Katrina Johns checks into Porters Hotel, Havelock North, Hawke's Bay.
Getting there: Porters Hotel is right in the centre of Havelock North, a 25-minute drive from Napier Airport. We were lucky enough to be picked up from the wineries we visited on a cycle tour and shuttled to Porters.
How big? Porters is a relatively new hotel that has only been open for two years. It has two floors and 42 rooms.
Check-in experience: A porter met our shuttle and quickly and efficiently took care of our luggage and bicycles — locking them away in the garage — while we wandered into a large, bright lobby. The big couches looked comfy and inviting and there were plenty of magazines and hardcover cooking and art books to flick through — I could have wasted an hour or two right there. Check-in was quick and painless and we were soon in our room.
Room: We stayed in the Royal Suite on the top floor. The room consisted of a kitchenette with a fridge, tea and coffee making facilities and a microwave, a small lounge and dining area, the bedroom, and a separate toilet and bathroom — complete with a tub and bubble bath (which was heaven for a person who had just spent the past two days on a cycling tour). The carpet was thick and plush and we slept in one of the largest beds I had ever seen, a super-king. The hotel has a modern luxurious feel throughout, from the decor to the big, fluffy, white robes awaiting you in the room.
