The Beach House, Kawau Island

Firstly. The setting is breathtaking. The building is dated, but well kept. And the staff are friendly and warm, with ok service. And here’s the but...they are set up to serve their in house guests - not walk-ins - although we were required to make a booking. There were four tables - only four - that’s all there are. 3 occupied. But the staff continually told us how busy they were. We had to ask for drinks to be refreshed and the $90 (yes $90) antipasto platter arrived on time. The $17 per bowl (yes $17) fries were good if grudgingly served (soooo busy) with a teaspoon of tomato sauce. After spending $600 in an afternoon, we decided a cocktail would be nice to finish off. Nope. Too busy - the staff hasn’t had a break all afternoon. To avoid reviews like this I was think The Beach House need to be precise about the market they want to serve - their in house guests - rather than attempt to frighten away casual clientele with average service and ridiculous pricing. They should just say no. Frankly, I think it’s an opportunity lost because the setting is amazing. |

My husband surprised me with a trip to The Beach House for a weekend. What a wonderful surprise - this must be one of Auckland's best kept secrets!||The setting is absolutely beautiful and the rooms are clean, elegant and comfortable.||We had a small room which opened on to the paved area in front of the beach and it was lovely. There are some great activities to do: swimming, SUPing, kayaking, and walking through the wonderfully scented manuka forest, lively with insects and native birds.||But we found that it was the people who made it so special: Chris and his small team are so personable and welcoming, and the food - amazing! Wonderful menus and flavours, and perfect quantities. I also really appreciated that the team do their best to walk lightly on this special land. ||Thank you guys for making our anniversary weekend so memorable and special - highly recommended. We will definitely be back!

Stayed here with my 3 year old. The room was beautiful and superbly clean. The service was amazing, they were especially wonderful with my son by playing with him so that I could eat. As for the food, it is so amazingly delicious. Wish I could get that quality of food at every restaurant. Overall a wonderful place to stay, eat and spend time at the beach. The staff make this place even more special then it already is!

A wonderful place to stay. The rooms are lovely and clean and very comfortable. The hosts are fantastic and so welcoming. The food was amazing. The beach is just a few steps from your room where you can relax on the loungers sipping cocktails or try paddle boarding or just go for a swim in the lovely clear water. Ideal place to escape to and unwind. Bliss!

The Beach House sits in a fabulous location right on a beautifully private cove beach. The hosts (Chris and Camilla) are warm and welcoming. The food is outstanding. If you are looking for a quiet escape from the crowds (and communications...more on that), this is the place! A couple of caveats - pick your room carefully; some are quite small and open onto the patio so not that much privacy. Others, however, are fantastic with both privacy and sea views. And don't expect to be doing zoom calls - the internet is slow and only available in the public areas. But you don't come here to do zoom calls!||||And I have to make a comment on a recent 2 star review I've seen here. We were at the hotel when this group of people (not hotel guests) were there. They were loud and intrusive and based on my experience, I find their comments unreliable. I hope for the hotel's sake that they keep their promise never to return - they won't be missed.

We went there for our wedding anniversary & was blown away by this property! Absolutely amazing tropical paradise. You’d think you’re on some Pacific Island resort. The rooms were fantastic, the food absolutely scrumptious (best we’ve had) and the hosts were wonderful and friendly! Still raving about this place & will definitely head back there more frequently! Went for a 2.5 hour bush walk & it was so peaceful/serene! Thank you Kris, Camilla, Nella & Fabio for your wonderful hospitality🙏! Would highly recommend this place... way better than spending $$ on airfares to get to some island paradise overseas!

We came here for our anniversary and absolutely loved it. We stayed in the bush cottage, which was separate to the main beach house. We loved it as it gave us privacy and a view. There are a few steps uphill to get to the cottage but totally manageable. Pack light. Chris and Camila were amazing. Very hospitable and accomodating. Chris was so very kind to bring us drinks to our room. We can’t thank him enough! Fabulous hosts. The chef was exceptional. And she also makes an excellent vodka soda and fresh lime! Loved it. I would have to say the best food we had in a long time. We had the prawns and the pork belly dish for entree and mains fish snapper and the vegetarian mushroom dish. It was out of this world delicious. Breakfast is included in your stay which is fabulous. Takes the thought out of it. Breakfast was also amazing! Presentation of all the meals were fabulous! We had a really lovely time and will be recommending to our friends.

I have visited The Beach House many times with my husband and friends and it never fails to impress. The lovely rooms, amazing food, friendly staff and excellent service never disappoint. The icing on the cake is that this slice of paradise is just a hop skip and jump from Auckland and you feel like you've escaped to a tropical island. Simply perfect. I will be back.