The Grahamstown Inn is one of Thames' best-known historic hospitality venues, occupying the building long known as The Junction Hotel at 700 Pollen Street in the heart of the old Grahamstown precinct. The hotel traces its origins back to 1869, making it one of the surviving landmarks from Thames' gold rush era, when the town briefly rivalled Auckland in population.
The Junction Hotel took its name from its location at the point where the original settlements of Grahamstown and Shortland met. During the gold boom of the late 1860s and early 1870s, the area was the bustling centre of one of New Zealand's richest goldfields, and the hotel became a gathering place for miners, traders, travellers and townsfolk.
Today the hotel operates as The Grahamstown Inn, combining accommodation with a popular restaurant & bar. It is known for its relaxed, homely atmosphere, its dining and functions, and a range of rooms from singles and twins to a queen suite and a family room. The building retains its historic character while serving as a modern hospitality venue for locals and visitors exploring the Coromandel region.
On 700 Pollen Street, in the heart of Thames' old Grahamstown precinct, The Grahamstown Inn occupies one of the town's best-known historic buildings. Long known as The Junction Hotel, the inn traces its origins back to 1869, making it one of the surviving landmarks from Thames' gold rush era. Today it pairs all that heritage with the things travellers actually want: clean, comfortable rooms, an on-site restaurant & bar, and a relaxed, homely atmosphere.
The Junction Hotel took its name from its location at the point where the original settlements of Grahamstown and Shortland met. During the gold boom of the late 1860s and early 1870s, this corner of Thames was the bustling centre of one of New Zealand's richest goldfields. When Thames was at the height of the rush, the town briefly rivalled Auckland in population, and The Junction Hotel stood at the centre of that activity.
Hotels played an important role in the social life of early Thames, and this one became a regular gathering place for miners, traders, travellers and townsfolk. More than 150 years later, the building remains a living reminder of the town's pioneering past and the era when Grahamstown was one of New Zealand's busiest mining settlements. Staying here means sleeping inside a genuine piece of Coromandel history.
The inn offers eight room types within the historic building. Solo travellers can take the Single, which comes with a private ensuite, TV and WiFi. Couples can choose between the Double, with its own ensuite, TV and WiFi, and the Queen room, which adds a bath to the ensuite. The Triple offers a double and single bed with a private ensuite bathroom, while the Queen Suite hosts up to three guests.
Families are well looked after too. The Family room combines a double bed with bunk beds, sleeping up to four people in one space. For budget-conscious travellers, twin rooms are available with shared bathroom facilities, one of them with the added convenience of a TV and WiFi. Whichever room you pick, guests consistently describe the spaces as clean, comfortable and well set up.
Alongside its accommodation, The Grahamstown Inn operates a popular restaurant & bar and hosts functions in the historic building. The team describes the mood as relaxed and homely, and the inn serves as a modern hospitality venue for locals and visitors exploring the Coromandel region alike.
Guest feedback fills in the picture. One business traveller described a spotless room, a comfortable bed and WiFi reliable enough for video calls, with check-in quick and easy. A family staying several nights praised the clean, spacious rooms and staff who were kind and helpful with local tips. A couple on a weekend away called their room cozy and quiet, and noted it was close to great restaurants.
The Pollen Street address puts the inn in the heart of the old Grahamstown precinct, a handy base for exploring Thames and the wider Coromandel region. Whether you are passing through on a Coromandel road trip, in town for work, or tracing the district's gold mining past, you will be staying in a building that watched Thames grow from a gold rush boomtown into the relaxed coastal town it is today.
Rooms can be booked through the inn's online booking system, and the team can be reached by phone or email with any questions about accommodation, dining or functions. For a stay with a genuine story attached, few places in Thames can match this one.