Owen River Tavern & Motels — Hotel in South Island

We had been in coastal areas for 16 days and wanted an inland and more remote experience of good Kiwi hospitality. We certainly got that! The motel room was extremely clean, the bed comfortable, great shower, heating and all the expected amenities. Whilst there was a microwave etc in the room we would highly recommend (especially if you are only there for 1 or 2 nights) that you eat at the hotel on site. The food is fresh and locally sourced and cooked to order. There's a good selection - we chose "Hot & Spicy Venison"+ "Vegetable Soup & toast" and had wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce as a starter. ALL were superb! A Canadian who kills his own deer & eats venison regularly was staying at the time and commented that it was the best venison he'd tasted! The hotel is rustic inside and out which adds to the atmosphere. There's a fireplace and lots of interesting Kiwi history and sporting stuff to look at inside. The owners have been here 21 years and have put their heart and sole into it. I have worked, and still have investments, in the motel industry in Australia for over 20 years and rate this place and the operators highly. Room rates and meal costs are very affordable and represent excellent value for money. We would most definitely...

We had been in coastal areas for 16 days and wanted an inland and more remote experience of good Kiwi hospitality. We certainly got that! The motel room was extremely clean, the bed comfortable, great shower, heating and all the expected amenities. Whilst there was a microwave etc in the room we would highly recommend (especially if you are only there for 1 or 2 nights) that you eat at the hotel on site. The food is fresh and locally sourced and cooked to order. There's a good selection - we chose "Hot & Spicy Venison"+ "Vegetable Soup & toast" and had wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce as a starter. ALL were superb! A Canadian who kills his own deer & eats venison regularly was staying at the time and commented that it was the best venison he'd tasted! The hotel is rustic inside and out which adds to the atmosphere. There's a fireplace and lots of interesting Kiwi history and sporting stuff to look at inside. The owners have been here 21 years and have put their heart and sole into it. I have worked, and still have investments, in the motel industry in Australia for over 20 years and rate this place and the operators highly. Room rates and meal costs are very affordable and represent excellent value for money. We would most definitely...

We stayed two nights at Owen River Tavern and & Motels during a bike ride. The rooms were nice, standard rooms, and also included a fridge, plates/bowls/utensils/cups, microwave, water kettle, coffee/tea/hot chocolate, and dishwashing equipment. The tavern is located kind of in the middle of nowhere with nice natural surroundings. The river is a few minutes of walking away, and there are a couple of quiet gravel roads you can follow for a longer walk or jog. Kim and John prepared really tasty Chinese food for dinner. We had the ginger pineapple pork, black bean beef, chicken fried rice, stir fried vegetables, noodles and chicken/veg stir fry. All servings were very generous and everything was tasty, especially the pork, chicken and beef dishes. The dishes were very flavorful, and the meats were all very tender and juicy. Because Kim and John are cooking everything themselves, it can take a little while for the food to be made, but it’s well worth the wait. For lunch, the menu was more limited and included mostly burgers and toastiest. Kim prepared a continental breakfast for us both days with toast, jams, cereals, fruit, coffee and more. Cooked breakfast is also available. Kim and John were very kind and hospitable...