" I had Wellington as the starting point of the North Island itinerary. I was going to catch the ferry from Picton to Wellington and then a bus to Rotorua so Waterloo was a perfect choice, 1 minute away from the ferry terminal and half a minute from the Bus stop. I experienced the distinctive service at Waterloo a week before actually arriving in Wellington. I was injured in a bike accident in South Island and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to continue my trip as planned or not. So, I called 5 hotels/hostels that I had booked at that stage to let them know I might need to shift or cancel my booking due to the accident. I got the same answer from 4 of them: “you must contact the online agent (Expedia, Booking.com and Hostelworld) and ask for a modification, which is subject to availability and there will be a penalty to cancel or modify a prepaid or nun-refundable booking.”
When I called Hotel Waterloo, I spoke to the front office manager who enquired about the accident, wished me a speedy recovery, reassured me that my booking at Waterloo was going to be shifted or cancelled (if necessary) free of charge, and finally, asked if I needed an easy access bathroom during my stay at Waterloo. To me, this was a good example of great customer service and a hotel/management that actually cares about the customers.
While staying at Waterloo, I had a chance to speak to the front office manager, Cyrus, a true gentleman, who gave me a few tips on how and where to seek medical care while in New Zealand and he even helped me with the paperwork for my travel insurance. Reception staff were also very helpful in finding me some information and answering my questions.
I have travelled across the North Island and stayed at 5 different hotels/hostels over the past two weeks. None of them can be compared to Waterloo. I highly recommend staying at Hotel Waterloo and I can guarantee that the management and staff will look after you much better than what you could imagine.