Fiordland Hotel

The room was clean, the bed comfortable, and the staff were friendly and willing to help. Breakfast was adequate, and the location was handy and quiet. The price won’t break the bank. But calling this hotel tired doesn’t go far enough, it’s exhausted!

We were pleasantly surprised by this budget stay. The building is older, but the rooms were clean and had what we needed, including tea, coffee and a fridge. Families have plenty to do in the large lounge, with free foosball, table tennis and pool. Breakfast is an easy self-serve setup, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The bird sanctuary nearby has rare takahe, and the lake, food options and groceries are just around the corner. We also took a day trip to Mirror Lakes and Milford.

The view was stunning, and we enjoyed the on-site breakfast, which offered either a continental option or a full buffet. The staff were great, and our room was clean, with fresh linen, towels and amenities. The hotel is definitely aging and could use a coat of paint, but we chose not to dwell on the exterior. If you’ve read the reviews, including the booking-site ones, and still decide to stay, JUST BE KIND 🤗. It’s delightfully unhinged, as Moira Rose would say ❤️.

We wouldn’t recommend this hotel. During our two-night stay it was probably the most disappointing place we stayed. I knew it was a budget hotel, but wasn’t ready for how dated it felt. There was a fan running when we entered, and we soon found the room smelled really funky whenever the fan was off and the window closed. It reminded me of hotels I visited as a child, and it seemed little had been refurbished since its heyday. There’s no lift, and I was in a moonboot because of a fractured ankle, so getting to and from the room was difficult. My husband had the added strain of carrying both our cases up the stairs.