Where can I eat near Inn the Bay Bed & Breakfast?

For meals, you are a short walk from several good options. Cafe Encounter is about 0.4 miles away, and The Whaler is about 1 mile from the hotel. Tuti's Restaurant is roughly 1.4 miles away, and The White Morph is right nearby. The hotel's own location is central to shops and restaurants, so you can easily find a bite. For a quick and easy choice, Encounter Kaikoura is just a 5-minute walk from the property.

What is the area around Inn the Bay Bed & Breakfast like?

Inn the Bay sits right on the waterfront in Kaikoura, with the ocean across the road and mountain views from the guest lounge. The town center is about a 10-minute walk, and you can reach the Kaikoura Lookout in 7 minutes on foot. Encounter Kaikoura, where dolphin encounters happen, is an 8-minute walk away, and EcoZip Adventures is 17 minutes away. The Kaikoura Visitor Information Centre and Museum are also a 17-minute walk. For longer outings, Whale Watch Kaikoura and the Peninsula Walkway are a few kilometers out, so plan for a drive or shuttle.

How do I get to Inn the Bay Bed & Breakfast from the airport or main train station?

Kaikoura Airport is an 8-minute drive from the hotel, so a taxi or pre-booked transfer is the easiest way. If you arrive by train, the Kaikoura station is about a mile from the hotel, a flat walk if you have light luggage. The Intercity bus stops in the middle of Kaikoura, and from there the hotel is a 15-20 minute walk. A local shuttle service is also available for getting to the hotel.

What's there to do near Inn the Bay Bed & Breakfast in the evening?

In the evening, you can take a short stroll to the waterfront for ocean views right across the road. The Kaikoura Lookout is a 7-minute walk away and offers a nice spot to watch the sunset. For a bite to eat, nearby options include Cafe Encounter, The Whaler, Tuti's Restaurant, and The White Morph. You could also walk to the Kaikoura Visitor Information Centre, 17 minutes away, to see what evening activities are on. The town center is about a 10-minute walk, where you'll find more cafes and restaurants.

Is Inn the Bay Bed & Breakfast a good base for exploring Kaikoura?

Inn the Bay is a great base for exploring Kaikoura on foot. You can reach the Kaikoura Lookout in a 7-minute walk, Encounter Kaikoura in 8 minutes, and the EcoZip Adventures, Visitor Information Centre, and Museum each in 17 minutes. For further sights like Whale Watch Kaikoura, the Peninsula Walkway, and Point Kean Viewpoint, you'll need a short drive or a longer walk, as they are about 2.1 to 2.4 km away. The town center is a 10-minute walk, so you can easily head out for meals and activities. With the waterfront right at your door, it's a convenient spot to start your day before heading out to explore.

Inn the Bay Bed & Breakfast Kaikoura

Name: Inn the Bay Bed & Breakfast
Address: 196 Esplanade, Kaikoura, 新西兰

Guest reviews

4.8Excellent(39)

Excellent31
Good7
Average1
Poor0
Terrible0

What guests say about…

Service
Property

Guests like

Spacious Rooms: Guests describe the rooms as spacious and comfortable, with several noting modern bathrooms and large showers.
Helpful Hosts: Reviews mention the owners Luke and Kylie as welcoming and helpful, offering local recommendations and arranging early breakfasts.
Great Location: The property sits across from the waterfront, within walking distance of town, cafes, and attractions, with parking available.

Guests mention

Breakfast Room Access: Some guests mention the breakfast room was not open for use during their stay due to Covid and the owners' children; this was temporary, so it's worth asking the hotel about current access.
Room Views: A few reviews note that rooms at the back of the property have no view, so if a view matters, it's worth requesting a front-facing room at booking.

