We are located in the heart of the Haast UNESCO World Heritage Area on the West Coast of New Zealand.
Our motels provide self-contained accommodation for couples, families, and groups.
Haast Beach Motel is the only accomodation in Haast that is just one minute’s walk to the stunning Haast Beach!
Come and catch a beautiful sunset…
We have a range of single and double-storey motel units all with self-contained kitchenettes.
Our motels are great for couples, for families or groups. Private beach access is a few minutes walk away through the dunes.
Children under 1 year of age stay for free (free cot & highchair available).
Choose your unit & book your stay today!
The lower south west corner of the South Island is internationally recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This area was deemed significant as it is a pristine example from when NZ was part of ancient Gondwana, over 80 million years ago. This vast landscape contains huge stands of mature beech and podocarp trees; is a haven to endangered bird species including the kiwi, takahē and is also home to the cheeky kea. World Heritage status is reseved for places with deep significance and importance (such as the Pyramids of Egypt!) and supports their preservation. The wilderness around Haast is unique due to its pre-historic links and it’s pristine condition.
Haast has many amazing bush walks, lasting from a couple of days to just a few minutes. Be rewarded with hidden beaches or booming waterfalls; take a stroll down the majestic Haast Beach in time for a breathtaking sunset; visit historic Jackson Bay and the Pioneers Cemetery or drop in at the DOC centre to learn about the history, geology, flora and fauna that makes us so special! Local companies offer amazing opportunities to take a helicopter flight or jet boat trip to explore parts of our incredible landscape most never see.
All our room have an ensuite bathroom and kitchenette cooking facilities. We offer studios for couples or two storey motels, sleeping up to 6 people for larger groups.
Whether you are fishing, hiking, or experiencing adventure activities in the Haast area, Haast Beach Motel is an ideal place to base yourself.
The motels have been in the Johnston family for nearly 60 years after the family arrived in Haast in January 1967. When Nicola’s parents (and their 5 children) moved to Haast to run the original business there was only a service station, general store and a guest house with a dining room, Haast was a truly remote frontier town. The tiny road-working settlement here at Haast Beach was the only “town” in those days, before part of the town was moved to the current location of the Haast Township on SH6 in the late 1970’s.
Back then the local economy consisted mainly of farming, wild venison recovery and processing, commercial fishing, timber milling, and of course white baiting.
Isolated by a rugged mountain range, wild weather and erratic road access, this narrow stretch of the West Coast really was the ‘middle of nowhere’.
The final challenging section of road linking Haast with the rest of the West Coast was completed in 1967. The road from Wanaka to Haast via the Haast Pass was established in 1966.
The area has undergone significant changes over the years and while Haast is still well known for beef cattle and famous for its whitebait, there is now a greater focus on wilderness conservation and tourism.
