Sanctuary Palms

We stayed in the "Moulin Rouge" apartment, which was a very well appointed self-service unit with a wonderful view to the Bay of Islands at Pahia.

The entire property was covered in scaffolding. It looked like a construction site. Views out of windows and deck were obstructed by the scaffolding.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Sanctuary Palms everything is set up to allow for a relaxing stay. The photos really don’t do it justice it is a beautiful home from home. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone. We were a little worried about negative reviews about the parking situation and yes, it is tight but it’s only a short walk to find plenty of free on street parking which we favoured so that our large rental car didn’t cause any bother to other guests. Thank you to Sharron & Paul for sharing this beautiful place with us.

Beautiful location , I had a perfect stay - thank you!!

Central location although a difficult walk up a steep hill. The overall amenities were good. The air conditioner in the bedroom didn’t work and footsteps from the apartment above were noisy. THe curtains in the bedroom didn’t fit and looked like they were second hand. The car parks were very tight.

The view from the balcony was amazing. Thank you for the little extras in the bathroom and we loved the pod coffee machine. Comfy couch and easy access to wifi. We got the hang of airing the rooms, tricky in the wind. Thank you.

Easy self check in and check out. Very clean and cosy apartment.

We liked the space, and the view of the bay from the penthouse level. I think when this property was first built it would have indeed been 'luxury', but to describe it that way now, with the passing of time, is a little bit of a stretch. The decor and maintenance needs attention, and to have entertainment options running on wifi that does not cope, is poor. We did enjoy our time there, but for us the 'luxury' tag did not fit reality.

Good location, very nicely decorated, big spa bath was bliss! Fabulous bed too.

What a lovely place! We had a lovely welcome and were made to feel special. Everything was thought of and suggestions were made for what we might do and Raykindly made a bookingfor us for a day tripon a cat sailing. Theapartment (Moulin Rouge) has every amenity; we appreciated the stocked fridge, washing powder, dishwasher tablets....The apartments are up quite a steep hill but easy o drive to te bottom and park if you dont want to walk back up! Lovely beach for swimming round the corner, towels are provided. Stunning sunrise but it was a bit hot sitting on the little balcony for breakfast - cant complain!

Very spacious, excellent location back from the main drag so quiet.

Helen was very friendly quick to get us in and knowledgeable about the area. The appartment was beautiful, had a lovely view and the best bath ever.

Absolutely beautiful property, fantastic location - didn’t need to use the car, and the hosts were wonderful. Would definitely stay there again and we highly recommend it!

Fantastic stay, fabulous bed so comfy. Loved the bottle of wine in the fridge. It’s a short walk down a fairly step hill. Ok going down but for elderly people they may have trouble returning to the apartments. The only negative for us was not being able to connect to wifi. However we were able to outside. I’ll definitely recommend & hopefully come back in the near future.

It was really quiet which was really nice. What we didn't like was the steep walk to the beach and also little problems like the dishwasher rocked when loading it the paint on the ceiling in the bathroom was peeling.

Lovely property with some luxurious touches. Nice views over Paihia. All the mod cons, with aircon, heaters, washing machine, Sky TV, list goes on. Steep hill to climb back from town, but it helped work off those calories!

Beautiful place some redecorating needed. The second bedroom very plain. The hammock was dirty and smelly so could not be used. There where no fire alarms. The view was amazing.

This was a quiet, clean flat with everything we needed. There was a safe place to park on site. Our check in was easy and Helen gave us lots of great suggestions of what to see and where to eat. The kitchen had everything we needed to cook meals and the refrigerator was stocked with drinks to enjoy upon arrival. It has a very large comfortable bathroom with a big shower and a jetted tub. The towels and linens are all good quality and the bed was very comfortable. The air conditioner and fans were effective to keep the flat comfortable. There are only 4 units in the complex so it is very quiet. It is up a steep hill from the busy tourist area which we enjoyed because we like a bit of daily exercise and we like a quiet environment. It is still close and within walking distance to all the activities Paihia has to offer. There is a fabulous view of the ocean from the outdoor patio and a barbecue to cook the fresh fish we caught. This is a great place to relax out of the busy tourist area yet still just a few minutes walk to the activities Paihia has to offer.

Helen was so helpful definitely worth staying here Thanks Mark

We booked a room for 2 nights at this hotel for a relaxing end to a month-long holiday in New Zealand and it didn't disappoint. We arrived earlier than check-in time but Helen (one of the owners) was more than accommodating and we were able to access the room early which was a huge bonus. We had a complimentary mini-bar delivered by Ray which was extremely generous with wine, beer, orange juice and milk). The location is ideal if you want to be away from all the regular hotels/motels in the area. It's in a quiet residential street, but the main centre is approximately only a 10-minute walk away so you're not far from the restaurants, beaches, attractions etc. It is a fairly steep walk uphill when returning to the hotel so bear this in mind. Our room (The Pacifika Suite) was fantastic. It had a private balcony which we could see the sea from, and was surrounded by foliage; there was a full kitchen with a washer and dryer; the shower and bathtub were lovely to use; and the bedroom was gorgeous. The town itself is fairly small but we spent time walking around the shops and eating at the restaurants, we'd already been to Russell but could have easily got the ferry over there fro the day; and we walked to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds from the hotel which was an easy walk. All in all, our stay at Sanctuary Palms was a perfect ending to our holiday.