Tekapo 1929 - Starry Unit

That was our worst night in New Zealand, and thankfully we only booked one night at the Starry Unit. The room smelled so bad we felt nauseous. It was a mix of stale air, food odors, and the awful smell of old furniture that seemed to be rotting. With so many mosquitoes outside that evening, and no mosquito nets, we couldn’t open the room up to air it out. I wouldn’t recommend staying there at such a high price.

The front view was the one decent part, despite the very untidy yard. We stayed in the Pennscroft room, in an old house that’s been divided into sections, and the rate felt outrageous for what we got. The room smelled musty, and the furniture was cracked and broken. Some of the plates were chipped, too. They expect you to wash the dishes before leaving or pay an extra cleaning charge, but there’s no sink, so you have to use the bathroom basin. The walls between rooms are thin wood, which means you can hear everything the neighbours do.

The location is amazing, but that’s the only good thing. Don’t spend your hard-earned money on this overpriced wreck. The bathroom was mouldy, the shower drain was broken, and the coffee was freeze-dried with no milk. The furniture was in very poor shape. We couldn’t sit in the lounge because smoke from guests staying in the other half of the house came through. And more.

The best part was the location. Otherwise, this felt like a money grab: it was far too expensive, and the house smelled of cooking oil. Not a great stay.