Edgewater Motor Lodge, Napier

We booked for 3 nights in late December 2006. The booking was made in September 2006 � we offered a deposit, but, in an email �Ray� told us that it was not necessary and that the booking was made. We arrived at 10pm on the specified date (after a 5 hour journey from Wellington) to be greated by Ray who told us that there was no booking in our name, that he hadn�t heard of us & that the Motel was full. We presented a copy of his confirmation email � his story changed arguing that he hadn�t heard from us so released the booking. We challenged him on this as no requirement was made to remain in contact/confirm the booking and he couldn�t tell us what contact should have been made. We pressed further and he said that he�d held the room until 8.30pm, then assumed that we weren�t coming & released the room. In the space of a 2 minute conversation he went from never hearing of us to releasing our room 1.5 hours earlier. He didn�t apologise or offer to help find an alternative � it was really difficult to find an alternative, but ended up payingtwiceour budget at the Tennyson Motor Inn (comfortable, well located & spacious but relatively expensive & the decor is tired). Do not stay at the Edgewater Motel, Napier.