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Chelsea House Bed & Breakfast - an award winning welcoming home in Central Whangarei. Awarded the Travel & Hospitality Awards 'Boutique Guest House of the Year in Northland 2023.'

Note- If the dates you are looking for don't appear to be available, please call Jennie on 0276263740 - as presently we are opening our booking calendar on a month by month basis.

We look forward to welcoming you as guests in our beautiful home during your stay with us in Whangarei, Northland. Our home is a large 120+ year old Kauri character filled villa, with many original features including high ceilings, ceiling roses, stained glass windows, polished Kauri floors, and feature fire places. Chelsea House in its past life was well renowned as ‘Chelsea Tea House’. People would come from near and far to enjoy Devonshire teas on the verandah and in the front garden.

The house has two spacious King guest rooms with compact ensuite bathrooms. The Parihaka Room with its high ceilings & ceiling rose & panelled walls is beautifully decorated in a tone to suite the original stained glass windows The Hatea Room also has high ceilings and the French doors lead onto the verandah overlooking the garden, it also has a spacious kitchenette - with everything you need to be a little more self sufficient. (This room has a 2 night minimum stay)

In 2020 we received Trip Advisors 'Traveller Choice 2020' awarded to the top 10% of hotels in the world. In 2021 Booking.com awarded us with a Guest Review Award for our commitment to exceptional hospitality with a rating of 9.8 out of 10. 2023 and we have been awarded winner of Boutique Guest House of the year in Northland for the Travel & Hospitality Awards. In 2025 and we are a 9.7 on Booking.com.

Its almost 8 years since we welcomed our first guests, and we have now hosted over 1800 + happy guests.

Jennie has a passion for clay and you will find her wall art and clay totems in the house and garden (if they haven't been sold) commissions taken.

Check in is available after 3pm and until 9pm. If you could advise Jennie of your ETA that is helpful in planning her day around your arrival.

Should you arrive in Whangarei earlier than 3pm, you could make your way to the Town Marina Basin where you will find the newly opened Hundertwasser Art Centre - bookings essential - https://www.hundertwasserartcentre.co.nz/book-tickets/ galleries, museums, cafes and a lovely walking trail alongside the river. The Quarry Gardens are another option to explore, beautiful subtropical gardens where you can stroll and enjoy the fabulous range of flowers, plants, and trees. The Quail Cafe located in the gardens is open Wed - Sun 9am - 3pm.

Please note as a courtesy to our neighbours and other guests we are unable to accept pets to stay.
We are an adults only property as we are not setup to accommodate children or additional bedding options

Location and nearby attractions

Chelsea House is centrally located on the main road into town. Directly aross the road from us is the Parihaka Scenic Reserve & Mair Park where you can immerse yourself in the beautiful native forest. You can access native bush walks, walking tracks to the picturesque Whangarei Falls, AH Reed Memorial Park where you can walk on a boardwalk amongst 500+ year old maturing Kauri trees, or for the fitter folks - take the track up to the summit and viewing platform for a fabulous view over the city. The Town Basin Marina is just 4mins by car or a walk either through the reserve following the Hatea River Walk or walk down Hatea Drive (where we are located). At the Town Marina Basin you will find the Hundertwasser Art Centre, cafes, restaurants, the latest tourist attraction is the Rolling Ball Clock situated next to the Clock Muesuem, Reyburn Gallery, art galleries & shops.
Walk the 4.2km Hatea Loop walk, admire and visit the Hundertwasser Art Centre, Sculpture Trail Te Matau a Pohe (Bascule) Bridge & the Camera Obscura are just some of the features to explore along the loop.

Whangarei has it's own Kiwi House at Kiwi North with two resident Kiwi. The Quarry Gardens are world class, built by volunteers in an old Quarry. Visit the quirky Quarry Arts Centre or visit the Historical Village in the Maunu countryside. To see more visit www.WhangareiNZ.com

If you are not planning to go to all the way to Cape Reinga you can make Chelsea House in Whangarei your base for two or three days to discover, escape & explore the North. With over 100 beaches in the Whangarei District, you can easily make day trips to many of Northland's stunning beaches, many just 30mins drive from Whangarei at Whangarei Heads or the Tutukaka coast. Or just over an hour away are Paihia & Russell in the Bay of Islands.

