Hotel Ashburton

The location was good and the staff were nice, but the stay was a letdown for the price. We were there for two nights. The rooms felt dated, the main door was difficult to open and close, and the fridge was noisy and froze some of our food. I also wrongly assumed there’d be a toaster in the room. The pool was dirty, and my son said there was a bad smell at one end, like something had died, so he wouldn’t use it again. On Saturday, while we were trying to relax after lunch before leaving for a party at 2pm, tradespeople were banging, talking and using power tools in the ceiling space. It was really loud. When we left, we had to step over an extension cord outside our door, with work gear and ladders throughout the hallway.

The hotel was basic, but it did the job, and the staff were extremely friendly. We all left the restaurant very full because the food was very good and substantial. Bad weather coming from the west meant we had to leave central Wanaka and head back to the East Coast. With two young children, Ashburton made a logical overnight stop, about four hours’ drive from Wanaka.

The chicken burger was far too expensive. Its brioche bun was burnt, and the chicken pieces were oddly spicy.

A group of us went to the bar for drinks on Saturday night and spent a lot of money. Only one person could drive the courtesy van, and they weren’t available. Poor service.