World of Wearable Art and Collectable Cars - 2 min drive - 1.2 miles
Nelson Hospital - 4 min drive - 2.1 miles
Christ Church Cathedral - 5 min drive - 2.5 miles
Trafalgar Park - 6 min drive - 2.5 miles
Getting around
Nelson (NSN) - 5 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 6 min drive
Sublime Coffee Nelson Airport - 4 min drive
Speights Ale House - 4 min drive
Coupland's Bakeries - 5 min drive
Nelson Suburban Club Inc - 10 min walk
About this property
Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel
Upscale motel located in Tahunanui
Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel provides amenities like a garden and laundry facilities. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
Additional perks include:
Free self parking and extended parking
Express check-out, meeting rooms, and luggage storage
Smoke-free premises and barbecue grills
Room features
All guestrooms at Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel offer comforts such as air conditioning, in addition to amenities like free WiFi and room service.
Extra conveniences in all rooms include:
Free toiletries and hair dryers
32-inch LED TVs with DVD players
Kitchens, refrigerators, and microwaves
Languages
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transportation
Free extended parking on site
Family friendly
DVD player
In-room kitchen
In-room microwave
In-room refrigerator
Laundry facilities
Conveniences
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Guest services
Housekeeping (daily)
Business services
Meeting rooms
Outdoors
Barbecue grill
Garden
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Grab bar near toilet
Wheelchair accessibility
More
2 buildings
Smoking not allowed
Room amenities
Bedroom
Blackout drapes
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Hair dryer
Towels provided
Entertainment
32-inch LED TV
DVD player
Food and drink
Cookware, dishware, and utensils
Electric kettle
Kitchen
Microwave
Refrigerator
Room service
More
Air conditioning
Desk
Iron/ironing board
Phone
Portable fan
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: 8:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 10 AM
Express check-out available
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open Monday - Saturday (10:00 AM - 3:00 PM)
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
If you are planning to arrive after 3:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Access methods
Staffed front desk, lockbox
Pets
Pets not allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Property payment types
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts major credit cards
National rating
For the benefit of our customers, we have provided a rating based on our rating system.
Property is also known as
Castles Motel
Castles Motel Nelson
Castles Nelson
Castles Motel
Castles Driftwood Motel Nelson
Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel Motel
Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel Nelson
Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel Motel Nelson
Frequently asked questions
Is Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much is parking at Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel?
Self parking and extended parking are free at this property.
What time is check-in at Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel?
Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: 8:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel?
Check-out is at 10 AM.
Where is Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel located?
Located in Tahunanui, this beach motel is within a 10-minute walk of Burrell Park, Tahunanui Beach Reserve, and Natureland Zoo. Nelson Fun Park and Paddy's Knob Reserve are also within 1 mi (2 km).
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Castles Motel and Driftwood Motel Reviews
Reviews
8.2
Very Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Rating 10 - Excellent. 52 out of 143 reviews
10 - Excellent
52
Rating 8 - Good. 61 out of 143 reviews
8 - Good
61
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 143 reviews
6 - Okay
20
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 143 reviews
4 - Poor
7
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 143 reviews
2 - Terrible
3
8.6/10
Cleanliness
8.6/10
Staff & service
6.8/10
Amenities
8.0/10
Property conditions & facilities
6.0/10
Eco-friendliness
Reviews
6/10 Okay
Philipa
Jul 7, 2025
For the number of rooms, parking is very scarce and tight
Good place to stay. Didn't meet any staff, was texted where my room was, a where the key was. On leaving, I just left the key on the table and closed up the room, if they didn't want to meet me on checkin g, I wasn't meeting them on checkout either.
GLENN
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025
8/10 Good
Ian
Jun 5, 2025
Ian
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025
4/10 Poor
Lisa
Jan 6, 2022
Disliked: Amenities
Disappointed as I had thought I’d booked a nice night away with my husband… turned out it is an emergency accommodation provider .
I’m not a snob and don’t judge people but they should have disclosed this when booking
At 300/night I was expecting something nice and romantic … there were kids and families everywhere. I would suggest they include this in their booking information.
Lisa
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
6/10 Okay
Verified traveler
Jul 19, 2021
Disliked: Staff & service
We were informed that some rooms were tenanted for social housing. Thought that it will be ok but turned out to be a bad idea. People from nearby room were fighting at the middle of the night so hard to sleep. No heating inside the main bedroom. To top it all off a big drama played out on the last night- one of the lady owners threw a tantrum, crying and shouting out in the street in front of our room as partner seems to be leaving her. A lot of drama for a week we wanted to spend trying to relax.
Verified traveler
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021
4/10 Poor
Verified traveler
May 30, 2021
Verified traveler
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021
8/10 Good
Verified traveler
Jun 1, 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Our unit,#15, was good.Had a lounge, seperate kitchen, seperate bathroom and a bedroom. A very cosy unit.
Verified traveler
Stayed 9 nights in May 2020
6/10 Okay
Verified traveler
Mar 8, 2020
Liked: Staff & service
It was fine for what I needed for just the night but found the room and facilities a little outdated. Nice large room and enjoyed the Sky Sport. Really hand to all food, shops etc
Verified traveler
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
8/10 Good
Verified traveler
Feb 29, 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Great location to beach and local bars . Traffic noise at night noisey due to being on state highway.
It is dated and not appealing to stay at. Our coach was tattered and torn. One of the beds was comfortable and one was not. There were spider webs around the doors so needs a thorough cleaning.
Close to restaurants and great for groups, garden rooms were good but a little tired but perfect for us.
Verified traveler
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019
6/10 Okay
Miguel
Oct 8, 2019
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff but the studio was disappointing. The decor is dated and the downstairs rooms have no view. It was clean but best for a quick one night stopover rather than a weekend
As this is our 4th time staying at Castles. we really like this place. It is close to where we want to go, Clean and tidy, warm also. The shower water has excellent pressure. Castles is easy to find. Close to several good eatery's, the beach is only minutes away.
Thoroughly appreciated all the amenities available for one night only. Only dislike is unit being upstsirs for an older senior to walk upstairs prone to having an accident. Well worth recommending motel. Young lady very polite and accommdating when given wrong unit
First the staff never cleaned our unit for the 3 nights we were there. Run out of toilet paper, towels.,soap,etc.Had to force them to do a basic clean in the end. Sleep on same sheets for all 3 nights.
Next is the noise from the road all night long and you could hear people talking in the unit next to us.