Aura Queenstown Limited — Local services in South Island

A group of 10 booked a holiday house that suited our needs - housed our group, had a spa, specific location totalling $8,350. As Covid hit, our travel plans were postponed and Julie offered to re book us in the house for a later date or give us credits on our accomodation. As the future was uncertain we took the travel voucher. Once it was time to re book I continuously asked Julie to let me know when the house would become available to rent again and to my surprise Julie informed us that the house had been sold and that we would have to book into another one of her properties. This would have been fine but all of the other available homes didn’t house more than 4 people, had none of the ammenities that we had paid through the roof for, were completely random dates available and were in completely different locations - obviously not suitable for a party of 10 people. This is where things became horrible for myself and my group. Julie took a ‘too bad so sad’ attitude saying that she would offer no refund at all, not even a partial one even though she was no longer providing the service that was paid for. I spent countless hours on the phone to NZ consumer affairs who assured me that what Julie was doing was completely unethical which I pointed out to Julie and showed her all the relevant online legislation, again which she cared little about. She then threatened to take legal action against us for writing a review which stated the honest truth that we had now lost thousands of dollars and that Julie rebooked the house for some of our dates. On top of this, Julie urged us repeatedly to cancel our booking so that she could re book the house (which she was able to do for some of our dates) so she had made double her money there. To which she in writing offered to refund us, then changed her mind and said that she didn’t have to anymore. This went on for over a year, back and forth emails with Julie swinging from anger to emotional blackmail trying to say how much her and her home owners had suffered financially from Covid, like we all haven’t. Full disclosure, Julie in the end refunded us around $2,000 to be split between the 10 of us, which was purely the extra money she made for renting out the house for our dates, hardly a kindness. I unfortunately can’t speak for the kind of homes she represents but this has easily been one of the worst experiences of my life and caused the most emotional stress while trying to plan a holiday. Thanks for ruining Queenstown as one of my favourite holiday...

This Airbnb was truly one of the best accommodations I’ve ever stayed at. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the stunning lakefront view of Lake Wakatipu, framed perfectly by The Remarkables. The location couldn’t have been more ideal—right on the lake and within walking distance to everything in Queenstown. Traveling with a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old can be a challenge, but the ease of walking to shops, restaurants, and attractions made our stay so much more enjoyable. We parked our car in the private garage on day one and never needed to take it out again.

The apartment itself was immaculate and incredibly well-appointed. The kitchen was a standout feature, fully stocked with not only high-quality appliances but thoughtful extras like spices and laundry detergent, which made cooking meals effortless. The Smart TV was perfect for unwinding in the evenings, offering seamless access to streaming services like Netflix. The bedrooms were cozy and luxurious, with plush bedding that made it hard to leave in the mornings. The bathroom was modern and spacious, featuring underfloor heating that added a touch of indulgence to the already luxurious rainfall shower. Stepping into a warm bathroom on a chilly morning was pure bliss.

A special mention for the garage: while it was great to have secure parking with an electronic opener, the alley and garage space were incredibly tight. Maneuvering our Toyota RAV4 into the garage took some patience and guidance from someone outside, but once the car was parked, the peace of mind was worth it.

We stayed from November 28 to December 1, and everything about this property exceeded our expectations. The two-level layout felt spacious and private, and the recent renovations gave the entire place a sleek, modern vibe. The hosts even provided digital access for easy self-check-in, which made our arrival seamless.

If you’re traveling to Queenstown, I can’t recommend this Airbnb enough. Whether you’re looking for luxury, comfort, convenience, or a combination of all three, this place delivers. It truly made our trip unforgettable, and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again on future visits...

Do not book with these people.

I booked in June for an 8 night stay in Queenstown in September and a 50% non-refundable deposit was required amounting to more than $1200. I am fully aware about the non-refundable policy (which is unreasonable given covid times; all accommodation providers in Australia are fully refundable due to uncertainties because of covid) and would have taken the loss if I was not duped into cancelling my booking.

When NZ closed its borders to Australia in July, I was contacted by them to please cancel my booking so that they have a chance to rent out the accommodation and I will be given a voucher in return. Months later and still no voucher. I followed up several times thru email and all I got was an automatic response. I lodged a dispute with Visa and informed them about this and I finally got a response from Aura, promising that I'll get the voucher the following week. A month later and still no voucher. My claim from Visa was rejected so it means that they had time to respond to Visa but had absolutely no time to process a voucher.

So I feel as if I have been scammed. I should not have cancelled my booking since they were never going to give the voucher anyway. I hope they enjoy my money which they absolutely did not earn.

EDIT 8/12/21: I have just been accused by Julie of posting a “publicly discriminatory, false” review. Everything I posted above is absolutely true and I’m not sure how it’s publicly discriminatory.

It’s also funny how six glowing reviews appeared shortly after mine (there was only one other review when I posted mine) with one even mentioning Julie issuing a voucher when able. Well good for them. I still maintain that I’ve been scammed.

What kind of business keeps your money with no goods exchanged or services rendered, and insists on keeping it after repeatedly being asked for it (in this case a voucher, not that I’d be using it after this horrible...