Summary for your reference

Reviews from

Venus Cheung

5/5

Google· 3 years ago

A fantastic location in town, spacious and comfortable room, and extremely tidy! The bathroom and shower is huge, which I always appreciate when travelling. Luke who owns and runs the place is super helpful, gave us great recommendations to places in town. Ideal spot to stay.

kellyh124

5/5

Tripadvisor· 2 years ago

The property was in a great location across from the waterfront. We stayed in the room with the Queen and Single beds and the facilities were amazing. The property has a shared living room but the other guests that were checked in were friendly and approachable. Thank you to Kylie who made my sister and mine's stay at Kaikoura magnificent!

JohnandSueP1

5/5

Tripadvisor· 6 years ago

Inn the Bay is a beautiful oasis situated along the wild and beautiful Kaikoura coastline. It is a great location, easy walk into town and handy to very good cafes and all the beautiful walks and attractions. Host Kylie is just brilliant, friendly, welcoming, so helpful. A superstar of NZ hospitality. We had 5 of us, 3 elderly in one room and 2 in the other. Rooms have just been modernised, super comfortable beds, warm in the heart of winter. The 2 rooms share a roomy common lounge area which was priceless, we spent a fair bit of time as a family there. Breakfast was so delicious and natural. Couldn't rate our experience high enough. Magic!

maureenf611

4/5

Tripadvisor· 5 years ago

My husband and I stayed in the Forest Room for a night on our way through Kaikoura. It was a lovely room in a nice, quiet part of Kaikoura along the waterfront just across the road from the beach - probably a bit far to walk into town too often but pnly a couple of minutes in a car. Faced away from the road so nice and quiet. Spacious bedroom with adjacent sitting/TV/kitchen and fabulous ensuite. Free wifi. Rooms spotless, comfy bed, very helpful host, nice breakfast with gluten free options. Thankyou Kylie - would love to return

manna201

5/5

Tripadvisor· 6 years ago

This place was like a home away from home. We felt very welcomed by Luke and Kylie. The room was absolutely stunning, the shower definitely one of the best I’ve ever had with the bathroom easily being 5* quality. I wish we could have stayed here longer. Breakfast was top notch too. Cannot thank them enough!

Spence44

5/5

Tripadvisor· a year ago

We had a spacious room next to a common area where breakfast is available. Quite comfy. Parking was available. The helpful host met us on arrival and got us settled in. A ten minute walk to the main part of town. The hotel is across the street from the water. The area is so gorgeous we pondered moving there!

Y8698ELpeterg

3/5

Tripadvisor· 5 years ago

Great location, although please note the references in other reviews to the spectacular view from the breakfast room are outdated - the owners have decided not to allow guests in that area due to Covid and their small children. Entirely understandable but was an unpleasant surprise. Hopefully this will change soon. The room itself was in the back of the property on the first floor, with no view, but it was comfortable enough, with a nice modern bathroom. The large first floor breakfast room was stocked with substantial continental breakfast fare. Another issue with the property is the wifi/internet. The owners provide free vouchers for internet service, which say they offer 1Gig of data each, but in reality they offer about 1/10th of that, so we had to keep logging in again with new vouchers all the time. Also the Smart TV's are not hooked up to the internet, so none of the apps like Netflix or Amazon work. We got our Roku to work, but getting through a single movie took logging in with new vouchers about 6 times. Finally, the property is unable to accept credit cards or any form of internet payment, e.g. Paypal, Zelle, Venmo, etc. One of the owners suggested we go to the local bank - please note this is about the last thing someone wants to have to deal with on a holiday. We eventually did an electronic bank transfer from a NZ bank account one of us had, but this will be a problem for international visitors obviously. Anyway, we still had a nice time in Kaikoura, with some great seal and dolphin watching, and I'd still recommend the area very highly.

YvySurrey_UK

5/5

Tripadvisor· 6 years ago

Had a lovely one night stay at this B&B. Comfortable, clean large room with modern shower room. We were due to be up early the following morning as we were due to go whale watching. Luke was more than happy to set out breakfast for us up in their living room and it was lovely to sit and chat to him and his daughter.Thank you Luke and Kylie for your hospitality. There is parking out the back for your car and places to eat in walking distance.