Liz Neal

A beautiful hotel with a great view. The breakfast buffet was wonderful, but I was surprised at how small the dining room was, so that people had to wait. One morning we were directed to a dining room on another floor, which was fine. I was disappointed that the walking trail to the central city was closed and we had to walk the highway sidewalk. We used the shuttle service to and from central city a number of times and luckily, we learned to make reservations. It was very timely and worked well. We had been told it would go to different locations in the city if needed, but that was not correct. But we made it work without any issues.

Upon arriving at this Hotel, it felt more like a Motel 6! It had no character, seemed old and outdated; there was not a patio or any place we could sit to enjoy company with our travel mates. There seemed to be a bar, but it appeared closed and very small. Our room was particularly dreary with a dark brown carpet that invited the belief that it was dirty. I did not feel comfortable stepping with my bare feet on the carpet. The whole building seemed old and outdated. The only plus for the hotel was the breakfast buffet which was very good. The front desk staff were not helpful, and even somewhat rude. I asked about the availability of coffee and maybe some fruit for our very early travels, and they told me to make coffee in my room (which was terrible) and to go to the grocery store before it closed! Maybe it was the tone in which they said it, but it bordered on being rude. Not helpful.

Unfortunately, because of a mistake with our hotel booking, we only had one night here. We noticed immediately that the property was for Sale. Which is rather concerning. The grounds were not well kept. Our room was pretty small and felt crowded. I liked having the patio where we could sit. The dining area was very nice, and we noted that all of the guests were scheduled around each other to allow for private dining at the one table. It was also awkward to get coffee, since it had to be prepared by the staff - not easily available. The breakfast itself was wonderful - we all liked it. The staff was very courteous - we enjoyed many aspects of the property. I don't see the second night where we had to relocate to the Edgewater Hotel! We liked this hotel very much!

This hotel was fantastic, with all of its amenities and the views! It was crowded at times, and we were not able to take advantage of the coffee shop and its patio. It took a little time for us to get familiar with the restaurants and need to make reservations. The breakfast buffet was great, and we did have dinner at the hotel one night - which was likely the most extensive buffet I have seen for options. Our room had a fantastic view of Mt. Cook - we loved it. It would have been nice to have a balcony to be able to sit outside and enjoy the view with a glass of wine.

The Lodge has a lot of character and different room styles. The dining room and outdoor patio are lovely, with a nice fireplace in the dining room. We had thought the Lodge would be closer to the lake than it was, but it was just a short walk. It was very peaceful.

This hotel has a great location, and the room was very clean and modern. We enjoyed the breakfast and our brief stay.

The view from our private Hot Tub was excellent! The staff were courteous. The facility had a great spa feel to it and felt luxurious.

This activity turned out well, and we are grateful for the help of the travel agent the night before to be sure the wine tour did not prevent us from getting to our Hot Tub experience. The Wine tour driver was so courteous and was aware of our time crunch to get from the wine tour to the Hot Tub. He volunteered to drop us off directly at the Hot Tubs and make our schedule work. We are grateful for everyone working to make everything work together. The wine tour itself was interesting and a great way to see the communities near Queenstown and learn about the local wine industry. Our tour guide was excellent and told us a lot of facts about the community and the wine industry. The wineries were interesting and it was a nice way to spend the day.

A beautiful golf course! The course was in great shape and the views were excellent. The staff was courteous, and the club house and dining patio were inviting. We enjoyed the day!

We were not expecting an hour bus drive from Queenstown, but it was a comfortable bus. We liked jet boat experience; it was something we had not done before. The boat driver was obviously an expert! We also enjoyed the funyaks - it was an exciting challenge to steer the boats clear of rocks and other boats. The directions of our funyak guide were at times confusing, but we made it without getting wet! It was an active experience, and I loved the views of the river and the mountains, along with the stories about the filming of the Lord of Rings.

The gondola ride was great! It was not crowded, and we enjoyed the views from the dining room/bar with a couple of drinks.

A nice drive.

The Guided Walk was longer than I anticipated, but it was a lovely walk! The group was larger than I expected also! There were 13 guests and the hiking guide. The waterfall at the end of the hike was great, and the hiking guide was also very good. The walk did seem a little rushed, but I know we were on a schedule to be able to make the Cruise. The Cruise was the favorite part of the activity. It was beautiful to see all of the waterfalls and the steep sides of the sound. The Cruise went further out into the open ocean than I expected. We saw dolphins as we came back into the sound - a real treat!

We don't know what this is.

This trip was a dud! There were no icebergs floating and the glacier was not very recognizable because of all of the dirt. There was no calving of the glacier. Our guide did the best he could and was very knowledgeable. But after the boring 20 minute walk with 40 other people, and then some time in a boat with little to see - it seemed like a waste of time.

We loved the helicopter experience. It was a first for all of us. We had an excellent pilot, and he was great at telling us interesting facts. Our scheduled flight was pushed back a half hour, and we were told to check in an hour before the trip. We waited around for 1 1/2 hours - which was not a great start to the experience.

We enjoyed the views from our room, the glacier boat trip, and the Sir Edmund Hilary museum.

