While I was in New Zealand, one of the most responded-to Instagram Stories was about the airplane hotel that I stayed in. I was so happy to see that so many people were as intrigued by it as I was! Staying overnight in an airplane wasn’t on my travel bucket list until I knew of its existence. I booked the airplane stay at Woodlyn Park almost immediately after we confirmed New Zealand as one of our honeymoon destinations.
But wait! Woodlyn Park in Waitomo offers more than just accommodations in an airplane. Here are details on the Airplane Hotel plus 3 other unique stays in the area.
Where is Woodlyn Park?
Woodlyn Park is in Waitomo, about 2 hours south of Auckland, New Zealand. It’s famous for the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and the Otorohanga Kiwi & Nature Bird Park. A lot of people will go to the Hobbit Movie Tour Set, then head down to the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and end up needing lodging near the Waitomo area. Hotel accommodations are minimal in the small town of Waitomo, so we decided to go somewhere unique with some character: Woodlyn Park!
The Airplane Hotel
As you can see, we chose to stay inside the airplane! The Airplane Hotel is a real airplane that was used in the Vietnam War as a cargo plane for the British. They hauled it to Waitomo and made it into 2 hotel rooms, both with 2 beds and 1 bathroom. Crazy, right?
While I didn’t get the opportunity to see the insides of the other options at Woodlyn Park Waitomo, here are all the accommodations they have:
- Airplane (2 rooms)
- Hobbiton House (2 rooms)
- 100 Year Old Train (1 room)
- Ship “Waitanic” (5 rooms)
Amenities at The Airplane Hotel
If you haven’t figured it out by now, Woodlyn Park isn’t a 5-star luxury stay. You’re there for the unique and quirky experience that you may not get anywhere else. It’s very quaint, there’s only 1-2 staff on-site and get this, no wi-fi in the rooms! Wi-fi is available and complimentary only in the lobby building, which closes anywhere between 3-5 PM. Reception is also very questionable and from our experience, we could barely get 3G from our plane room. Parking is free, assigned, and right outside your room.
What do you think of this unique accommodation? Would you try it? Like I mentioned earlier, it’s not a 5-star luxury stay by any means but I absolutely loved staying somewhere so unique! There’s no way this type of experience exists in at least the United States because it was not ADA friendly whatsoever. The other hotels or motels in the Waitomo area were very standard so if you’re going to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and looking for a place to stay that’s memorable, consider Woodlyn Park and you won’t regret it!
Information:
Woodlyn Park
Address: 1177 Waitomo Valley Rd, Waitomo 3977, New Zealand
Phone: 64 (0) 7878-6666
Website: http://www.woodlynpark.co.nz/
Parking: Free parking on-site
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Glad you did a full post on this. That room looks so cool! I really wish I'd known about this place while I was in NZ. Definitely something fun & different.
Isn't it awesome?! Maybe next time you go back you can go out there! It really was such a unique experience! Thanks for stopping by, Courtney! xo
This is definitely something different! It would be a whole other experience staying here and the lack of wi-fi might just be a good thing.
How cool is that? We'd love to stay in a plane, for sure, but the train is pretty tempting, too. Hmmm…wonder if we could use our GoGo Inflight Wi-Fi subscription? 😉
This is awesome! I love things like this that are a bit out of the norm. Thanks for sharing 🙂 #flyawayfriday
Okay this might just be the most amazing accomdations I have seen yet! What a fun place to stay, thanks for sharing your amazing pictures and story!
Valerie
This is so cool! I recently saw a show on interesting homes and there was one in LA that has a plane wing as a roof and I really wanted to visit that place. But staying in an actual Vietnam War plane would be something else entirely! #FlyawayFriday
I would absolutely stay here. My husband and son are both crazy into airplanes so when we ever get the chance to visit New Zealand, we will definitely check this place out! #FlyAwayFriday
I just finished writing a post about how me and my husband seek the oddball and wacky when we are vacationing! This would be right up our alley. We hope to get to New Zealand one day. I am definitely making a note of this unusual place!
This is so cool! Idk if I can go without WiFi though lol
This is so cool! I love that you stayed in a plane. Thank you for doing a full post on this very unique experience. #FlyAwayFriday
This is so cool! I didn’t even know this existed. You have stayed in some really cool places. I’m going to be in New Zealand in June and I definitely am going to have to take check this out. It looks amazing!
Ok, so, I wasn't expecting something like this to exist. I have seen an airplane converted to a cafe in Costa Rica but a hotel room inside an airplane is totally different. I love the all the quirky transportation methods they have converted into rooms. I imagine the place will keep growing. #FlyAwayFriday
This looks like so much fun! What a good idea to have various unique accommodation options all available at one property. The plane looks very cool. I'm thinking my boyfriend would probably opt for the Hobbiton house! 🙂 #flyawayfriday
What a unique concept! only problem is that our family wouldn't be able to choose one. I'd want the Hobbit House, my son the train and my daughter the ship. #FlyAwayFriday
Very interesting! I tend to think of accommodations as just somewhere to sleep at night when I travel, but it would be cool to stay at a themed hotel!
I love the idea of staying in such a cool repurposed spot, and after the seeing the interior, I'm even more tempted. Seeing the outside at first, I had a 'roughing it' vibe but the pics had me pleasantly surprised. I'd definitely stay here.
Wow that is so cool! We can't wait to visit New Zealand and I would love to stay in the train in particular as that my husband loves trains!
What a cool hotel! I love staying in unique spots. I really want to see the North Island! Next trip to NZ 😀
That sounds like such an awesome experience. I love unique hotels like that! #FlyAwayFriday
Oh wow, this is so cool! All the rooms sound interesting. 😀
Teesh ♥ Adventures of Cupcake Girl