Murrells Grand View House — Hotel in Fiordland Community

From the time we placed the booking until the morning we departed, Phillipa and Rob Murrell could not have been better hosts! Upon booking, Philippa sends a personal welcome note providing greatly appreciated information about the accommodations, the area, and restaurant recommendations. Upon arrival, Rob greeted us, showed us around the property, and took keen interest in what we were interested in doing during our stay even recommending and facilitating the best possible boat tour of Milford Sound (we were on a great boat with many other individual travelers and were NOT cattle-car escorted on to an oversized and overly crowded bus-charter boat)! He also pointed out many great day walks (hikes) that we were able to take on our 2-day stopover in Manapouri! The biggest surprise was the amazing walk right outside the Grand View House which was an overall about 4k return walk through densely forested area which then opened up to a beautiful beach side area complete with multiple family of geese and unobstructed views! Don't even get me started on the lovely breakfast and homemade pastries baked up with extra love by Phillipa! They make a great duo but we know who does the heavy lifting, Phillipa (wink!). Rob also provided great engagement and some NZ-style comedic relief! While in Manapouri don't forget to visit possibly the world's most famous tiny bookshop, The Wee Bookshop (kept by acclaimed author, Ruth Shaw). With a population of only 222, Manapouri is the perfect kick-back stay with the greatest accessibility to Milford Sound and Te Anua. We will be back! Jane and Chris (Seal...

We had an excellent stay at Murrells Grand View House! This is a beautiful, spacious and secluded property right in the centre of Manapouri. This was the perfect location and base for our Fiordland adventures. Easy two hour drive (plus stops) to Milford Sound for a day trip and a 5 min walk to the RealNZ Doubtful Sound cruise departure point for another day trip. Only 15-20 min drive to Te Anau where we had dinner one night based on their recommendations, which was great. We also enjoyed time spent walking around Manapouri along the lake (accessible from the property) and sitting on the house's veranda looking at the views with a cuppa.||Our room was very clean, comfortable, and cosy, and stocked with everything we needed for an enjoyable stay. We absolutely loved our daily interactions with Rob - he is friendly and welcoming, and kept us up to date with accurate weather reports using his local knowledge. We truly appreciated his flexibility with breakfast timing and sitting in the house's dining room each morning was a wonderful treat. Delicious fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereal, and toast was available, along with a filling cooked to order breakfast to fuel us well for the day's adventure. Homemade bakery goods were also enjoyed with a big pot of tea. ||This is a fantastic place to stay if you're looking for a central location run by a wonderful family that is accessible to Fiordland adventures and balanced with opportunity for relaxation. We highly recommend this accommodation and would...

We had an excellent stay at Murrells Grand View House! This is a beautiful, spacious and secluded property right in the centre of Manapouri. This was the perfect location and base for our Fiordland adventures. Easy two hour drive (plus stops) to Milford Sound for a day trip and a 5 min walk to the RealNZ Doubtful Sound cruise departure point for another day trip. Only 15-20 min drive to Te Anau where we had dinner one night based on their recommendations, which was great. We also enjoyed time spent walking around Manapouri along the lake (accessible from the property) and sitting on the house's veranda looking at the views with a cuppa.

Our room was very clean, comfortable, and cosy, and stocked with everything we needed for an enjoyable stay. We absolutely loved our daily interactions with Rob - he is friendly and welcoming, and kept us up to date with accurate weather reports using his local knowledge. We truly appreciated his flexibility with breakfast timing and sitting in the house's dining room each morning was a wonderful treat. Delicious fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereal, and toast was available, along with a filling cooked to order breakfast to fuel us well for the day's adventure. Homemade bakery goods were also enjoyed with a big pot of tea.

This is a fantastic place to stay if you're looking for a central location run by a wonderful family that is accessible to Fiordland adventures and balanced with opportunity for relaxation. We highly recommend this accommodation and would...