Bella Vista Motel Te Anau

The worst part of our stay at Bella Vista Te Anau was the way Michael responded when we raised the gas smell. My wife and I had noticed a nasty odour for both days, but only mentioned it on our last night. We just wanted it acknowledged and fixed for future guests, and had no intention of making a fuss. We were worn out after a long drive, especially on Chinese New Year’s Eve, and hoped for a quick conversation. Instead, Michael, who we understood to be the owner, argued with us for about an hour and a half. He kept telling us to shut the windows, close the toilet door, and run the room fan, without apologising or recognising how unpleasant the smell had been. When we asked him to check whether it was still there after we followed his instructions, he got angry that the toilet door had been closed for a few seconds, then said he couldn’t smell anything. He also had a huge fit at my wife and wanted us to leave the toilet light and ventilation on overnight. He even criticised us for having used the heater shortly before. We eventually had to insist that he leave our room. Afterwards, Mina, Michael’s wife, called to apologise and offered an air purifier. My wife was still grateful for how kindly she treated us. Her response was all we had hoped for, and without Mina I would have given one star. The whole experience was disappointing and exhausting, particularly compared with our stay at Bella Vista Christchurch.