Lime Tree Lodge — Hotel in South Island

We stayed here for three nights and it was a very mixed experience because of the way the facility is run. The facility itself is magnificent but the maintenance is so bad that it substantially detracts from the experience. The negatives start at check-in. Everywhere else on our trip hosts have gone out of their way to advise us of local facilities' activities etc ,here we were handed a map and a laminated sheet with some restaurants recommended but not a brochure in sight for the many attractions in the place, and no time spent welcoming us. In the bedroom there was a laminated sheet saying that the safes do not work and that Netflix is accessible on the TV . The latter is not true( despite the efforts of both the proprietor and the proprietor's young son). Netflix could not be accessed and the warning regarding the safes is correct but clearly this has been the way for some considerable time.

It had been a hot day so I went to the communal kitchen to find the cold drinks and ice making fridge freezer. I pressed for ice and plenty was made but nothing happened. I opened the door and a shower of ice landed on the floor. The equipment was blocked with old ice which had closed over the piping. The quantity of ice suggested it had not been cleaned in ages. I cleaned that up and went and to join my wife who was complaining at the amount of bird poo on the garden table and chairs where we wanted to eat later. She cleaned it up herself. It took about 10 minutes to lock the door to the garden from our bedroom. I think I succeeded on the 10th attempt. The mechanism is so loose the locking action only works sporadically.

We were glad of the slippers provided as the path to the pool was covered with rabbit droppings and garden dirt. The pool was dirty and full of leaves at one end but the hot tub was very enjoyable. The whole pool area looks neglected with no evidence of sweeping or cleaning. In one corner of the pool there is a pool cleaning machine frantically cleaning one end but it's piping is so tied in knots it cannot clean all the pool especially where the leaves and dirt lie on the bottom. The suite of rooms we had been allocated were splendid with three beds in two bedrooms but the kitchen was very poorly equipped. We had three eating utensils each, two side plates, one dinner plate and two cups and saucers. We had intended to self cater but there the lack of kitchen implements made this impossible. See the photographs attached. We found a leaflet recommending a local Asian restaurant with a ten euro voucher but the offer ran out in 2022. The bathroom is magnificent with well-functioning underfloor heating. There are two wash hand basins but on arrival, the kitchen plug had been provided for both basins. It didn't fit.We told the owner and after a delay of a few hours another was produced. It didn't fit. The day after another was produced which worked. We made do with the one.

Despite its perfect surroundings and short distance to Wanaka, we cannot recommend staying here. The tourist information centre in Wanaka is fantastic. Rochelle couldn't have been more helpful and gave us wonderful advice on local walks and excursions. Show quoted...

Located about 5k outside Wanaka, Limetree Lodge is a quiet little B&B. Our room was excellent. We had a large bedroom with a decent bathroom with garden patio and access to a small pool and Jacuzzi onsite. Sachi is new to the property and works hard to ensure her guests are well attended to. Sachi provided a decent cooked breakfast on both mornings of our stay. ||Lime tree lodge has lots of potential to make this a 5* venue. As it stands, it is a decent B&B at a 3/4~level. To make this a 5 Lodge, a number of things need to be addressed. |1. On arrival, at check-in, guests should be provided with a quick overview of the facilities they have access to - the use of the kitchen, lounge, pool and Jacuzzi, check out time etc. |2. Reception needs to be manned at specific times so guests are not waiting. Suggest this could be during specific times which are communicated to guests in advance so that staff can attend to other work. The general entryway could do with a spruce-up. Remove dead plants in pots and replace with living specimens. Planting in the area to freshen and indicate that the place is cared for same as the likely gardens. |3. Our room was not cleaned during our stay but towels were replaced (even though we hung them up to indicate we were happy to reuse). I would have been ok with this had I know that was the policy but this was not communicated. |4. I was concerned that we were so far from the town when we arrived. This was actually not an issue as Sachi called us a cab (she kindly offered to drive us) and it was only $25. The restaurant called us a taxi to get home and the price...

The website is very misleading. "From gourmet breakfasts and complimentary aperitifs to dinners featuring the best of Central Otago produce, we have everything covered for you. Our love of good food and wine is evident as you are treated to delicious home baking, pickles and preserves, served with carefully selected regional delicacies." There is no onsite kitchen! The host will cook you breakfast but it didn't sound very appertising. From what I could understand if we had arranged it they would have organised a chef to come out and cook for us. Uber eats wont deliver but the host did offer to run us into town if required. The host was very accomodating, the unit was massive, a huge bathroom, comfortable super king bed and lounge. There was some cooking facilities in our room. No tv in the lounge room and the tiny tv in the bedroom had no free to air let alone pay tv. The pool needed a good clean and the spa was dirty and tepid. Shame as it was a hot day but I still jumped in for a quick dip but left after looking at the surface of the water. Our patio tiles were uneven and needed realying as they are a trip hazard. Overall it is a great spot, pleasant host, lovely views but it didn't live up to the website hype or the price tag. Shame as a bit of TLC on the grounds and the website updated to truly reflect what they offer and it would have gotten a...