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Reviews of Historic summer house by the sea

Historic summer house by the sea
Castlecliff, Whanganui

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 45 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 32 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 10 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 91 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Amenities

6.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Vivienne K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Enchanting cottage by the sea
On first stepping into the cottage, I was enchanted by the beautiful octagonal living room and the fascinating decor. The artworks in the house are lovely and quirky; everything we needed was supplied; and everything was clean. We briefly met the owners and the lovely woman who arrived to do the cleaning, and I can honestly say that this architectural gem is the nicest place I have ever stayed in through any holiday let. Fascinating story behind the Monday cottage (and its neighbouring days-of-the-week cottages). Oh, and it's just over the road from stunning Castlecliff Beach! I will definitely stay in Monday Cottage again!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lesley S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Quirky
Monday Cottage is the cutest cottage. Compact, comfy and full of interesting memorabilia. The adjacent park and beach are such a bonus.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

George I.

Liked: Cleanliness
Unexpected Lil Gem
Unexpected Lil Gem says it all. Will definitely be booking if available when we next visit whanganui again. Craig deserves 6 stars, just a top bloke and great with communication
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Niki M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Home base
Lovely little cotrage for our over night stay, comfortable with everything we needed & a nice stroll to the beach
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Shani

Travelled with family, Business traveller
Liked: Amenities
I liked the closeness to the beach, and playground, great for the kids.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Monique L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Quaint and quirky
Lovely tiny historic cottage very close to the sea. Loved our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michael B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful Wanganui
Nostalgic property. Clean and Comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Jenny P., Hastings Hawkes Bay

Liked: Cleanliness
Weekend break
The cottage is quirky and unusual. Great secure backyard for dogs. Cottage was clean and comfortable. Property owners easy to contact and sorted wifi issues straight away. Both beds are in the same room but a screen gave privacy. which was fine with us and TV is above the double bed . Easy drive to the City.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

4/10 Poor

Cynthia D.

Unhappy
The property was cluttered and the number of electric plugs that were in multi power boxes could have been a fire risk. The toilet was extremely small and anybody with long legs had no hope of sitting on it normally!!!! The TV was in the bedroom and the lights from the switches shone in your eyes while trying to sleep. I turned it all off.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 3 May 2023
Monday Seaside Cottage is a historic and well-located cottage built in 1915 by one of Whanganui’s first architects. It is our holiday cottage that we are happy to share with visitors to Whanganui. It is not a motel. As a family, we regularly holiday in the cottage. We find it a comfortable and pleasant place to stay in. The electrical wiring has been upgraded to modern capabilities and safety standards. The electrical systems have recently been inspected and are entirely safe. The cottage has a certificate of electrical compliance. We have priced and advertised the cottage for paying guests at a level that is most likely to be commensurate with their expectations, while attempting to retain the historic character and charm of the ‘Arts and Crafts’ era in which the cottage was built.

10/10 Excellent

Theresa L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Mum daughter stay
I took my mother of 83 away to visit some of her friends who lived near by, perfect place to stay, warm, quiet loads to read and things to do, absolutely loved it, many many thanks.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nicola S., Matamata

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect little getaway
We spent a lovely few days at Monday historic cottage. It was very clean, comfortable and cosy. We caught fish out the front, played golf out the back and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves 😊
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

2/10 Terrible

Adrian M.

Not what it says on the tin
This property is listed as having 2 bedrooms when in fact there is only 1 bedroom. The room has a folding divider to separate the double bed from the single, offering no privacy. It has the lowest shower head I have ever seen, had to kneel down to wash my hair. The TV is in the bedroom so not really suitable for family viewing. There is very limited storage space available and the set of drawers in the bedroom is already full of old videos etc. The bach seems to be used as a storage place for the owners personal stuff, every flat surface is covered with stuff. Only 3 windows open in the whole place with the rest screwed shut so there is very little air flow making it uncomfortable when the weather is hot. While the place is cute enough, it does not have 2 bedrooms and is not suitable for families.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Pauline M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Monday beach cottage
Great location close to the beach and just a short drive to the city.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tony I.

