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Types of
Accommodation available in New Zealand
for families
Department of Conservation
cabins, cottages and
lodges: The accommodation at
cabins, cottages and lodges
is basic, fees apply and bookings are
required. Children under five years of age
are free and under 18 are half the adult
price. Some of these facilities may not have
electricity, which means no lighting, no hot
water and no showers. You will need to check
what is supplied and if necessary take
candles or camp lighting and solar showers.
Although beds and mattresses are provided,
you will need to take bed linen or sleeping
bags and tea towels. Kitchens are very basic
but functional: some have fridges and
microwaves.
Private camping grounds and holiday parks:
There are
many privately owned camping grounds and
holiday parks offering families a friendly
and economical place to stay, either with a
tent, caravan or camper van. The range of
accommodation varies from non-powered tent
sites to bunkhouse accommodation or tourist
flats. Tourist flats are normally cheaper
than motels and you may be required to
supply your own linen. However, if you
forget, most operators will hire some out at
a very reasonable rate.
Apartments:
Apartments make a great alternative to motel
or hotel accommodation, because they have
full kitchen and laundry facilities.
Holiday homes:
There are hundreds of Kiwi
families who rent their homes to other
families, giving you the comfort of a family
home in some of the most popular or remote
places around New Zealand. Normally these
homes are rented out for a minimum stay of
between three days to a week.
Motels:
Motels in New Zealand are booked by the day
with a usual check-in time of 2 p.m. and
check-out time of 10 a.m. the following day.
Some of the busiest times for motels are
over the summer school holidays, which cover
the Christmas and New Year period. It’s
advisable to book accommodation during these
times.
Hotels: When
booking hotel accommodation make it clear
what you need. Make sure if booking two or
more rooms that they are interconnecting or,
at least, next door to each other.
Bed-and-breakfast accommodation:
Most cater for
smaller families rather than larger ones
Booking your accommodation:
Bookings can usually be made
by phone or online, and in both cases you
will need to have a credit card handy to pay
the deposit and to confirm your booking. In
summer months and over the school-holiday
periods make sure you book well in advance,
especially in popular holiday spots. |
