468 reviews
From
$30078 Esplanade, Kaikoura, 7300, New Zealand
468 reviews
1/58
Beachfront
Free Private Parking
Free wifi
Beach
Air conditioning
Private entrance
Parking On Site
Terrace
Kaikoura Luxury Apartments - Formerly Waves Luxury Apartments is a 5-star apartment in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Address: 78 Esplanade, a beachfront location about 0.6mi from the city center. Reviews total 468, reflecting a well-loved stay for many travelers.
Inside, convenience meets comfort with a private entrance, free on-site parking, and free WiFi. A fully equipped kitchen, terrace, balcony, and patio frame sea- and mountain-view stays, while air conditioning, soundproof rooms, and non-smoking policy ensure a relaxed atmosphere. Upper floors are accessible by elevator, free toiletries are provided, and wheelchair access is available; golf course access is available for extra charges.
Sea breezes and scenic horizons define the experience, with beachfront access and mountain views at 78 Esplanade, Kaikoura, New Zealand, and a short stroll to the city’s coastal charm.
A range of apartment layouts keeps options flexible for everyone—from solo travelers to large groups. The Apartment, 3 Bedroom spans 1206 sqft and can sleep up to 8 adults, with a bed setup that includes 1 King size bed, 2 Sofa Beds, and 4 Twin beds. For smaller gatherings, the Deluxe Apartment, 861 sqft sleeps 4 adults with 2 King size beds and a Sofa Bed. Other options—Deluxe Apartment, 2 Bedroom and Deluxe Apartment, 3 Bedroom—accommodate 2 adults each, while Premium Apartment and Premium Apartment, 2 Bedroom also sleep 2 adults. All units are non-smoking.
Payment options include cash, Mastercard, Visa, and Eftpos. Smoking is not allowed in these units.
Sea breezes and dramatic horizons characterize the stay, with beachfront access and mountain views setting the scene. It’s a short stroll to the city’s coastal charm, making day trips into Kaikoura’s seaside ambiance effortless while enjoying the comfort of a choice of well-appointed apartments.
Closest airports
Kaikoura Aerodrome
1miWoodbourne Airport
62.2miBeachfront
Free Private Parking
Free wifi
Beach
Air conditioning
Private entrance
Parking On Site
Terrace
Mountain view
Kitchen
Wheelchair accessible
Non-smoking rooms
Patio
View
Elevator
Free toiletries
Upper floors accessible by elevator
Balcony
Soundproof
Show 6 photos
Apartment, 3 Bedroom
1 King Size Bed
2 Sofa Beds
4 Twin Beds
1205 sqft
Mountain view
Kitchen
Private Bathroom
Private entrance
x8
More details
Show 8 photos
Deluxe Apartment
2 King Size Beds
1 Sofa Bed
860 sqft
Mountain view
Kitchen
Private Bathroom
Balcony
x4
More details
Show 9 photos
Deluxe Apartment, 3 Bedroom
More details
Show 20 photos
Deluxe Apartment, 2 Bedroom
More details
Show 3 photos
Premium Apartment, 2 Bedroom
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Premium Apartment
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Room Selected at Check in
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8.9
468 reviewsCategories of assessments
Cleanliness
Comfort
Location
Facilities
Staff
Value for money
WiFi quality
Featured reviews:
Stephen
9.1
January 2025
Excellent quality apartment, very comfortable and boasting pretty much everything you could hope for, with a fabulous view across the beach/bay to the mountains.
The manner in which the door to the apartment locks felt rather insecure - on one occasion, we found it unlocked on return after it had been serviced, and it's very easy to see how this could happen. Other than that, the only real downside, and this is not really a fault of the apartment, is that there isn't a supermarket, or even an adequately stocked convenience store, within what I would consider reasonable walking distance.
Andrea
10
May 2025
Every comfort was thought of. The apartment was spacious and well appointed with all the amenities. We particularly enjoyed the Nespresso coffee and milk frother for our morning lattes. The view from our second flooor apartment provided amazing views of the sunrise over the ocean. The location was convenient to town center and the off street parking was safe and secure. This was a great stay for a small family traveling the coast.
No complaints at all. This place is very well managed and maintained.
Yi
8.2
October 2024
The apartment is located on the Kaikoura sea, about a 10-minute walk from Main Street and within a 10-minute drive of sea lion trails and whale watching. The rooms are spacious and the living room is large and has a balcony facing the sea. However, there is only one air conditioner heating in the living room at night, and the outlet is partially shielded by the bookcase. In terms of facilities, all necessary facilities such as dishwasher, washing machine, dryer and refrigerator are provided, and children's toys are also provided. Because the first floor has become a garage, it is more painful to carry luggage upstairs, and if your room is not on the third floor, your parking space may be a certain distance from your room. All in all, the apartment is a good choice, of course if you need a hotel, please choose another accommodation.
Sin
9.1
December 2024
The location is along the main road next to the beach, and it is just a short walk or drive to all the restaurants and attractions. My family really like the balcony that gives a great view of the sea and the layout of the apartment. In all we had an enjoyable stay!
On the whole everything is really good, but if there is one things I wish could change is the car park for our unit. It is located is behind the building, necessitates a short walk. I wish we could park at the covered car park right below, but minor.
