We had a wonderful stay at The Duke of Marlborough Hotel! The waterfront views were stunning, the historic charm was captivating, and the service in the restaurant was excellent. The restaurant’s food was a highlight. Highly recommend for a relaxing getaway!

While the location and atmosphere were nice, our experience was overshadowed by a major mix-up—the staff gave us the wrong room key, and we accidentally walked into an occupied room with an elderly couple inside. It was an awkward and uncomfortable situation that could have been avoided with better attention to detail.

Beautiful location. Close to all facilities in town. Dedicated parking, all be it across the road. Bar and lounge area were nice with fireplace.

Our room was a little bit of an odd design with an elongated bathroom and a raised separate toilet. The room lacked places to sit with only one chair. A table with a couple of chairs would’ve been very convenient and could’ve easily fitted into that room. There was also an odd mix of furniture styles. Our balcony room opened out onto a shared outdoor space in the centre of the building with no views. The paintwork on the outdoor furniture and building all looked very tired and neglected, in need of some freshening up.

The 'Hamptons look' hotel presented very well and was very clean internally and externally. Great that (free) car parking was available. The hotel was a nice 10 minute drive from the car ferry. We had room 101 which had a balcony and faced the bay from which you could hear the waves lapping. It was walking distance to the local cafes and restaurants, a 5 minute drive to Flagstaff Hill, and a 20 minute drive to Paroa Bay winery/Sage Restaurant (which also had awesome views). The room and bathroom were a good size.

I was very disappointed that our corner table of two got moved and was very cramped next to a very loud table of 13. To be honest, I couldn't believe we'd been placed there as the other 4 tables of 2 at the front of the restaurant (on the deck) were unoccupied! We asked to be moved and took one of the other tables so we could actually hear each other. I struggled with the mains on the menu but enjoyed the crispy pork belly nevertheless.

We love the Duke of Marlborough, amazing spot right on the water in Russell, love that you can have a dip in the sea as soon as you walk out the front door and can then order food and drink from the outdoor tables right on the beach. The history being incorporated into the asthetic of the hotel is great and makes the rooms interesting as well making it a great place to dine. It's like going back in time. Food is excellent and we really appreciated the live music outside most evenings.

The room was probably a little small but we managed okay, very clean and nicely updated room and bathroom.

This was an excellent location. Totally loved the situation, and the service was wonderful. We had Christmas Dinner here which was a highlight, however for the price I would have expected at least one glass of wine included. The food was delicious and memorable.

The fridge in our room didn't work at all. Disappointing considering the cost. Our meal took 3 hours to serve, and then we were ushered out before barely finishing dessert. The meal was beautiful, however, and the company great.

We stayed in a waterfront apartment (called The Bungalow). It was a fantastic experience. It was directly next to the Duke but not attached. Your own private slice of heaven. You step right out your front door to The Strand, right out to the Bay. And it is a huge apartment. Large living room/kitchen, large bedroom, and a large bathroom. And all of the hotel amenities at your disposal. This was our favorite room out of five different places. It’s popular. Book it early.

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The Staff were very friendly but professional, our room was soooooooo luxurious, our dinner and breakfast were very delicious.

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Fantastic location, overlooking the bay and the pier.in the heart of Russell. Loved reading about the history of the place & the decor was fitting to its history. Room was small but adequate & enjoyed the complementary teas & coffee & the fridge was useful to store cold drinks.

Food seemed overpriced yet restaurant was always busy. Cleaning started early so felt had to leave room sometimes before you were ready..

This is a historical hotel, in a stunning and special spot!. I loved that it's not trying to be anything else. We had a king room with balcony (Room 102) that was spacious and comfortable. It was gorgeous to sit on the balcony looking out through the Pohutakawa trees, and then to take your meals in the hotel restaurant with uninterrupted views of the bay. Unfortunately we didn't have great weather, so didn't get the stunning sunsets that I know Russell is known for but that's okay because we will be back for another stay sometime in the future. Hot tip - wander the hall ways to view all the fabulous artwork on display and learn the history of the hotel and Russell while you are there.

We found the bed a bit hard for our liking but you can't meet every guests preferred bed firmness.

The staff and room were great, love the hotel. We had dinner there, the starter was excellent however we chose Hangi for main and was very disappointed there was little of the pork belly meat (a small mouthful) and unidentified small bones with a bit of skin on.

We had dinner there, the starter was excellent however we chose Hangi for main and was very disappointed there was little of the pork belly meat (a small mouthful) and unidentified small bones with a bit of skin on. on reflection we perhaps chose the wrong main course.