Our room was next to the office and the cheapest available but we were using the hotel as a base for touring north from Pahia so did not spend a lot of time around the hotel. The room was bright, clean and the bed was very comfortable, the en-suite facilities were just that, clean with hot water when you wanted it and room to move around in. We didn’t use the self-catering facilities, other than to boil a kettle, so can’t comment on these. We did use the swimming pool once and found it clean with water at just the right temperature. If we had stayed longer (we were there for 3 nights only) we would probably have used the BBQ facilities and the hot tub.

The owners, Norm and Shelagh (Sheila?), an English couple, who had made a radical decision to move the NZ to buy and renovate this hotel, are very helpful and friendly and, in our opinion have made a success of it in their own way. But, if you want any tv except the basic NZ stations, and/or you can't resist smoking, don't go there. Also, if you want alcohol, take your own - there is a fridge!

We should point out that the hotel is about 7/8 minutes drive out of town up a long hill and in the middle of a residential area but not overlooked – being on top of the hill gives one the magnificent views and it’s quiet! It’s well signposted off the main road. In our opinion however, to use the hotel to its best advantage, one should have the use of a car.

No doubt one could find cheaper accommodation in town but, as they say, location, location, location.

We stayed in a two bedroom appartment with a fantastic view of the Bay of Islands from the lounge room and main bedroom. The rooms were very comfortable, spotlessly clean. Our hosts Norm and Shelagh were friendly and very helpful in booking any activity we were interested in. I would certainly stay there again and would recommend it to anyone. It is not along the Bay front but only a 5 minute drive up the hill. Being on top of the hill gives you the most incredible views of the Bay at a cheaper room rate.

My wife described this as ‘Heaven on earth’ and I have to agree that it was one of the best holidays that we have had. We booked Cooks Lookout pretty last-minute and really had no idea what we would find on our arrival. What a pleasant surprise!! The unit (number 8) was very modern and clean with good kitchen/bathroom facilities and the views were absolutely spectacular. It was complete peace and tranquillity and the only noise was from tui’s and crickets. On arrival we were met by the owners, Norm & Shelagh, who were the perfect hosts. They couldn’t do enough for us during our stay. Nothing was too much trouble, and even after we had left & arrived home, Norm rang me to say that we had left a book behind and that he would post it on. One of the most important things that attracted us to Cooks lookout was the ‘No smoking’ environment, which applied throughout the grounds, which meant that no matter where we were, we did not have to suffer the residual smell of cigarettes and there were certainly no ‘butts’ left lying around the place. Well done Norm & Shelagh for looking after the interests of non-smokers!! The motel has a wonderful pool with a perfect temperature, a trampoline for the kids (18 & 16 year olds in our case), a poolside BBQ area and a wonderful private spa pool facility. We even had an unexpected guest joined our party (which took us up to 7) and Norm & Shelagh accommodated this without hesitation. All in all, a modern, well maintained and relaxing environment which we would highly recommend.

There is no denying that Cook's has a lovely view, that the management were friendly and helpful, and that the room we got was clean and neat. All as expected, based on TA reviews.

But it is over-priced and isolated, without much in the way of services available if one was disinclined to drive. After traveling around the North Island and staying in a variety of motels a notch or three below Cook's in price, Cook's is pretty typical in quality but high in price. Our motels were not random finds, but places suggested by TA and other guides as good values. I had actually booked us there as a slightly luxurious stint on the trip. In other words, Cook's is not a great value, unless you weight the view at a million dollars. The room was clean but entirely lacking in character, with dated appointments. The TV was small and mounted on an arm high up, with no DVD player. There was no stereo, and the kitchenette was merely a hotplate and a tiny fridge, with less equipment than we had seen elsewhere. The place was small to average, and the bath unexceptional. Wi-Fi internet access was available but pricey. The roadside-sized signs warning people to stay off other people's bits of rental were on the extreme side, and the pool was not entirely kept up when we were there (probably the owner did not expect swimming in the crappy weather we had that week).

In the end, we appreciated the good communication by Cook's management (good people), the view, and the clean, solid quality of the motel. It was not, however, a value in our opinion, and Trip Advisor readers should not expect a resort when they read the reviews.