Te Anau Lodge

Staff are very helpful! Kym booked some of our excursions and made recommendations on where to take small hikes. Feel like I’ve made a new friend. The rooms are clean and comfortable, though a bit small. We enjoyed spending time in the evening in the library, reading, meeting other guests, and enjoying tea/coffee and delicious homemade treats. Breakfast is homemade and very good!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Te Anau Lodge primarily because the manager, Kim, was such a welcoming host. She had great suggestions like the lake to lake bike trail, good restaurants and other activities. The buffet breakfast was the same every morning so on the fourth morning she offered to cook us something different. We felt like we were staying at a friend's home. The library in the lodge provides complimentary beer and wine and an opportunity to meet and chat with other guests. We highly recommend the lodge.

What a quaint facility. Housed in a former convent, there are eight rooms in the main building and assorted additional rooms in other structures on the property. The breakfasts were served in what had formerly been the convent's chapel. One night we stayed in a railcar that had been outfitted as a bedroom,. It was lot's of fun although don't expect a four star bathroom in an aged railcar. Most importantly, Nick the front desk clerk, manager, housekeeper, breakfast server, and bellman was fantastic. Every query was responded to with accurate information. Every request was fulfilled with attention to detail. If every hotel had someone like Nick, people would never complain about service.

We were. in the gypsy caravan, it was cosy and the website was accurate in terms of setting our expectations, especially in terms of our height! Bed was really comfy and shower, although small was powerful. Setting was lovely. Food supplied in the caravan was exceptional for a continental breakfast. Staff were friendly and very helpful.

We loved our stay here. We stayed in the larger cottage which fit all five of us. It is a quirky place but that added to the adventure. I thought staying in Te Anu was a great idea, made the trip to Milford Sound that much better. Here is an extra shout-out to Kym who even offered a Christmas dinner!!! She is a rockstar.

Kim was amazing and so accommodating! The room was so clean and tidy. The property was unique and well maintained. Loved the complimentary snacks and drinks and the hot breakfast was a perfect way to start the day. would highly recommend.

A few accommodations in the world are destinations in themselves. The Te Anau Lodge is one of them. The place is lovely but what makes it special are the staff, particularly Kym, who is warm, funny, ridiculously helpful and knowledgeable and adopts folks she likes. I was lucky and got adopted. It wouldn’t be right for everyone. The lodge is quirky and personal, like visiting your coolest but slightly wacky aunt who before you knew it took over your vacation. If you’re an introvert or just wanted to be left alone, it could be everything you didn’t want. I fell madly in love with the place. I stayed two nights in the Cathedral Room, and one night in the train carriage. The Cathedral Room is lovely, with an elegant old-fashioned bathroom and spa, but which specific room in the main lodge you take is less important than you might think; you probably will spend more time when you’re not sleeping in the common rooms. I love trains, so the train car was a special experience; having a whole car to myself like Diamond Jim Brady. I absolutely loved it, and would stay there the entire time on a future visit. This a real train car, with a steep ladder to enter it and *most* things modernized. It would likely not work for folks with mobility issues. The Lodge is well-kept up, and thoughtfully appointed with a friendly international staff, but the feeling is more personal and homey than chic and luxurious. Breakfast is a buffet, and if the place had any weak spot, it was that breakfast didn’t change from day to day. That was not a dealbreaker. The Lodge has nice views, but it isn’t lakefront. You see the lake unobstructed, but at a distance). The wonderful but slightly crazy grounds include sculptures, pavilions and a carousel they are renovating. You can stay in it. It has clowns. If you want to spend your night in a Stephen King novel, be my guest. Te Anau is well-situated (better than Queenstown) to tour both Milford and Doubtful Sound, and the Lodge will happily assist with either, and give good advice. If your schedule allows, don’t just stay here overnight. Stay long enough to actually take in the lodge itself, as well. Sitting in the library or at breakfast, talking to other guests or the staff is part of the reason for being here. Two to three nights is perfect. I took away great, warm memories; it was so much more than just a place to stay. I’m only sorry I didn’t get to meet the lodge’s owner, Mark, as well as Kym. You kind of want to know a mind that would own a Museum of Languages in Paris, or dream up a place like this.

we stayed in the Mararoa Homestead and it was great for our family of 4. We were able to cook our own dinner, do a bit of laundry . Beds are confortable and breakfast was very nice. We received great help and advices to book our Milforld Sound visit ( that we could book via the lodge). Thanks a lot for the nice advices!