Otahuna Lodge — Hotel in South Island

For an unforgettable luxury lodging experience that will raise the bar for all others, don’t hesitate to book a reservation at Otahuna Lodge! My husband and I arrived at this lovely countryside estate on a late September afternoon after traveling more than 24 hours from Phoenix, Arizona. Despite being dizzy with jet lag, we couldn’t have been more impressed with the staff, facilities, amenities, and gastronomical excellence. Our only regret was that our itinerary didn’t allow us to stay longer than two nights!||||The Lodge itself is an absolutely gorgeous blend of architectural elegance, historical detail, lush greenery, and artistic flair! Owners Hall Cannon and Miles Refo restored the mansion by seamlessly merging the charm of the Queen Anne architecture with modern conveniences. Each piece of decor reflected the home's Victorian origins while simultaneously enhancing its timeless character. My husband and I wandered through the rooms, hallways, and niches, admiring how the contemporary art fit so harmoniously alongside historical photographs and memorabilia from the original owner, Sir Heaton Rhodes and his family. The Lodge offers many unique spaces to relax or to enjoy meals, including the romantic library, the turret, the bright and airy kitchen banquette, and the elegant formal dining room. I also appreciated the colorful flowers and lush plants in every room, bringing the beautiful outdoor gardens inside.||||Our suite, the Rhodes, was both spacious and cozy, with its fireplace, stained-glass windows, rich woodwork, plush (and spotlessly clean) carpeting, sitting areas (plural!), and an outdoor veranda with spectacular views of the front of the property (where we enjoyed a glass of wine in the evenings and our coffee in the morning). I am picky when it comes to bathrooms, and this one was was thoughtfully designed and appointed, including||- large countertops, dual sinks, easily-accessible outlets, excellent lighting ||- modern shower with 2 shower heads||- spa tub with bath salts||- towel warmers and heated floors||- a Dyson (!) hairdryer with diffuser attachment (as a curly-haired girl, my heart swelled with gratitude and joy!!)||- a makeup mirror (positioned so I didn’t need to stand on my toes to actually use it) along with make-up-specific towels and disposable makeup-remover wipes||||Otahuna Lodge provides so many lovely services and touches, but we particularly appreciated the turndown service with decanters of water and brownies, the complimentary laundry service, and of course, the rapidly-replenished coffee/tea/snack offerings on the mezzanine level (my husband couldn’t get enough of the caramels, but I preferred the fresh fruit and chocolates). Our itinerary left us limited time to explore the grounds, but we loved strolling through the tranquil Dutch garden before dinner one evening. When we return to Otahuna (and we WILL return!), we will reserve plenty of time to enjoy a full tour of the property, including the potager garden that supplies the ingredients for the kitchen.||||Speaking of the kitchen, each of our meals was expertly prepared by the oh-so-talented Executive Chef Jimmy, Chef Nikki (those breakfast muffins!), and sous-chefs Zak, Gus, and . . . one more whose name I’ve unfortunately forgotten. Each dinner was a multi-course culinary masterpiece, on par with any Michelin-rated establishment. We highly recommend signing up for Chef Jimmy’s private cooking class; I’m not much of a chef myself, but Jimmy was kind, patient, and detailed in his explanations. Afterwards, he gave us a fascinating tour of the kitchen and all of Otahuna’s top-shelf equipment. ||||Bottom line: While every aspect of our stay was a pure pleasure, it was the staff who truly made Otahuna Lodge so exceptional. We were so impressed by the obvious pride and pleasure they all took in their crafts and responsibilities. Each of them (special shout-outs to Tim, who shared his coffee and wine expertise, and Andrew, who encouraged us to call him in the middle of the night if we needed him) made us feel like royalty. We were very grateful to them all, and I felt like I was saying goodbye to old friends even though we spent less than 48 hours at Otahuna Lodge. Thank you, Hall and Miles, for making our 30th anniversary trip to New Zealand and Otahuna Lodge an...

We recently completed a two-week luxury tour of North and South New Zealand. It was wondrous in every aspect. We stayed at the best lodges including Huka, Cape Kidnappers, Otahuna, Matakauri, and Eichardt’s private hotel. For the ultimate experience, book your trip through Marchay. Now for the review!|Located thirty minutes from Christchurch, New Zealand’s second most populated city of 400,000, you come here only to stay at the Otahuna Lodge and take the Alpine train. ||The lodge is mostly a large home that was built in 1894 and still retains all of its charm. There are only five suites plus two off-location master suites. It’s 30 acres are stunning filled with gardens, ponds, walking bridges and exquisite swimming pool with spa. ||There is even a one-room treatment room which I happily took a 75-minute massage with Julia. She is 74 and one of the best. The lodge is this kind of place. Note: There is no gym but they do have a large room in which I did yoga and mats are available on request. ||Now for the best part: The food. Surely the best food in NZ. The full kitchen is complimented with three chefs who work tirelessly to please the very few exclusive guests. For dinner one night, we were the only guests and enjoyed a spectacular dinner. They make everything from scratch and utilize their garden for all meals. The time they take to prepare sauces, dressings, and plate presentations is crazy. Oh, they have the best brownies too. ||The staff is over the top from morning to night. We didn’t know where to have canopies and drinks: The library, outdoor deck, backyard poolside or exquisite dining room. ||Overall: Best food, best service in NZ. Off the beaten track and not situated on a river or lake. However, if you want a hospitality experience second to...

Otahuna Lodge is a triumph of personalisation, service excellence, classic accommodation and gastronomic greatness. You feel the warmth, love and care of the staff and the location from the moment you arrive and when it is time to leave it's like farewelling a very old friend.

Our suite was spacious, comfortable, historically authentic to the period of its construction and with all of the appropriate modern touches expected of a luxury lodge. Housekeeping is a like a personalised valet service with a range of surprising touches all aligned to exacting standards.

Service from the entire team throughout our stay was so warm and genuine. This comes from the owners, managers and team leaders who have created a culture centred around personalised service excellence. It was wonderful to see it in operation and of course very impactful to experience this as a guest. It is rare and something to be both admired and commended.

There are simply not enough superlatives to describe the food, especially the evening service. Jimmy and his team source local produce, including from their own market garden and deliver course after course, night after night of outstanding dishes. The dishes are wholesome yet incredibly sophisticated, there are layers of hidden complexity masked by cookery magic, to delivery outstanding quality with flavours of the highest order. Easily the best food we have eaten across any of the lodges in New Zealand.

We are already planning a return visit, hopefully with our best friends, where we can introduce them to the magic and intimacy of Otahuna Lodge,...