Scenic Hotel Southern Cross

Even during peak season, it was very quiet at night, and I'd certainly stay here again. The hotel is centrally located, just a short walk from the shops and other places. The room was large, with plenty of space for luggage. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the restaurant, bar, and cafe gave us a good choice of food.

A booking company error meant the hotel hadn't been told correctly which nights I needed, and my first night was missing. On a Tuesday night in Dunedin, when there was no accommodation available in town, the duty manager could not have been more helpful. They called guests who had not checked in yet to ask if they were still coming, then contacted countless other motels and hotels until they found a place with a cancellation. When I arrived at the southern cross to check in the next night, the manager checked me in and surprised me with the penthouse on the sixth floor. Great service from the southern cross team, making up for an error that wasn't theirs.

The bed was comfortable, but this was a very poor experience and in no way 4 star or luxury. We were booked into a superior double, but it looked much smaller than the photos online. That felt dishonest. The bathroom was small, with a TINY basin, good luck shaving in it, guys. The view was absolutely terrible, just a roof full of aircon and extractor vents, and it was very noisy. Apparently no other room of the same type was available. Room service didn't include hoovering or cleaning the bathroom floor, and our coffee pot was left uncleaned. I won't be back to this hotel or using Scenic again. It's left a very poor impression on us.

The building is very old and you can tell, though it's been well maintained and is a high quality hotel. It's centrally located and the service and staff are fantastic, with lots of little luxuries around the hotel. I'd definitely stay again.