Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park Wairarapa

Lo e ghis place. Stayed a few games now...every time it has been a different category of room. The executive suite this time was outstanding. So large and a beautiful jet spa bath in a very clean bathroom. Great service from staff too.

Found this place needed an update on the paint work, bbq was not in the best shape... regardless it was an amazing stay and even booked it again this weekend. Service was amazing and the pool was the best... thank you and see you this weekend... stayed again on the 4th of Feb used the restaurant and it was horrible. Food was not good at all and for the price of it I do have a certain expectation of how it should be, none the less I would of let that go had the staff made that up with exceptional service. Which was not to happen either, there were plenty of staff and no real direction. Wouldn't eat here again nor would I invite others too, such a shame to ruin our experience of such a great weekend there.

Had a dinner bed and breakfast booking for 71st birthday. Reception staff were lovely and room was excellent. Dinner at night was very poor. toasted bread and butter for entree and the only thing on menu for us was lamb rump which we had to send back because it was oozing blood. This was on a few hard carrots and a bit of potato and mushy peas. Husband ordered chips because not enough. The cheesecake was a ball of very tart cheesecake on some crumbs, needed icecream to tone it down. Breakfast in the morning had nothing left in the bain maries because the staff were not checking them and ten people in behind us and ourselves had to wait until the chef could fill up again. The road around to all the units was full of potholes.

When you walk into the hallways for the rooms it is apparent the resort is not a new build and it is coming due for a refurbishment which appeared to be starting as I was there. Overall the rooms are well appointed with the rooms spacious and the bathrooms well laid out. Again the rooms could do with some refurbishments as the floor to ceiling windows leaked water into the room during heavy rain and the bathroom tiles and door were starting to show signs of mould.Two areas that really let the resort down was the condition of the roads around the resort as some of the pot holes could be classed as inland lakes and the food, over the course of a week the meals were hit and miss for quality and at times seemed to be trying too hard to be posh but lacking the quality and taste to back it up. Overall a nice place but there is room for improvement.Although the gym was not overly large and not really good for more than 2 people to use at one time it was reasonably well appointed and the indoor heated pool was a nice addition to relax in after a long day.

Hmm... place is being renovated, but really, if that's the case, maybe offer reduced rates? Light bulbs out and a door not working, but no one available to fix it. The driveway to rear parking is in need of serious repair also. Not great.

Terrible stay over Easter this place has gone to the pack. Unfriendly front office staff, reception smells like fried food. Bar not open till 4pm. Curtains hanging down in room. Pool area filthy with dead bugs and dust everywhere. Spa freezing. Games room dismal. You had to hire pool towels?! Furniture in bar falling apart. Definitely should not be calling themselves a ‘hotel’. It’s motel standard at best. Avoid.

Hotel itself could do with a freshen up but it seems they've started on that ... I'd stay away from the restaurant. Chef needs to stop trying to be OTT and focus on producing quality good but simple food. Waiting nearly a hour for a cold (overcooked) steak isn't OK ....still waiting for a bottle of water being brought to the table and waited 45 minutes for a desert menu but gave up in the end. Got room service second night. Still looking for the cheese in the cheese burger. Should have gone to McDonald's, definitely a better quality of burger there.Pool was fantastic as was the staff ....

The mould on the bathroom grouting has been there for so long it has turned pink.They really need to spray bleach on the grouting each time they clean the bathroom. They could do with with a small UHT milk or soy milk to go with the coffee sachets. None were provided in the fridge or on the counter.The beds were comfortable and nicely made, but they could still do with a brochure that points you to their amenities and available services, and not just to a webpage online to give you that information.

Having stayed here in 2017 and loved that experience, I was looking forward to getting back to Solway Park, but unfortunately our recent stay (three nights in a family room) was a let down. Starting with the room - it was in bad need of some basic maintenance with loose fittings in both the toilet and the bathroom. On the first night I resorted to tightening the screw on the toilet door knob using the solitary kitchenette knife as it was so loose it felt like it was going to fall off. There were similar loose fittings in the bathroom too, including the shower head. Likewise grout lifting in the shower tiles suggested the interior of the room had not been adequately maintained in a while.Communal areas, on the other hand, were in good nick, with the outdoor and indoor pools being great, and likewise for the kids play area.Unfortunately, due to short staffing, the Grill restaurant was not available for the cooked breakfasts we had paid for in our room rate. We didn’t know this was the case until turning up for breakfast on our first morning, where we were told about it, and that we were meant to be informed on check in (which didn’t happen). We were refunded some of our room rate, though arguably not the difference to a cooked breakfast at a cafe. So a continental breakfast of toast, cereal, juice, coffee, and fruit followed, where we heard several other guests wake to the same news about there not being a cooked breakfast.It should be noted that throughout this the staff were friendly, efficient, and apologetic about the situation with the restaurant, which was understandable in the current covid environment. However it should’ve been communicated to guests ahead of time, as it had evidently been ongoing judging by things.However, for what you’re paying to stay at Solway Park, we decided that next time we’d be better spending that money either in Wellington for a better maintained room and still getting breakfast or at least being walking distant to more options. Unfortunately we’re unlikely to be back until we’ve seen things have been turned around by the owners.