Hotels in Splash Planet
Splash Planet is an outdoor water park in Hastings, on New Zealand's North Island, drawing Hawke's Bay families through the warm months for slides, pools and rides. Most stays sit twenty minutes away in Napier's Art Deco centre, with a handful of closer bases in Hastings and Havelock North for families who want the shortest drive to the gates.
Families searching for hotels near Splash Planet usually base themselves in one of two spots: Napier's seaside Art Deco quarter, a roughly twenty-minute drive north, or closer to the gates in Hastings and neighbouring Havelock North, the wine-country town just south of the park. Splash Planet's outdoor slides and pools run through the Hawke's Bay summer, so most visitors pair a park day with Napier's Marine Parade, the National Aquarium of New Zealand and its Art Deco walking streets, or a Havelock North stop at Te Mata Estate and Craggy Range Vineyards. Napier's hotel cluster gives the widest choice of family suites and spa-style stays; the closer Hastings and Havelock North options trade some selection for a shorter drive on park-day mornings, when a tired toddler in the back seat makes every extra minute count.
Splash Planet in numbers
Family SuitesPorters Boutique Hotel
Havelock North
Spa & WellnessMangapapa Hotel
Havelock North
Family SuitesNavigate Seaside Hotel
Napier
Family SuitesQuest Hastings
Hastings
Family SuitesArt Deco Masonic Hotel
Napier
Family SuitesThe Mayfair
Hastings
Family SuitesEast Pier Hotel
Napier
Family SuitesThe Crown Hotel
Napier
Family SuitesQuest Napier Serviced Apartments
Napier
Family SuitesScenic Hotel Te Pania
Napier
Family Suitesexpressotel
Napier
Near the WaterparkCriterion Hotel Napier
Napier
Family SuitesSwiss-Belhotel Napier
Napier
Family SuitesThe Nautilus
Napier
Family SuitesBluewater Hotel
Napier
Family SuitesLavana Motel
Hastings
Family SuitesComfort Inn Westshore Beach
Napier
Family SuitesCherry Grove Motel
Havelock North
Family SuitesQuality Inn Napier
Napier
What to expect
- Napier's Art Deco hotel cluster, twenty minutes from the park
- Closer bases in Hastings and Havelock North, some within walking distance
- Marine Parade and the National Aquarium of New Zealand for a non-park day
- Havelock North wine country, with Te Mata Estate and Craggy Range Vineyards nearby
- Free parking is common outside central Napier
- Outdoor pools mean a warm-season visit
Local tips
- ✓Book Hastings or Havelock North if you want to walk or take a short drive to Splash Planet rather than the fuller Napier hotel scene, which sits about twenty minutes north.
- ✓Choose Napier if you also want Marine Parade, the National Aquarium of New Zealand and Art Deco streets within walking distance of the hotel on a non-park evening.
- ✓Check whether a stay includes free parking before you arrive with a car full of pool gear, since central Napier options vary more than Hastings or Havelock North.
- ✓Pack for an outdoor park: Splash Planet's pools and slides run in the open air through the Hawke's Bay warm season, so plan around the weather.
- ✓Ask about family or interconnecting rooms if you are travelling with both toddlers and teens, since layouts differ noticeably between Napier's hotels and the motel-style Hastings options.
- ✓Havelock North stays put Te Mata Estate and Craggy Range Vineyards within a short drive, useful for a parents' evening once the kids have had their slides day.
Where to stay
FAQ
Where should we stay to be close to Splash Planet?
Hastings and Havelock North sit closest to the park, with some hotels a short drive or even a walk away, while Napier is roughly twenty minutes north but offers a wider hotel choice and more evening options.
Is Splash Planet within walking distance of any hotels?
A small number of Hastings stays are close enough to reach on foot in under twenty minutes, while most other options near the park need a short drive from Hastings, Havelock North or Napier.
What else is there to do near Splash Planet besides the water park?
Napier offers Marine Parade, the National Aquarium of New Zealand and Art Deco walking streets, while Havelock North is the gateway to Hawke's Bay wine country, with Te Mata Estate and Craggy Range Vineyards nearby.
Is Splash Planet open year-round?
Splash Planet is an outdoor water park, so its pools and slides run through the warmer Hawke's Bay months rather than year-round; check current opening dates directly before booking a stay around them.
Do hotels near Splash Planet offer free parking?
Many hotels in Hastings, Havelock North and outer Napier include free on-site parking, though some central Napier stays charge separately for a car park, so it is worth checking each listing before booking.
Which base suits families with both toddlers and teens?
Napier's larger hotels and serviced apartments tend to offer more family-suite and interconnecting-room options, useful when a toddler's nap schedule and a teenager's later evening need genuinely separate space to work.