Distinction Dunedin Hotel

We stayed in a suite at the Distinction hotel, which was spacious and really comfortable. It’s well placed for walking around, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Breakfast had a good range, though I would’ve liked crisper bacon and the sausages were only okay. Having HP sauce was a bonus! We’d recommend the hotel. Thanks for a lovely stay in Dunedin.

We were left without a room for a while after the receptionist couldn’t find my reservation. I’d booked through Agoda, and she said the hotel no longer worked with them. Even after I gave her the booking number and showed the reservation in my Agoda app, she still couldn’t locate it and told me to ask Agoda for a refund. I was shocked, especially as every other hotel was booked that day. After a long search, we managed to get one night at the Airbnb where we’d stayed before, and they kindly took us in. Then Agoda customer service contacted me and said the hotel had suddenly found my reservation. I still don’t know if the problem was with the hotel or Agoda. I’ve never had anything like this happen, and it was a really unpleasant experience.

We’ve stayed at The Distinction several times and had never found fault before, so this visit was disappointing. The studio suite we booked was the only room available, and at check-in we were told it had been upgraded. Unfortunately it was right by the elevator, and even with the doors between us shut, we kept waking whenever it moved. Later, as we went down to eat and use our complimentary drinks voucher, the lift smelled strongly of rotten fish. The smell was much worse on the ground floor, so we couldn’t go near the restaurant and went out for a meal instead. This is the second visit spoiled by that same strong fish smell. It makes me think the chef may not know how to store or prepare fish properly. The hotel is lovely apart from these two problems, but I’m not sure we’ll return.

The room was extremely comfortable and nicely appointed, and the car park was very handy, close to town. Food and service were A1, and we couldn’t fault the staff. We stayed over the New Year holiday, got good value, and had a relaxing, enjoyable break. We’ll be back.