Name: Whistling Frog Cafe & Accommodation
Address: 9 Rewcastle Rd, Chaslands 9586, New Zealand, Owaka, Owaka, Owaka, 9586, New Zealand
Rating: 8

Smoke-free property

Heating

Express check-in/check-out

Garden

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Linens

Rooms

Accessibility features

Accessibility

Laundry

Concierge services

Services and amenities

Common kitchen

Restaurant

Kettle

Meals

Internet

Spanish

English

French

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Bike rental

Billiards

Hiking

Picnic area

Fishing

Recreation

Parking

Free Parking on Premises

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Cycling

Sports

Children's playground

Kids

Pets allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Whistling Frog Cafe & Accommodation

Owaka

This accommodation has a captive market and as a result, I found it to be overpriced. Maybe that is to do with the fairly remote location. Everything from the food to coffee to the accommodation was marked up considerably compared to other places. I would describe it as a Holiday Park, not a Resort. However... It is 2 star and I guess meets that standard. Our motel was a bit dark, with little sun. The room was okay, but nothing special, no bedside tables, brown towels, dull furnishings. The restaurant food was tasty for hungry travellers, but pizza cost $34 and seemed to be a "dolled up" supermarket pizza. The chicken burger patty was probably out of a freezer box. As I said to start, overpriced for what it was, but a handy location near McLean Falls and Cathedral Cave. 

Boardwalk motel studio

We arrive to staff in puffer jackets as there is no heating on. The "lodge" was a row of tiny rooms with minimal amenity. Marked linen, thin towels, unsafe column heater. The bar and restuarant was uninviting, unheated and menu was basically fries. No one at reception at 9am in the morning or any breakfast offered. At $220 per night gor a couple appalling value and would not recommend.

Would not recommend

Oh my goodness, where to start? Overpriced, falsely advertised, disgusting lack of cleanliness...

Location five stars! Rooms zero. Service zero, as there was none.

We paid to stay two nights as the website has it as the Place To Stay... so much to do!! As a result we planned to be here to hang out for a couple of days, like a little stop and rest. However, there was no-one here. The cafe was shut (even though the website ensured us they were open though winter from 8am, and the signs on the road said OPEN OPEN OPEN), there was no pizza starting from 3pm, again, website totally misleading, and the young Indian lady we managed to find after an hour of waiting told us to go back in because "he will be back in a few minutes so you can order pizza", there was DEFINITELY no happy hour starting at 4.30, although we were tempted to start our own. The outdoor tables had mould growing in rings on them. I say HAD because I couldn't cope with it and cleaned them all.
We paid for a powered site, and for that there was a "Guest Lounge." The guest lounge not only a broken pane of glass, but half of it was missing and there was rain soaking the curtains and carpet. So where do visitors hang out? Certainly not at the bar and cafe, that was shut. The waste bin in the kitchen had not been emptied for a very long time, ditto the bathroom.
We definitely didn't stay the two nights. We drove out the next morning to find food and somewhere better to stay. We found some other awesome places in the Catlins, cheaper and with friendly faces to check us in.
I need to add that the one guy we met - the manager - is doing his best in an untennable position. He was sent in to placate us when we complained by phone about there being no one here, no food, no coffee, no service. He is the only person working and the owners are not employing anyone on his days off. (His days off being the two days we had booked, hence no service and nothing open. ) They are simply not employing enough people to run a cafe, restaurant, wipe down tables, take in furniture out of the rain, clean cabins, clean bathrooms, empty bins, fix broken windows...  They simply don't care enough about this place.
This is a real shame. I have read (and heard by word of mouth) of an amazing place in the Catlins called The Whistling Frog. It's a real shame because that reputation will not last the winter. The new owners - as of four months ago - will try to make a quick buck off the reputation hard won by the last owners, who clearly built up a really thriving business here - and then it will die as travellers will find out how disappointing it is.
I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Going downhill fast.

The toilets were not cleaned and one was stuffed with toilet paper. Bins for rubbish were full. Communal tv area still had bottles and beer cans from previous night. Shower water was only just warm enough and no way of adjusting the temperature. Left by 8.30am the next day, no one around to comment to.


Uncared for.

Disappointing experience,overcharged,not terribly clean and negligible food.
There is plenty of other affordable accommodation in the catlins
A beautiful area to explore
Isolated and picturesque..



