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Donegal House


Donegal House
Schoolhouse Road, Kaikoura 8280, New Zealand
Find Cheap Flights to Christchurch

Traveler Reviews

50% Recommend
2.5 of 5 stars 8 reviews
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1 of 5 stars
kayteeMilwaukee 23 contributions
Milwaukee
Apr 25, 2009 | Trip type: Couples

We selected Donegal House because of book reviews describing how charming this Irish inn was. What we found was, by far, the worst place we stayed in 9 weeks of traveling in New Zealand. We had one small motel room with no TV, no internet, thin walls, bare lightbulb in bathroom, a strong smell of grease from the restaurant, and... more

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2 of 5 stars
aligali 3 contributions
Christchurch, New Zealand
Dec 9, 2008

We went to Donegal House for evening dinner and it was a huge disappointment. From the car park the place looks rather run down and scruffy. The gardens are lovely but its a shame the furniture lets the outdoor area down. We had a pleasant welcome from the staff and the customer service couldn't be faulted. The menu was very... more

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2 of 5 stars
JandC23 3 contributions
UK expat in Picton NZ
Sep 10, 2007 | Trip type: Couples
1/1 found this review helpful

We spent one night at Donegal House in early September 2007. The room was very bland - OK, but nothing special, certainly no better than the average motel, which would be considerably cheaper! Virtually no sound proofing between rooms. We were only over night guests (big point made of this!), until walk-ins arrived at mid-night, and were put in the... more

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2 of 5 stars
Pilotbloke 10 contributions
Helston, United Kingdom
Aug 9, 2007 | Trip type: Solo travel
1/1 found this review helpful

I have mixed views on the DH. The property enjoys fantastic views of the Kaikoura mountains when the weather is clear and is set in the grounds of a former farm. The buildings are totally uninspiring, looking like a run-down motel when you approach from the main road. No attempt has been made to tidy or beautify the place and... more

Loved It!
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5 of 5 stars
jg17 23 contributions
San Jose, CA
Jan 3, 2007
1/1 found this review helpful

I loved our stay at the Donegal House. It is a bit of a drive from downtown, but well worth it. Beautiful grounds filled with ponds, statues and bridges. A full Irish Pub for dinner and/or drinking located on the property. The rooms were clean, large and quiet. Ours had a sliding door to a patio area with chairs and... more

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4 of 5 stars
Tammy123 9 contributions
UK
Dec 3, 2006
2/2 found this review helpful

We stayed at the Donegal for one night in November. It is slightly outside of Kaikoura , about a 5 - 10 min drive from the centre of town. It is too far to walk so if you are planning on staying here you really will need a car if you want to go out and about in the evening.... more

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4 of 5 stars
fleagil 4 contributions
hong kong
Jul 31, 2005
7/7 found this review helpful

Although there was some building work going on it couldn't take away from what a great place this is. The gardens are beautiful, the rooms clean and the food (dinner) fantastic. We found all the staff to be really helpful and friendly. The large fire and great bar was perfect and our family played cards in there before we ate... more

Absolute Gem
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5 of 5 stars
TravellingG 1 contribution
New York
Oct 12, 2004
11/12 found this review helpful

Donegal House is an absolute gem. Irish style B&B with a very friendly, gracious host (Murray). The bedrooms are lovely, everything was very clean and comfortable, with a lot of character. Plus, the grounds are amazing - includes a pond with a walking bridge, swans of different varieties, and 3 white peacocks that wonder around outside your sliding glass doors.... more

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Donegal House Address

Schoolhouse Road, Kaikoura 8280, New Zealand