Rony
10
May 2024
The apartment was clean and tidy and very comfortable. When we said about it being cold the staff was very friendly and they even provided us with extra heaters. Although it wasn't necessary coz eventually the house warmed up from the heat pump. The cleanliness is impeccable. So much so that you can just totally relax and unwind after a long day. It's a great property. Value for money a sure thing and the location Is great as you could just walk anywhere. Stunning views is another thing I love about this property.
On the first day that we mentioned about heaters, the staff from another property responded saying there's bedding and heaters won't be given. But apparently since they did not work here, they dint know. So that was disappointing at first. But the next day the staff that actually works here provided the room with an extra heater and said it was a confusion. So that turned out well. Another downside would be there's no life access so kind of difficult for older people
Hayley
9.1
March 2025
Great location, spacious apartment with great amenities (nespresso machine, filter coffee, full kitchen and all utensils, washing machine and small sachet of powders), very big and comfy beds! Secure parking. Friendly staff that helped us keep our food cold on check out day whilst we swam with dolphins!
Bathrooms slightly runned down and a little dirty in areas/musty smell in places. Thin walls as could hear next door coughing and snoring…
Graeme
10
February 2024
Spacious. All the facilities provided were excellent. Showers were great. Loved the beach being right across the road and enjoyed the food at Hiku restaurant just down the road. Brilliant view of the sea and mountains from the balcony. Spacious.
Bright lights from outside on the double bedroom lite up the blinds even when they were closed. The window looks down onto the next motel and there are several security lights on all night. Turned the electric clock devices face down as they act like a night light. Like wise the red light on the TV device in the bedroom so we turned the unit off at the wall switch for the duration of our stay.
Angela
10
April 2024
Super clean & well presented with everything you need. Very convenient to have washing machine & dryer as we’d been travelling for 3 days. Kids were very impressed with the location and the room sizes for them. It’s a shame we didn’t realise the movie theatre is next door as we could have watched a movie that night but we missed the sessions by the time we realised so ì definitely recommend checking the times in case that is something you’d like to do.
Nothing. The room was perfect. Bed was a little firm but that’s personal preference, not a criticism
Linda
8.2
April 2025
Lovely location across from the beach
The windows had not been cleaned and were covered in salt spray, to be expected when it’s across from the sea but it was a beautiful fine day on our arrival and they had not been cleaned. We even looked for a window brush to see if we could do these ourselves. You could hear neighbouring units especially in bed.
Andrew
9.1
April 2024
No breakfast with this accommodation so cannot answer that question. (Forget what the second part of question was sorry!!)
Disappointed to see the outside door (bottom of stairs) appeared to have been left open, actually pinned back, overnight when it stated on it it should be closed upon entry. Only noticed this the next morning as went out early and realised it had had been left open. Hence our rating regarding the safety of the complex, above.
Airports
Kaikoura Aerodrome
1miWoodbourne Airport
62.2miAirports
Kaikoura Aerodrome
1miWoodbourne Airport
62.2miBeachfront
Free Private Parking
Free wifi
Beach
Air conditioning
Private entrance
Parking On Site
Terrace
Mountain view
Kitchen
Wheelchair accessible
Non-smoking rooms
Patio
View
Elevator
Free toiletries
Upper floors accessible by elevator
Balcony
Soundproof
Accessibility
Entire unit wheelchair accessible
Toilet with grab rails
Upper floors accessible by elevator
Wheelchair accessible
Activities
Beach
Canoeing
Cycling
Diving
Fishing
Golf course
Hiking
Walking tours
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Guest bathroom
Hairdryer
Private Bathroom
Shower
Toilet
Toilet paper
Towels
Bedroom
Alarm clock
Linens
Walk-in closet
Wardrobe or closet
Building Characteristics
Private apartment in building
Business Facilities
Fax/Photocopying
Cleaning Services
Daily housekeeping
Food & Drink
Tea/Coffee maker
Front Desk Services
Baggage storage
Invoice provided
Private check-in/out
General
Air conditioning
Carpeted
Elevator
Facilities for disabled guests
Family rooms
Heating
Non-smoking rooms
Private entrance
Smoke-free property
Soundproof
Internet
Free wifi
Kitchen
Coffee machine
Dining table
Dishwasher
Dryer
Electric kettle
Kitchen
Microwave
Oven
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Toaster
Washing machine
Living Area
Sitting area
Sofa
Media & Technology
Cable channels
Flat-screen TV
Radio
Satellite channels
TV
Outdoors
Balcony
Beachfront
Outdoor dining area
Patio
Terrace
Parking
Free Private Parking
Parking On Site
Physical distancing
Cashless payment available
Contactless check-in/out
Room Amenities
Iron
Socket near the bed
Sofa bed
Safety & security
Fire extinguishers
Safe
Smoke alarms
Safety features
Access to healthcare professionals
First aid kits available
View
Mountain view
View
Pets are not allowed.
WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.
There's no age requirement for check-in
Come and go whenever you want
Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).
Child policies
Children of all ages are welcome.
To see correct prices and occupancy info, add the number and ages of children in your group to your search.
Crib and extra bed policies
0+ years
The price in NZD has been converted to show you the approximate price in USD.
Additional fees are not calculated automatically in the total cost and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.
The maximum number of cribs, extra beds, and children allowed in existing beds can vary depending on the option booked.
No capacity for extra beds or cribs.
Cash
Mastercard,
Visa,
Cash only,
Eftpos
This property accepts cash.
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