Dissatisfied

Arrived around 530pm, booked a powered site for 1 night which cost $65 for 2 people (very expensive) Facilities were mediocre, dated and not very clean. All rubbish bins were filled to the brim. Because we were tired I went and ordered a meal of fish n chips which comprised of 2 frozen fish bites a handful of chips and sloppy cole slaw $29.95. Wifi was useless, as were the driers. Overpriced 

We would not recommend

The Whistling Frog Resort was a comfortable place to stay - at least the Samson Hill Lodge.  We stayed 2 nights and this was not cheap.  However, it’s a very handy location for the Cathedral Caves and McLean Falls. Peake’s Kitchen Gourmet Food Truck in Papatowai is a must do for lunch!

The front desk staff were friendly and helpful and the bar is a nice feature.

Although location is great, everything was pricey but as previously commented, you are very remote and a long way away from the nearest supermarket.

That being said the bar would be much improved by getting the fire going in the evenings and fixing up pool table.

Comfortable but a little expensive

Stayed in two-single-bed/no-ensuite cabin. For $130, got a TV with standard Freeview channels; kettle, 2 glasses, 2 coffee cups, tea/coffee/sugar (no spoon to stir though), wall heater that made the room very cosy, 2 single beds, tiny table, 2 chairs, 2 bath towels. No spare powerpoint if you used the heater, but DVD player had a USB port that proved sufficient for charging our phones. Beds were firm/hard (wooden slat base) but duvet kept bed really warm. Overall, the cabin was tiny but very snug and comfortable enough. Lounge on property provides more space to spread out if need be, with a couple of couches, a small table, and books/games/TV to use. Communal kitchen has two sets of hobs, two small toaster ovens, kettles, toasters, fridge/freezers, table, and crockery. Ablution block has three spacious showers and three toilets in bathroom. Note that entire block containing bathrooms, lounge, kitchen etc are closed off for cleaning 10am-12pm so if you're a holiday maker who enjoys relaxing and sleeping late on your holiday, a mid morning shower is simply not allowed in this campground, it seems!

Restaurant: only choice of meal was either a fresh-made pizza ($40-ish for 30cm diameter), or fish bites/chicken tenders that looked to come out of a cheap freezer pack ($30!!!). Not sure where all the guest pics of burgers etc come from as there was nothing substantial like that on the menu we saw (and no red meat meals at all). Biggest shock for us was $20 charge for can of Sprite and a small glass of cheap OJ out of a large bottle (drink prices not shown or informed before charge made). Pizza was freshly made and fed both of us so can recommend that, but definitely ask about drink prices before ordering! We guess we were charged maybe $8 for that sprite can, and $12 for that small glass of OJ that came out of a cheap $5/3litre bottle? Hence, only one drink each! Pity as it wasn't a bad place to sit, but on principle weren't prepared to hang around and order any more drinks. 

Overall, it's an okay but pricey place to stop for one night, but there are nicer and cheaper places around if you'regping 5p be staying in the area more than one night. Next visit to Catlins area, we'll stay at Kaka Point instead. Nice little place on the beach but with just as easy access to waterfalls and walks. I've also stayed at Papatowai/Puranaknui campgrounds before (paid and the free DoC one) and highly recommend those over this place, especially if you like being near the ocean. 

For more than one night, best to go elsewhere

We brought a camper van so cannot comment on fixed accommodation. Facilities are not modern, are clean, efficient old style easy access from camping spot.
There is a good restaurant and bar onsite, the staff are happy, helpful and welcoming.
Nearby are the McLean Falls - lovely walk through the rain forest - and Florence Hill lookout to watch a beautiful sunset above a gorgeous beach.
So it is not state-of-the-art accommodation but if you open your mind, it is enjoyable.

Lovely location and great people

We recently visited this resort for 2 nights - the room had an ensuite 'cabin', so we had to pay top dollars for this. We stayed in  5 other accommodations in this area during our holiday and this place was the most expensive, but the worst value for money. The ensuite had no toilet paper, no soap and no shampoo/conditioner that other places provided so bring your own. Room sparse with no fridge but did have a tiny, tiny kettle for a cup of tea. Towels not replaced.
We had to use a communal kitchen area which was fine, but this was left dirty from other guests, people search through our food in the fridge and there was nothing to remove hot dishes from the oven. 
Lady in the reception area was lovely and friendly however!

Whistling Frog Cafe & Accommodation

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