Surat Bay Lodge, Motel and Backpackers

Property class: 3
New Haven motel on beach

Choose dates to view prices

Surat Bay Lodge, Motel and Backpackers is a great choice for a stay in New Haven. Freebies like WiFi and self parking are added perks, and guests looking to stay active can check out the nearby hiking/biking trails.

Reviews

8.6 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Free parking
  • Free WiFi
  • Non-smoking
The current price is $86
$98 total
includes taxes & fees
Nov 6 - Nov 7

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 3 of 3 rooms

View all photos for Standard Double Room, Sea View

A bedroom with a bed, two windows with curtains, a view of the sea, and a hanging light fixture.

Standard Double Room, Sea View

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
(5 reviews)
  • Sea view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Family Room, Sea View

A bed with a checkered bedspread and pillows, a bunk bed to the right, and a door in the background.

Family Room, Sea View

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)
  • Sea view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed OR 1 Twin Bunk Bed

View all photos for Self Contain Apartment

A bedroom with a white sofa, a small wooden side table with a potted plant, a bed with a headboard, and a bedside table with a lamp and flowers.

Self Contain Apartment

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 5
  • 1 Queen Bed and 3 Twin Beds

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  • Free parking
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The price is $65
$75 total
includes taxes & fees
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About the neighborhood

Map
19 Surat Bay Road, New Haven, South Otago, 9585

What's nearby

  • Surat Bay Beach - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Kaka Point Scenic Reserve - 30 min drive - 28.5 km
  • Purakaunui Falls - 32 min drive - 25.9 km
  • Nugget Point Lighthouse - 50 min drive - 34.6 km
  • McLean Falls - 60 min drive - 58.2 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Catlins Cafe And Restaurant - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪LumberJack - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Kurumi Kitchen - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Lumber Jack Cafe & Restaurant - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Tahatika Coffee Traders - ‬9 min drive

About this property

Surat Bay Lodge, Motel and Backpackers

  • Surat Bay Lodge, Motel and Backpackers is a great choice for a stay in New Haven. Freebies like WiFi and self parking are added perks, and guests looking to stay active can check out the nearby hiking/biking trails.

At a glance

Hotel size

    • 7 rooms

Arriving/Leaving

    • Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 8:00 PM
    • Late check-in subject to availability
    • Minimum check-in age: 18
    • Check-out time is 10 AM

Special check-in instructions

    • The property charges 5 percent for credit card payments
    • There is no front desk at this property
    • The host will greet guests on arrival
    • If you are planning to arrive after 6 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
    • For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
    • Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
    • Reception hours are 9:30 AM - 6 PM in winter, 9:30 AM to 7 PM in summer.
    • Towels for the Shared Dormitory are available for a surcharge.

Required at check-in

    • Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
    • Government-issued photo ID may be required
    • Minimum check-in age is 18

Children

    • No cribs (infant beds)

Pets

    • Pets not allowed

Internet

    • Free WiFi in public areas
    • Free WiFi in rooms (speed: 500+ Mbps (good for 6+ people or 10+ devices))

Parking

    • Free onsite self parking

Other information

    • Smoke-free property

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Reviews

Surat Bay Lodge, Motel and Backpackers Reviews

8.6

Excellent

9.2

Cleanliness

9.6

Location

9.2

Staff & service

8.6

Property conditions & facilities

Guest review summary

What guests liked

  • The property's beach location offered stunning views, seal sightings, and a lovely beach feel. (5 reviews)
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From real guest reviews summarized by AI.
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Popular mentions

Beach
Location
Room

Reviews

Verified review

8/10 Very good

Lovely stay with wonderful friendly hosts
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Esther and the rest of the staff are incredibly kind and welcoming - I feel so lucky to have stayed here during my visit to the Catlins region. There are also plenty of sea lions just a short walk away that you can observe from a distance!
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Absolute Magical place. A step back in time really. Great place to stay. Great hosts. Awesome views. Definitely recommend and will definitely be back to stay again.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Absolutely lovely hosts, clean and right on the beach. Loved it !
Verified review

8/10 Very good

Amazing view, the best housekeeping, small but comfortable place
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Staff were very friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean, comfortable and well equipped. Lovely beach feel. Beautiful part of the country. We were blessed to see seals swimming in the bay from the deck at the front of the property and a stunning sunset.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Loved it

Great location! Right on the beach and many activities to do that were very close! Place itself was very nice with kitchen and sitting areas!
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Wonderful river view with peace
Verified review

8/10 Very good

This place is mega cool. Such an awesome spot right on the estuary. We walked for 5 minutes to the ocean and saw leopard seals sleeping onshore. Communal facilities are clean an water pressure in shower is great.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Second time stay.

