Kingsgate Hotel Te Anau

I challenged the manager about the problems, and his explanation only made things worse for me. He said the bar shut at 8pm because staff had to start early the next day. Maybe hire more people or use shifts, or replace the odd-job man wandering the corridors 24/7 with an evening barman or porter. The hotel seems to run for staff and management convenience rather than guests. Faulty Towers is alive and well in New Zealand. Have a good day, Basil! We'd come from a rain-soaked Dunedin and picked Kingsgate Hotel Te Anau for its price, free parking, and views. The receptionist was mainly concerned about how we'd pay. There was no lift, and although we were on the first floor, nobody offered help with our heavy cases. Our “Superior King room” had worn, wrinkled dark brown carpet and dour 1970s decor. No air con, only three pillows, and when we asked for a fourth and what made the room superior, reception said the view. What view? Mostly the corrugated restaurant roof, with a tiny sliver of lake through net curtains. The fixed shower head was only 5'6" above the bath, so good luck if you're six feet tall. The mattress was old and lumpy, the TV picture snowy, and the repair we requested for the next day wasn't done. We could hear the next room's activities, including its TV. At breakfast around 8:30 there was no fruit left, so we ate out, and did the same for dinner. We went to the bar for an evening drink with other guests, but it closed at 8pm. Six others and we wanted to sit, relax, and chat, but we were all sent out and told to take our drinks to our rooms like naughty schoolchildren. The hotel seems to cater for coachloads of elderly tourists, who appear to get priority and must be its bread and butter. I could go on, but doubt this review will get through. I tried to find something positive and couldn't. My worst hotel experience in years.

This little hotel is lovely and sits close to the lake. Rebecca, the executive chief, deserves a special mention for arranging great meals that worked for the three people in our group with special dietary needs. Everyone agreed it was the best dinner we'd had so far on our tour.

The woman at reception was lovely and gave us amazing service. The rooms, though, are looking tired and due for an upgrade. The shower curtain wasn't long enough for the bath, even with it tucked inside, so the strong shower spray flooded the bathroom. There's a lot of potential here with some care and attention.

It looked as advertised, clean and tidy, but outdated, with a shower over the bath. Parking by the entrance was a bit difficult, and there are two flights of stairs. At 75, carrying luggage up them wasn't good. I saw a man about my age reach the top with both his and his wife's bag, then miss the first step coming back down. That really didn't seem safe to me.