Te Rata House - All 6 Rooms

I've only known Blayney as a cold place, so walking into a room with the heater already on and an electric blanket to snuggle under made the stay even nicer. The owner has done a beautiful job creating the feel of a grand home. There's real charm here, from the four-poster beds in every bedroom to the polished timber lounge floors. The furniture, fittings, and decorations all finish it off beautifully.

I was happy with my two-day stay and would go back. It was very well priced for what you get. The bed was comfort plus once I figured out how to climb up onto it, and the lounge area was very comfortable too. There's a large TV and decent heating. The kitchen had nearly everything you might need, and continental breakfast, fruit, and other things were supplied. My only issue was the master suite shower taps were so tight that I needed someone else to turn them on for me.

We were three adults staying for three nights. For the first two nights, we had the small, squishy Butlers Room behind the stairs. It was damp, cold, and basic, with one double bed and one single. On the morning of day three, the door handle failed and we were trapped inside. None of us could open it from the room, so all three of us and our belongings had to climb out of the ground-floor bedroom window. Luckily, it was on the ground floor. We messaged the owners early Sunday morning and they offered us another room for the final night. The Westview Room was bigger, brighter, warmer, upstairs, and at the front of the house. It had a four-poster queen-size bed, a single bed, and a chair, and we also used the shared upstairs bathroom. It's a beautiful grand old home with lovely furnishings. The bathrooms were shared with other guests, but we had no trouble or inconvenience using them. It's close to town, and we ended up making the Royal Hotel bistro our regular dinner spot.

At least the bed was comfortable. But the place was cold when we arrived, with not a light on anywhere, and the room was noisy. Keypads beep whenever people go into their rooms. I was really disappointed to find the toilets and shower were shared, since I hadn't seen that mentioned anywhere. Remember to take your hand towel along each time you go, and be prepared to wait for the bathroom.