5 out of 5 Read reviews

Call +64 276 263 740

83 Hatea Drive, Whangarei
Northland, New Zealand
Email stay@chelsea-house.co.nz

Book now

Chelsea House Bed & Breakfast9.8RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE 2021

“Loved this stay and it would be hard (impossible?) to beat the quality of the service provided by Jennie. Beautiful home and surrounds. Our king room had a kitchen area where the breakfast items were available in a lovely space for dining. The stay in this B&B was so pleasant - but it was especially outstanding in service. Jennie is a rockstar.” ~ Margaret, Feb2025 United States
“Everything was perfect! The room is beautifully decorated and spacious, the kitchenette to this room is well equipped and lovely breakfast options are provided. The bathroom and overall space is spotless, the bed super comfortable and there are chairs on the verandah and garden to hang outside in the sun. Jennie and Tony are amazing hosts, Jennie gave us tons of tips and took time to walk us through NZ and the Whangarei area with several maps. They are extremely friendly and forthcoming, the place feels more like a home than a guesthouse.” ~ Magdalena, Jan2025 Germany
“Amazing! The best BnB Ive ever stayed in. Jennie is an amazing host! The B&B is beautiful and her hospitality is second to none. If you’re thinking about staying in this area I don’t think you will find a better welcome. The breakfast is also plentiful and Jennie makes so much of an effort to make guests feel welcome and have a good stay” ~ Emily, 2024 Auckland/Wales
“Everything was wonderful! You have gone above and beyond in your attention to detail & hospitality. You should teach others how to do B&Bs” ~ John & Linda, Feb 2024 San Clemente, California
“I am pleased to confirm Chelsea House Bed & Breakfast has been selected as our winner for Boutique Guest House of the Year in Northland 2023 This is a great achievement and we’re proud to select you as one of our prestigious winners. We’re one of the few independent global awarding bodies and as such, we always like to share the good news” ~ THA - Travel & Hospitality Awards United Kingdom
“The most wonderful stay! Jennie is a fantastic host. The room was incredibly clean, and breakfast was perfect. Loved the walk into town that Jennie detailed for me as well. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️” ~ Zach, New York Travel Writer, Jan 2023 USA
“How comfortable the room and bed felt. The house was very homely and the hosts were very welcoming and great chatting with. This was my first time B&B and I enjoyed it. Will go back again for sure. Thank you for a great stay and breakfast. You don't even need the small things like shampoo and shower gel everything is all provided. Was awesome!! Great value for your money!!” ~ Anne, 2022 New Zealand
“Worth a visit to Whangarei - just to stay! absolutely everything was tops. hosts Jennie and Tony went out of their way to look after us, including travel tips and destination advice beyond their own region. the breakfast was yummy and included home made gf goodies for me! we were reluctant to leave.” ~ Kerry 2022 Australia
“Excellent in every way, a standard by which others should be judged, a beautiful old kauri villa, comfortable, and quite but handy to all that you could need. Host went out of her way to provide some cleaning materials to allow us to clean a relatives headstone at Maunu cemetery, a simple gesture that meant so much.” ~ Nigel, 2022 Australia
“Great Bed and Breakfast - beautiful old home, super clean with very friendly hosts Chelsea House is a gorgeous old home, beautifully renovated and super clean. The bed was extremely comfortable and the hosts very welcoming and obliging. They went out of their way to be helpful and provided great local knowledge on places to eat and the region. A wonderful stay!” ~ Lozza 2021 Canberra, Australia
“This would have to be the best bnb in NZ. We stayed here 4 nights. From the moment we walked in we felt at home. Jennie explained the history of the old house and then showed us to our room. The room was spacious and extremely clean as was the ensuite. We were given the use of their lounge which had a small table in it. With use of the microwave, plates and cutlery available in a unit in the spacious passage way we were able to buy at the supermarket and cook our own meals. Breakfasts were filling served at the long table in the kitchen. As we didn't eat the croissants Jennie filled the with ham, cheese and tomato for our lunches. As we were away from home for a while I was able to catch up on our washing using their washing machine. Jennie and Tony are superb hosts, there if needed, if not, in the background leaving us to our own devices. We would highly recommend this BnB.” ~ Gayle NZ
