Marina Apartments

The Remarkable Mountain Range looked breathtaking, with beautiful views across the lake and down it. We spent lovely mornings, afternoons and evenings in the sun on the balcony. A friendly Tui came to visit and enjoyed the Harakeke (flax) flowers. The apartment was very comfortable, the hosts were fab, and we really enjoyed staying here. We'd definitely come back. Thank you.

We'll be glad to leave. The toilet started backing up on our last night, and during the stay we also had no power on day two. With no staff on site, it was a huge hassle to get hold of someone. The person who came was nice and said power problems happen often, but the company later claimed it had never happened before. The carpark lights were as bright as a football stadium, so we had to buy a throw rug to block them out. The room was brighter at night than in daylight. The shower has a small lip that I nearly broke my toe on a few times. The company didn't seem sorry about any of it. They offered to refund the $5 for the rug, but weren't willing to take responsibility for the problems. For what they charge per night, I expect a room where we can sleep, with working power and a bathroom that isn't dangerous.

Room 301 gave us a reasonable to nice view of the lake and marina. It's in the back block, but there's enough of a gap between the front two blocks to see through. Some apartments might not have a view. The apartment itself was delightful, roomy and equipped with a full kitchen, lounge, two bedrooms with comfortable king beds, and the amenities we needed, including a washer, dryer and dishwasher. The basic kitchen gear was enough for our six-day stay. We were concerned after reading earlier reviews, since we'd booked before looking at them, but our concerns proved unfounded. Email and text instructions covered everything, so we didn't need to speak with management. We were more than satisfied and would absolutely stay again at Marina Apartments. I feel some of the earlier reviews were sour grapes, for whatever reason.

The location is genuinely good, right by the lake, near Queenstown, and surrounded by beautiful scenery. You know about the nearby airport when you book. But we stayed three nights and needed somewhere to sleep between our planned activities, and getting a good night's rest was nearly impossible. Strong lights from the parking spaces shone through the inadequate curtains. The room was so bright at night I could've read without switching on a light. One of my photos shows the window at 4:47 am. The room also felt old and in need of renovation. The carpet was dirty around the edges, and the toilet seat didn't fit properly. The bathroom had a missing handle on one window, so it never closed properly on both sides. The towel rack sat directly above the toilet at head height. I hit my head badly on it and started bleeding. A real disappointment: good location, but poorly maintained rooms and hardly any chance to sleep properly.