On dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair. Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air. Up head in the distance I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim. I had to stop for the night – Hotel California Eagles – 1976.

In a world of craft bars, cocktail bars, champagne bars, even (shock horror) booze-less bars, it is nice to find a pub that is well a pub. Which is not to say the Hotel Motueka hasn’t a lot to offer.

A quick peek at the Hotel Motueka Facebook page, which is regularly updated, shows a venue which offers punters all the things you expect of ‘yeah old actual pub’ e,g. pub food, live music, darts, pool table, pokies and of course beer and wine. A closer examination of the page answers the questions as to why the Hotel Motueka has its own theme tune and why it sung so loudly proudly and frequently by their many loyal locals (“The Hotel Motuka Such a lovely place…”).

Be it entertainment food or bevies the Hotel Motueka offers variety at all levels. This ranges in term of their entertainment from regular Sunday sessions, highly attended Karaoke nights, rocking live bands, raucous hens nights, boxing plus regular hosting of pay for view sport events on their big screens. Food ranges from super hot pizzas, sizzling crunchy chicken wings, real bloke steaks, roasts and other regular menu specials. Plus the obligatory meat raffle which are traditional in all true blue pubs.

The Hotel Motueka is a grand old dame. She has seen and experienced it all and in 2019 when a once in a century hail storm hit Motueka the hotel stayed open during it all. Owner Vincent Sibbald a publicans publican simply moved diners to the driest spots and turned out lights where the water was pouring in .“As soon as I saw the water coming through onto the carpet, I got out a bottle of detergent because if it’s going to be wet I might as well clean it.” Jokes aside at the Hotel Motueka the show always goes on and crisis adverted the roof was re-roofed and Vincent carried on with his never ending upgrade of the Hotel.

Attention to detail, be it scummy pub grub or tidy affordable rooms, is what make the Hotel Motueka such a lovely place you will never want to leave. Just as well they have plenty of room.