“This would have to be the best bnb in NZ. We stayed here 4 nights. From the moment we walked in we felt at home. Jennie explained the history of the old house and then showed us to our room. The room was spacious and extremely clean as was the ensuite. We were given the use of their lounge which had a small table in it. With use of the microwave, plates and cutlery available in a unit in the spacious passage way we were able to buy at the supermarket and cook our own meals. Breakfasts were filling served at the long table in the kitchen. As we didn't eat the croissants Jennie filled the with ham, cheese and tomato for our lunches. As we were away from home for a while I was able to catch up on our washing using their washing machine. Jennie and Tony are superb hosts, there if needed, if not, in the background leaving us to our own devices. We would highly recommend this BnB.” ~ Gayle & Noel, Nov 2020 Matamata
“Congratulations Chelsea House Bed & Breakfast on being a Travellers’ Choice 2020 Winner. Each year, we comb through reviews, ratings, and saves from Travellers everywhere, and use that information to award the very best. You’re part of an exclusive group and we ant to help you celebrate this major accomplishment.” ~ Trip Advisor Trip Advisor, Worldwide
“Gratitude Jen & Tony for sharing your special home just before lockdown. We will be back if only for a proper hug!” ~ Cari & Steve, March 2020 Woodstock, New York, USA
“Thank you for making our visit so marvellous. This is the best B&B experience (air or otherwise!!) we have ever had xx” ~ Lise & Ed, October 2019 Toronto, Canada
“Dear Jennie I want to thank you for hosting me at Chelsea House yesterday. What a treat!! When you get into a new place and meet new people.. there are many options... best to feel comfortable/at ease and relax like you had been there many times and just coming back after a long absence. ALL of these is what you made me feel at Chelsea House. You made me feel a member of your family, offering me tea, coffee, fruits, loaf of freshly baked loaf... with that simplicity and a happy smile on your face. The room was perfect. Breakfast with fresh fruits and yoghurts and baked croissant. No detail missing Helpful is not the word... is much more than that.. its quality time... which makes a BIG difference when you stay in a place like this. At the end it was not just a night I enjoyed .. it was an experience that I loved and appreciate you shared with me. Muchas gracias, Jose” ~ Jose, July 19 Chile
“Jennie & Tony are amazing hosts. I stayed with them for a week whilst starting work at the hospital and I highly recommend Chelsea House B&B to those coming to do the same. They both have years of experience leading tours and this shows in their attention to detail for making their guests truly welcome. I loved staying here and you will too! Highly recommended A***” ~ Adam, June 2019 United Kingdom
“I highly recommend this place!:) Not only is the house absolutely gorgeous (my ideal house for sure.. house goals!) but the hosts were just amazing. Jennie and Tony are a lovely couple who greeted us in their gorgeous house with a warm welcome. The bedroom/bathroom was beautiful a very relaxed atmosphere and comfortable bed.. We had a lovely breakfast and great conversations. Also, cant forget to add this in.. we were staying on the night of my partners birthday and I had told Jennie. she was sweet enough to put up a happy birthday banner in our bedroom. so sweet!:) Thankyou Jennie and Tony, you have an absolutely gorgeous house well done, and thank you so much for your lovely hospitality. you were certainly an addition to our lovely experience of NZ and guys dont even hesitate... pick Chelsea House, you wont regret it:) oh and take on their recomendations to the waterfall its only 5 mins from their house... stunning!! :)” ~ Denise & Nick, May 2019 Adelaide, South Australia
“Hi Jennie and Tony, We are home in the UK after our holiday to NZ and we just wanted to send you a personal thankyou for sharing your lovely house with us and for help to make our time in NZ so enjoyable. Your welcoming, smile, all the ittle extras, and generosity, in both the time you spent with us and information you share with us, will stay in our memory for a long time. Best wishes from us both, Alan and Judith Davidson” ~ Judith and Alan, Feb 2019 United Kingdom
“The HotelsCombined Recognition of Excellence is not a ranking list, but a group of outstanding accommodations chosen based on a strict set of criteria. Chelsea House Bed & Breakfast boasts a high satisfaction rating among guests and travel industry experts, receiving 93 reviews for an impressive rating 10/10. “We are thrilled to be working with the best of accommodation in New Zealand and Chelsea House Bed & Breakfast is certainly among them” said Alberto Castellucchio, market manager of HotelsCombined New Zealand “What is different about the Recognition of Excellence is the way information is gathered and analysed:it all depends on the guest and his or her experience with that particular accommodation.”” ~ HotelsCombined - Recognition of Excellence 2018 United Kingdom
“Accueil chaleureux des propriétaires. Informations très pertinentes sur ce qu'il y a à faire dans la région.Chambre très confortable avec un grand lit King. Petit déjeuner copieux et savoureux.Très bonne expérience.” ~ Patrick & Sylviane, November 2018 France
“We loved our stay here, mainly and especially because of Tony & Jennie” ~ Marcio & Regione, March 2018 Brazil
“Het is een prachtige locatie hier! Als we ooit weer naan NZ komen, komen we zeker hier terug. Prachtig!” ~ Mari en Angeline, Jan 2018 Nederland