Clive

Didn't like the wad of hair in the bathroom sink plug, the mosquitoes or the lack of outside space. The offer of milk and the toaster provided. In need of update.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jan 2022

Verified traveler

Very disappointed with misleading information

Hotel was advertised on hotels.com as having a opererational pool which was the main reason we booked there.the pool had been out of order for a long time now and this hotel had carried on misleading people on hotels.com with there main pictures of a pool with people swimming in it and also advertising it on there write up on hotels.com when clearly on there own websiite it says pool not available 2021/2022 ask for a refund and they refused and said no refunds which it states clearly on hotells.com u can get a 50% refund so again very misleading. They could have done so much beter but failed on all accounts here and did not care one bit about any customer concerns just wanted there money above any concerns we had.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Lovely big unit, spotlessly clean. Some might say dated, but I loved it.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

01 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Very old and dated it was clean and the manager was helpful but the bed was old the shower was cracked and facilities poor the outside entrance was over grown and unwelcoming

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

20 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

no

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

18 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

It was the closest accommodation to where we were going to.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

Nice layout. Great heater. Room warm and cozy. Has an actual sink and jobs. Laundry easy to use. Great host.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Mar 2021

Verified traveler

Everything was ok

Business

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2021

Verified traveler

Great place to stay, good location, rooms were comfortable & clean... only disappointment was that the pool wasn’t filled, in the middle of summer & it was the reason we chose this place over another

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2021

Aurelio

Great location. Near to Waitomo caves. Friendly staff.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Dec 2020

Karen

Very spacious for our family of 4. Had everything one needed for a short stay.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2020

Ging

Had a great night at motel with two cousins from Hawkes Bay clean cosy room

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2020

Maree

Clean and tidy. All you need. Lovely host and advice to see glow worms nearby and provided with torches. Wifi not great and limited mobile signal.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2020

Maureen

Very clean and tidy with friendly staff

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2020

Glenn

Looked basic when we arrived but we were pleasantly surprised.
Good facilities in the rooms, comfy beds, plenty of space, good shower.
Everything you need from a motel .

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Great location, spacious room with kitchen, great price

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Comfortable night, very clean, lovely host and very convenient for the caves.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2019

Mark

Highly recommended

Excellent service with local tips as to where to go to see night glow worms and even a torch provided for our use.
We visited the restaurant recommend by the manager and made use of the clothes washing facilities.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

A pity the swimming pool was closed, but understandable.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

The room was clean. Bed comfortable. Reception very helpful.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Obviously an older property. Very helpful and friendly staff. Clean in the room.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

The manager couldn't have been more helpful. Gave us excellent information on what we can do and see. He went above and beyond our expectations.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2019

SUZANNAH

The motel is sooo nice, clean & comfortable. I wish i could stay here longer than other motels

Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Good position for the caves. Insect screens are a must. Looks tired and feels tired but above all it was Ok....

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

04 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

OK but a little expensive for standard and heavy truck noise at night due to slowing down for the roundabout outside the motel.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2019

Gregory

The proprietors were very welcoming and knowledgeable of a wide area surrounding Waitomo. They suggested excellent local dining and attraction options and provided exceptional service to us during our short stay.

8/10

Excellent

21 Dec 2018

Dana

Good place to stay overnight. Very close to Waitomo caves. Great location.

8/10

Excellent

07 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Nice hotel close to attractions. Staff is nice and friendly.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Nov 2018

Ange

Fairly dated but clean and tidy and comfortable enough. I wanted a cheap place to sleep and that’s what I got.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2018

howard

Away from the Caves, but clean and comfortable

Very friendly and helpful proprietor.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Nov 2018

Verified traveler

Good stay!

Beds were comfortable. Quiet at night. Good pressure for shower. Great location just outside of waitomo

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2018

katarina

Close to where i needed to go

Only stayed one night but would stay again if i needed to.

6/10

Pleasant

29 Mar 2018

Verified traveler

We stayed at this hotel for one night while we explored the surrounding Waitomo area. The hotel is comfortable for a short term stay. No complaints service wise.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2018

Shane

This motel is located between Otorohanga and the glow worm caves which is ideal and gives you more choice for eating out. The staff were very welcoming. Thanks guys we enjoyed our stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2018

Verified traveler

Sweet stay in a nostalgic motel

If you are a person that is looking for high end hotel experience then this is not yout hotel. That said if you want a really clean room, a comfortable bed, a classic style and clean bathroom and a small well equipped, functioning funky/cool kitchen for a fair price than this is your place. The decor was simple and tasteful. Our hosts were very accommodating and friendly. We appreciated that the room had a fan ( not many places have had this item) in case you were hot, nice windows and sliding doors. We were thankful that there was a laundry room to do our clothes too. We stayed two nights and left relaxed and satisfied.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2018

Clem

Comfort close to caves.

Recently renovated with care. Comfortable bed and roomy. Hosts helped us out whilst there as we were as crook as dogs for two days. Highly recommended.

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

One night stay

Despite the low grading, we were surprised at the motel's condition. The staff were very friendly, the beds were good, it was very clean and had all the equipment required for self catering. Our overall experience was great. The only thing I could complain about is the locality near S.H.1, as the airbrakes noise as the trucks went round the roundabout was conducive to an interrupted sleep. Also, the grounds need attention, as the look on arrival is not good.
Thanks for a good stay. If you are wanting a 5 star resort, then this is probably not suitable for you!!! {some people are never satisfied}.

Signage from the main road is non existent. Luckily I knew it was right on the corner.

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2018

ADRIAN

Well worth the stay

Great stay- awesome welcome complete with a list of activities we may like to do- both free and ones to pay for. Close to 2 towns and plenty to see

Partner