1 Hotel prices 2 Hataitai Beach 3 Ruby Wax

 Hi there

It really annoys me that if a hotel stay is worth, say, $150 a night on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, then why is there a price rise to, maybe, $250 or $300 a night for Friday and Saturday?   It's the same room, the same amenities, the same service.  The hotel doesn't miraculously change location. 

I've stayed in an en suite cabin at a holiday park down the South Island that was over $320 a night when I was there on a Friday and Saturday.  I mean, a holiday park, come on....  On a week night, it was very much cheaper.

In Las Vegas, about ten years ago, many Strip hotels brought in a resort tax, about $45 a night, over and above the hotel rate.  I have been behind many people in queues at LV hotel reception desks and heard vacationers explode when told that even though their booking website said $75 a night, an added surprise of a resort tax was non-negotiable.  Even if, like me, they never used the gym, the pool, or the computer room.

I remember when the Las Vegas resort taxes started to creep in to the top Strip hotels.  There was a big protest march along The Strip, led by Flamingo resident singers Donny and Marie.  They were totally against the resort taxes.

Now...?  The Flamingo Hotel boasts (or not boasts) a resort tax. 

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I walk up the Maupuia Hill most days.  From this view, you can see across the inner harbour.  Hataitai Beach is on the far left.

Yesterday and today at Hataitai Beach has been lovely with warm weather, calm waters, and no wind.  And it's midway through April, with daylight saving time changed a week ago, away from summer.  The whole swimming gang have arrived to the changing shed deck en masse over last few days.  It's been crowded, noisy, splashy, happy, and I love it all.  Pity it's like working our way through a maze to get to the beach because of the sea-wall being built.  Sigh, all those road cones and stop-go signs. And it's going to get worse - parking is horrific.

Oh, we had a surprise visitor to Hataitai Beach last week.  Ruby Wax, the actress stationed in England.  She's a comedian, an actress, a raconteur.  Darn-it, I hadn't been there at the time she arrived, but the others said she was a delightful person and were totally charmed by her. One of the regulars spoke to her for quite a while.  She had a swim.   Look up Ruby Wax on Facebook, she speaks well about our beach. And there's a video.