Liked: Cleanliness
Character cottage
Great place with heaps of character
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Yolandie B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely Holiday
We really enjoyed our stay in the beautiful historic cottage it was very relaxing.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Rajesh M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great stay
It was a great place, the beach was in the front few minutes walk and there is a playground, so kids enjoy a lot. And house was comfy, we were family of four and the kids were small. So it's ok for us. Overall we like to go there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ann M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Cute historic cottage
Great location. Appreciated being able to bring the dog. Owners very obliging to communicate with through Covid disruption.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Marie G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Cute cottage
Owners have put a lot of thought into this cute little cottage. Clean and comfortable, with lots of activities/entertainment items. Also a good playground across the road. Beach was OK, lots of driftwood before the sand or sea, and being winter the area was pretty quiet. Only complaint though was no coffee plunger in the cottage and the local Cafe was only open Thur-sun so couldn't have a decent morning coffee.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Katherine R.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful cottage suitable for all ages. Beautifully decorated would be happy to stay there again.
Loved our stay there. The only suggestion I would make is maybe a clothes rack. Sadly it was raining the whole time we were there and trying to get washing dry was a little tougher. Other than that fantastic place and great value for money.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Judi M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Castlecliff beach stay.
Nice clean, warm little cottage. A little pokey but weather not great and so we didn't access courtyard as we normally would which would have given a feeling of more space. Very comfortable beds. Shower hot. Dog friendly with park and beach across road. Happy with our stay. Thanks to hosts.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kate P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice place to stay
Great lil cottage to spend a long weekend in. Especially nice being so close to the beach and the local caf, close drive to town. Clean and tidy cosy space.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Michael L.

Liked: Cleanliness
3 day break
perfect for two people and a dog. Intriqued by the architecture of the cottage - seems like an early version of a 'tiny house', though not so tiny.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

david o.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beach stay with dog.
Very nice stay.dog loved walking on beach. Maybe need new sheets, the ones there were bubbly and scratchy.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Allan M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location
Just across the road from Castlecliff beach, very cosy and quiet
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022

6/10 Okay

Gerry C.

Liked: Cleanliness
oversold
As we were travelling with our 15 year old granddaughter and it was advertised as 2 bedroom we expected her to have a room of her own. Not to be! We arrived to find it was 1 bedroom with 2 beds crammed in. The tv is mounted on the wall over the double bed so to watch it we all had to lie on the bed! The toilet is approx half a metre from the wall as you sit on it. Being 6ft 7 this made things nigh on impossible for me. There was also a bad smell permeating through the cottage and the yard. I addressed this with the owner and was informed it was due to sewarage works in the neighbourhood. Owner needs to change listing as to advertise it as 2 bedrooms is totally wrong.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Coral T.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location for a daily swim!
We really enjoyed our week stay at Monday cottage. It was a nice quiet base for exploring Whanganui. The weather was fantastic every day & it was nice to come back to the cottage after a busy day out and then go for a swim across the road. Highlights of the trip included: A river cruise on the Waimarie paddle steamer, a day trip to Kai iwi beach, a stroll around Virginia Lake, lunch with the deer at Peat Park, the Saturday river markets, Kowhai park, and fishing/catching mackeral at the river mouth in the evenings. Now we are back home in Wellington, we really miss running across the road in the late afternoon for a lovely swim to cool down!
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2022

6/10 Okay

Catherine H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent location & very dog friendly
We really enjoyed our stay but this cottage will not suit everyone. It does not have 2 bedrooms, at a stretch is could be described as 1.5 bedrooms but in fact is only one room. After the initial surprise it worked well for us as we were all family. Otherwise we have no complaints. The kitchen was basic but adequate. The shower was good, it has a lovely atmosphere, beautiful location & Jo the cleaner was very helpful. We would stay again, especially as we now know what to expect.
Stayed 12 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Donna A.

