Rendezvous Heritage Hotel Queenstown

The front desk team deserve a lot of credit. The bed was comfortable, and there’s a nice pool and Jacuzzi beside the fitness room. You can pay for garage parking or use the free spaces across the street. Internet was the frustrating part: although the hotel had three SSIDs, none worked well in our room. A hotel representative came up to check and couldn’t get a signal on his phone either. The hotel sits uphill and a little outside the centre. We walked about 1.5km each way for dinner, though public transport is an option and parking in town is hard to find.

The room and shared spaces were in rough shape, which was a real letdown for a Christmas stay my husband and I had been looking forward to. We paid $777 NZ a night plus parking, but furniture was chipped, the walls badly scuffed, surfaces dusty, and there were handprints on the headboard. The conditioner bottle was empty when I found it mid-shower, the bathroom smelled musty, and there was animal poop on the balcony and chair. The lobby and restaurant had an overpowering smell that I couldn’t tolerate for more than five minutes, so anyone with allergies should take note. The hot tub was always too full to use. We asked about paying for a higher room category, but they were fully booked. They did move us to a higher floor, which helped a little, but I still felt misled by the price. The photos make the hotel look much nicer than it is, and booking sites may show the best room rather than what you get. The view was good and the bed was comfortable. I’d think carefully before booking, especially for a holiday or special occasion.

The room felt a little worn, but the meals were a real bright spot. Breakfast was excellent, as was dinner, and the staff were all friendly, polite and fantastic. If your rate only includes the room, you can pay for breakfast in advance and save a few dollars. They start serving at 6am, handy for an early departure.

The views were stunning, and the staff were always smiling, helpful and amazing. Room assignments could have used more thought: people without kids got balconies, while those of us with kids had neither a balcony nor a couch. It’s pricey, like the rest of Queenstown, but I’d recommend the heritage for a wedding if you can afford it. I’d have rated it five stars with a little more care around room allocation.