First class hotel. Beautiful room with lots of room, soaker tub and roomy shower. Incredible view of the river. Service was top notch. Pool is incredible but jacuzzi is part of the pool and not very hot. But pool overall was heated so it did not matter so much.

Great location if you want to be off the grid but not much nearby. It was all about the kangaroos and the incredible views. They even upgraded our room which was realty nice. Staff were pleasant and helpful. Hot water turned off on accident one morning but manager Joan (?) got it fixed right away and even offered a bottle of wine as compensation for the inconvenience. A wonderful experience.

Nice hotel, good service, good location. Pool was too cold for outdoor use.

More like a condo than a hotel. Room was nice, especially nice balcony and a washer and dryer. Lots of rules made us a little uncomfortable (extensive charges if you get locked out, if you get reported for noise, etc.) . Pool was nice but jacuzzi was not hot (when we asked, we were told it was a “spa” because it had bubbles and owner did not want to turn up the heat. He said he’d check with management and adjusted the heat but it was only a degree warmer, if that. Bottom of the jacuzzi is so rough it hurts to sit on. As we specifically chose this one one to have a good soak after a long day, it was a definite disapppointment.

Most of the staff were amazing - made you feel special. Needed cream for morning coffee. Got half of an espresso cup at the bar. Next time they said they didn’t have it but I reminded them they did. This time they charge me $5! Not thrilled about. Pool not kept up (always had to get rid of other people’s towels, etc.). Otherwise pleased with the hotel and services.

What a great day! Driver Travis was knowledgeable, pleasant, and passionate about his work. He was a true advocate for the wildlife and their habitat. The penguins were adorable, to say the least. Due to a no- show, we got an upgrade on seating for the best penguin viewing. It was pretty chilly in the evening. A long day but well worth it!

This was a great tour. Garry did an awesome job making sire we got to see all kinds of wildlife while being respectful of them and their habitat. It was an amazing day with lots of beautiful scenery, wildlife, etc. Bus was not so comfortable as seats were narrow and it was quite bumpy in the back. He did a good job of dealing with some challenging guests. Rain limited some of the spectacular views/photo ops but you can’t change that. One of our best days despite the challenges!

Third day we did the honey tasting, lighthouse tour, Antechamber Bay tour, and gin tasting. Honey tasting was nice and lowkey. Lighthouse Tour was interesting with great views. Antechamber Bay was a nice hike with guide Paul who graciously took us last minute. He was pleasant to spend time with and knows all the plants. Gin tasting was interesting, though I don’t think it will turn me into a gin drinker! It’s hard to rate all these activities together.

We did a full day nature tour. Saw lots of amazing things. Driver was knowledgeable and did a great job of getting us to see all the sites but being respectful of the land and wildlife.

The first day we did the Sheep Shearing and Kangaroo Experience activities. The sheep shearing experience included seeing the Kelpie dogs and actual shearing of a sheep. Very interesting and enjoyable. The Kangaroo Experience is basically a guided walk on the property to see the kangaroos when they come out in number in the evening. Learned a lot about the kangaroos.

This was a fun day! Visited four wineries, three for tasting and one for lunch. 7-9 tastings at each winery can be a lot of wine if you drink it all! We had a fun group of people and driver did a great job of remaining professional but enjoying our fun!

We did not see any dolphins and it rained most of the time. Did not even see fish! The mangroves were interesting, not so much the ship wrecks but since there were no dolphins, we had to see something. But, despite the rain, it’s always good to be on the water.

Ours was not a skyrail tour; time in Kuranda and train tour. Fun train ride through beautiful country. History is interesting.

The highlight of our trip! Snorkeling was beautiful! There was quite a current at the first stop but staff was very safety conscious and prepared you well. I used a noodle to make it easier. Did not need a wetsuit but they were available. A very special day. No underwater photos, unfortunately. The boat was awesome with a great non-slip deck.

Please note: this review is for a different tour but it forced me to put in a star review. . We did not do this activity. We did the “Full Day Private Daintree & Cape Tribulation Exclusive Tour (Private Tour).” Tour guide Ben was awesome! Very knowledgeable and passionate.

Please note: this review is for a different tour but it forced me to put in a star review. . We did not do this activity. We did the “Full Day Private Daintree & Cape Tribulation Exclusive Tour (Private Tour).” Tour guide Ben was awesome! Very knowledgeable and passionate.

Great day! Animals at the farm were up close. 500 steps up at the end of the hike was tough but I needed the exercise! Guide Kathy was great, knowledgeable about history and wildlife/plants.

What a fun time. A little stressful as it was my first time surfing at 65 years old! Instructor (Marty, I think) was very patient and took extra time to show us around.

So much fun and saw a lot of whales! Would be a fun cruise even if you didn’t get lucky.

Interesting tour, including history and construction. Did not get to see one smaller theater because guide said there was popcorn on the floor - would have rather seen it before clearing than not at all. Had to check you backpack which was nice in a way but also a bit of a pain. Restaurants at the venue were very crowded!

Great overall tour. Driver Nick (?) was pleasurable and knowledgeable, even suggesting photo opportunities, restaurants, etc.

The hotel is in a great location, within walking distance to many locations in Auckland. The rooms were serviceable and clean, best as a base of operations for city exploration rather than a relaxing retreat.