Liked: Cleanliness
Quirky bach
Fun house, Kool records, quick walk to beach and lovely cafe…Our dog loved it…
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

8/10 Good

Leo H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Old school beach cottage
This was our second stay here this year. We like the location close to the beach. The cottage is simple and quaint. Some noise due to the skate park across the road.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

John D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Ka pai
Great wee cottage just across the road from beach.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Athena A., New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful Cottage
We had a lovely, restful stay. We throughly enjoyed ourselves, listening to records and enjoying strolling on the beach. No hesitation in staying again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021

4/10 Poor

Yuri S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Could be a museum...
A period cottage full of historic exhibits and a beautiful timber floor. Very close to the park and beach. Fine for a one-night stopover, but not very comfortable. It is very small, has limited ventilation, no proper kitchen, and uncomfortable furniture. The bathroom tap water pressure was a trickle, though the shower was OK. The lockbox was challenging to open and close. Everything felt cramped and awkward to use. While I sympathize with the need to maintain original features, I think it needs a bit of a makeover before it can be described as quality accommodation.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Annelies K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fascinating property in an awesome location
Cosy, historic and comfortable. Just across from the beach this historic property is really worth a stay. It was also extremely clean and despite two big frosts warm and cosy. We strongly recommend it. More than that we loved Whanganui such a friendly town with heaps to see and do. The views from Castlecliff beach of Mt Taranaki were superb.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Andrea T.

Liked: Cleanliness
Cottage with history
Great little cottage, loved reading the history on the walls, the kids thought it was great having a cool playground across the road, such a relaxing atmosphere, so nice to wake up to the sound of the waves from the beach, will definitely stay again, thanks!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Paddy B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Awesome little place
Such a cool little little place filled with cool interesting stuff. We really enjoyed the record player and selection of records. Thanks for having us
Stayed 1 night in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Sarai P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great
Great property, very close to beach
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Gail H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent accommodation for small family
Very good - tidy and clean - ideal for a small family close to the beach.

10/10 Excellent

Joss B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely and quiet Bach
We loved staying at this quirky little cottage and we would stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

Penny G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Coastal treat
A really charming place to stay that incorporated interesting historic information about the original owner in 1913. Very well set up in the kitchen and a comfortable bed. Just over the road from a playground/park area and a short climb/drive up to an amazing viewpoint. Watch the sun set!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Teresa K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Amazing lovely and quiet bach
would stay again have told friends and family
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

kathleen f., Motueka

Liked: Cleanliness
Cosy historic cottage by the sea
We loved staying in this quirky little cottage. The playground and wild beach over the road were wonderful. I would definitely come here again.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021

8/10 Good

Leo H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice little cottage close to the beach.
Area is a bit rough, but cottage is lovely with nice private courtyard. Playground and skate park across the road is great but a bit noisy. Beach is well patrolled and the water was nice and warm.
Stayed 10 nights in Jan 2021

8/10 Good

Regina B.

Liked: Cleanliness
A taste of rustic living
Shame the previous people staying took the key with them, without the owners knowing. However, the problem was solved after about an hour and owners were helpful and responsive.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Sharon H.

Liked: Cleanliness
I stayed here for 9 nights and loved it. It felt like a home away from home. Highly recommended
Perfect
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2020

8/10 Good

Andrew C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Castlecliff Stay
Clean, tidy and cute period cottage. Enjoyed our trip.

8/10 Good

glenn m.

Liked: Cleanliness
Castlecliff beach Bach
Lovely little cottage with interesting history. Nice to see owners have restored it. Very handy to beach and shops
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2020

8/10 Good

Fiona B.

"Monday" is a quaint little cottage, well situated.
Our 2 days at Monday cottage was pleasant & suited our needs whilst house hunting for relocation purposes.

10/10 Excellent

Juanita Leigh M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fabulous surprise
We loved the wee cottage. Perfect for the recuperation break I needed. The cottage is much nicer in person than in the pics. Had everything we needed. The loo slightly challenging in an amusing way. (Not much room.) The courtyard so lovely and sheltered and perfect for dogs. Loved the Citadel cafe! Think we’d just stay in Castlecliff next time as the cafe there better than anything in Whanganui! Felt very at home, loved the record player. Cheers!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Stan J.

Liked: Cleanliness
Trip to yesteryear.
Very clean and tidy with everything that we needed. Whanganui put on a freezing night but the heaters were ample to keep us cozy for the night. Great place for us folks who enjoy old.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

L I.

Liked: Cleanliness
Feeling cozy in times past
A safe and quirky place for a solo traveler. Falling asleep with the sea tumbling on the beach in the distance had 4 seasons in a day and was happy just curling up reading one of the books on hand enjoying the cottage