I had the pleasure to visit the Catlins again this year so took the opportunity to stay agsin in Surat as well this accommodation. The owner very friendly & helpful. It’s a great wee spot & property has awesome views of the sea & bay area. Large grounds as well with outdoor seating. Definitely will stay another time.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

What a fabulous find. Extremely clean place, walking distace to the beach to find sealions basking in the sun, well equipped kitchen with comfy beds and a sunny lounge to relax in. A geat meeting place of interesting travellers, and the best hosts. Thankyou so much for your hospitality. 💝💖
Verified review

8/10 Very good

The stay was right on the bay, and the host was incredibly friendly and always checking in with guests to ensure they had everything they needed to feel right at home. She was very bubbly and funny! The only issue we had was that the shower was freezing after only a few minutes, and no matter whether I turned it off for a while it didn’t get warm again. There were also a lot of rules written around the building stating charges if guests didn’t abide, so I did feel a little on edge about possibly being charged for accidentally doing anything. Some felt unnecessary and as though I was at school, but I understand that there have likely been events in the past to feel the need to enforce those things. This is a really beautiful stay in the Catlins, and we saw sea lions on the beach!
Verified review

2/10 Poor

Nice location bad hotel service

The location is very nice and it deserves to meet Surat Bay! However, maybe this hotel is not the best choice as the treat received was not good at all. Although we hace contact to the hotel to comunicate our arrival time (8.30 pm) and they confirm us that there was no problem, the girl receive us angry saying that we do not write them and open our room giving us the key without explaining nothing about the hotel.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Beautiful, Fantastic, wish i had booked a longer stay
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

I had the pleasure of staying here for 1 night and it was wonderful. The location is perfect and quiet, and it was good to enjoy some peace after spending time in other busier towns/cities. Esther was a great host, very kind and welcoming. Will be recommending this place to anyone who travels to this part of New Zealand.
Verified review

8/10 Very good

Secluded backpackers

Surat Bay Lodge is an enjoyable place to stay as a backpacker, with a nice kitchen and living area to hang out in. The bay itself is steps away, and extremely quiet. Enjoyed my stay, but a car is a must.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Wunderschöne Unterkunft! Superliebe Gastgeber, unglaublich schöne Lage, familiär und alles da was man braucht!
Verified review

8/10 Very good

Chambre avec salle de bain partagée

Très bien placé, la chambre partage les espaces communs (salle de bain, wc, cuisine, séjour)
Verified review

8/10 Very good

Schöne Lage am Wasser mit der Möglichkeit Seelöwen zu sehen, gutes Zimmer, sehr sauber, umfangreiche Küche Ausstattung. Sehr nette und hilfsbereite Gastgeberin. Vielen Dank, wir haben unseren Aufenthalt sehr genossen!
Verified review

4/10 Fair

Shared Bathroom...

Achtung: Es war bei unserer Buchung nicht klar erkennbar, dass das die Zimmer kein eigenes Badezimmer hat. Es gibt nur zwei gemeinsame Badezimmer, die über die Küche erreichbar sind, für alle Gäste.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Nice comfortable bed,room had amazing view of beach .lodge was very clean & tidy . Host very friendly .
View from room
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Great place to stay

Great site and lovely charming people, a great place to stay.
Inside our room
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Nice low-key beachfront place, good value

We had a pleasant three-day stay in November, with only about half the rooms occupied. The place is right on the water, with some wonderful outdoor seating to watch the tide come in and out. Day one a juvenile sea lion snoozed 30 meters from the picnic table! The place is a little worn, but comfortable and completely fair for the price. Water pressure good, wifi fine, communal kitchen has most things but a little small if the place is busy. (there are two stoves and two sinks though) Owners were wonderful, and very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. We saw a yellow eyed penguin thanks to their tip! There is a nice beach walk right off the property. We saw several sea lions every time we walked to the next cliff, about 40 minutes away. (Just past the Triplets) Town is a short drive, and has a great Four Square.
Verified review

10/10 Exceptional

Friendly and homely hospitality right on the beach

We enjoyed another lovely stay at Surat Bay Lodge with Esther & Jack, who warmly welcomed us and our children back. Our boys loved helping to feed the chickens again, trying their hands at fishing and eating some of what Dad had caught fresh off the on-site BBQ. And I got to see a big sea lion bull waddle all the way up the beach on one of my walks. Feels like a return to our own beach bach.
Verified review

6/10 Good

Nice location on beach front and really friendly host. The property is an older building and shared facilities were OK.