Cliff Edge by the Sea

Cannot recommend enough! The views are incredible and the accommodations were lovely. Breakfast every day was delicious and you definitely need to eat in when Peter offers to cook, he's an incredible chef. A minor issue was that bugs do get into the rooms fairly quickly if the windows are left open

I had the opportunity to stay at Cliff Edge for Christmas and I can certainly say that the label of B&B is an undersell of what this great place is. The location is fantastic. Located about 10 or 15min from Paihia and down a private road leads you to the front door of Cliff Edge; a multi story, upscale property tiered down the cliff's edge toward the water. Through the unassuming entrance is a warm and inviting dining area, a large common area with a balcony that offers the most stunning view of the bay, and down the stairs on the lower tiers are the rooms (each with private balconies that take in the same view of the bay). I stayed in the Tui Apartment which is located on the lowest tier and furthest from the bay facing side of the property. The room had small deck with a small view of the water, a sleeping area adequately sized for the comfortable king size bed, a smaller bathroom tucked part way under the staircase and a living area complete with TV, kitchenette, and another small deck with a more uninterrupted view. Both common area and the room were well appointed and clean. The host, Peter is very straightforward and to the point man which I guess, judging from some other reviews could rub some of the more delicate and self-opinionated people of the world the wrong way. I found Peter to be the utmost professional host; accommodating, people oriented and his dry wit lent some added flavour and a feeling of family to the experience that you don't get most other places, and he was an interesting and engaging person to talk to the few brief times I had a chance to do so. The stay is a bit pricey for what you get in terms of level of finishes and extent to which you are being waited on when compared to a luxury hotel, but then you would be missing out on the atmosphere created at Cliff Edge and I can't list a single negative complaint about my two night stay. Meals are another story entirely; from the complementary breakfast that includes full continental with cereal, fruit, and toast, plus eggs any way of your choosing and while I was there some of the most delicious ham I've ever had; and as for supper, you're in for treat. When I arrived on the 24th, Peter informed me that he wasn't cooking for Christmas (which everyone is entitled to a day off) but by the morning he told us that he would be making "just a simple, light supper". What we sat down to was anything but "simple"; turkey with stuffing patties (he cooked a full turkey that morning and then hand ground it for the patties), two types of hand battered fish, green salad, traditional German potato salad, more ham, fresh tomatoes and four wine pairings; then to top it all off was a deep dish, scratch made apple pie that would put any proud Baker/Grandmother to shame. In short Cliff Edge is a first rate, hard to beat accommodation in Bay of Islands that encourages its guests to relax and intermingle. Peter is a wonderful host and his little dog Charlie is the cutest, most well-behaved creature I've seen in some time. Check your prices on Expedia etc sure, but make your booking directly through Cliff Edge; guaranteed you will be able to reach the same, or better price.

I would have loved to have been leaving 5 stars here in a few more days, but unfortunately my last new years child free has been ruined. My husband and I had booked a room on NY eve overlooking the water where I read there is a beautiful fireworks display. We had plans on staying in, ordering room service and watching the display from the tub in our room. Seeing as though I'm pregnant this seemed like a safer option to see in the new year than mingling too much right after Auckland had opened up. Today, things took a bad turn when I searched my emails to find the address (which I don't check every day because I don't live in the digital world) and saw an email that I hadn't received in October letting me know my booking that I had paid a deposit and received confirmation for had been declined and the money refunded because they don't take bookings for less than three nights around that time of year. I can understand that, which is why I was stoked to find it in the first place. But we shouldn't have to pay for their online booking flaw when we've already paid the deposit, that's not how I run my business. Another form of contact would have been nice when there had been no reply to the email in October. We would have appreciated a call with the option to stay three nights at least, I had no messages left on my phone and was offered no other option. Needless to say it's far too late to make more plans now.