Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa — Local services in South Island

⭐️ A Beautiful Location Undermined by Poor Service, Questionable Cleanliness, and Lack of Professionalism

Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa is undeniably set in a stunning and peaceful part of Queenstown wine country. The villas are elegant and the scenery is exceptional. I travelled here not in my usual capacity as someone who reviews properties professionally, but for personal reasons—following a recent tragedy in the family. This was intended to be a private reset, not a work review. However, due to the significant issues we experienced, I feel a responsibility to inform others considering this property.

Dining & Package Misrepresentation One of the main frustrations was the discrepancy between what was advertised and what was delivered. We booked via Luxury Escapes, which stated daily breakfast at the lodge. However, we were told on arrival this meant continental only. This is fine in itself—if it had been clearly disclosed. But it wasn’t. The lack of clarity, combined with an inflexible and dismissive attitude from management, made this feel like a bait-and-switch.

The food itself was deeply underwhelming. Options were limited, portions inconsistent, and the quality often poor. One breakfast included a stale, hard piece of sourdough with sweet avocado purée—flavourless and unappealing. Requests made just after the arbitrary 10:15 am cutoff were refused, even while seated. No effort was made to accommodate—something I would expect from even a basic lodge, let alone one branding itself as luxury.

Staff & Guest Experience Most staff seemed visibly untrained or unsure of basic procedures. Every question was met with “I don’t know, I’ll have to check.” I was addressed incorrectly on more than one occasion, and there was little to no effort to make guests feel known or valued.

Check-out was particularly poor. The manager spoke over me while I calmly tried to raise a valid concern about the misleading package. Rather than taking ownership, she dismissed it and referenced a small discount as a sufficient resolution—which it wasn’t. Hospitality is about listening. This simply didn’t happen.

Spa, Facilities & Cleanliness This is where the resort’s credibility as a five-star experience really collapsed:

Hot tubs were not cleaned between guest uses. You had to walk to the gym to collect towels yourself—In freezing temperatures, this was the last thing anyone wants to deal with. The sauna was dirty, with visible sweat stains from previous use and no towels provided to sit on. This is a basic hygiene and guest care standard. We had booked a spa treatment for Friday morning (a public holiday), which the spa then cancelled—because they “forgot” they wouldn’t be open. At a remote resort with no alternatives, this is simply unacceptable. At minimum, there should be limited options or contingency plans. Guests should never be left with nothing. (This day was our only option on a quick 4 day trip)!

Other Concerns No luggage assistance provided to or from villas at any point Communication between staff and departments appeared nonexistent

Extremely Poor Room Service and Dining The room service was the worst I’ve experienced—virtually no selection, and over an hour’s wait for a cold, barely toasted Ruben made with pre-packaged pastrami. This was only ordered as a main meal of beef cheeks that were tough, overly salted, and completely inedible. Far below any acceptable standard, let alone what’s expected at a luxury property.

The lodge’s "luxury" reputation seems based more on branding than delivery—perhaps self-rated, because it certainly isn’t reflected in service or execution

Positive Leo, the bartender, was excellent. Skilled, fast, and a true hospitality professional. He stood out in an otherwise disappointing stay.

Final Thoughts Queenstown is filled with exceptional, truly five-star accommodation options that deliver genuine warmth, thoughtful service, and outstanding food. Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa has a long way to go before it belongs in...

Overall, this was a fav stay of ours when we were in NZ. The food was spectacular and the service at the restaurant for dinner was top notch. And the spa is highly recommended. The grounds here are absolutely beautiful, and the rooms are extremely clean and the views are breathtaking and quiet.

The reason for the four star was the service we had for lunch. We planned on staying at the hotel for our remaining time before we left, so we did not plan to go anywhere else for breakfast, lunch or dinner. (only stayed here 2 nights.) Was told we did not need a reservation for lunch after checking in, and did not want to spend the money on an uber or anything to go elsewhere. When we walked down, we were asked "do you have a reservation?" No, well then we were told the kitchen was closing early and are only accepting reservations. This was just a let down, because being a hotel guest we did not think this was the right move and also the girl who was checking people in was quit rude. This kind of just put a sour taste in our mouth. The massage we had at the spa was more than a 5 star experience and the girl here was so kind. The service and food we had for dinner celebrating a birthday was also amazing and no complaints. Honestly, the best gnocchi I have ever had.

Unfortunately, the lunch experience just put gave us a bitter taste, and was disappointing because everything else was amazing. It was probably because it was our last stop after staying at a few places, and was our only bad experience. Overall, highly recommend but do think for lunch or wine tastings they should set aside times for people staying here.

I also wish they would talk more about the wine club when you check in, or at the tastings because we LOVED this wine and ended up joining the wine club after our stay, but would have loved more info when...

My husband and I stayed here during our honeymoon in New Zealand in March 2023 and while the staff and spa treatments were fantastic, I think it falls short of the “luxury resort living” that it boasts online. The rooms are beautiful and have nice views of the vines and are in fact very relaxing. The spa treatments were amazing and worth every penny as well. That being said, for being relatively remote and secluded I think the amenities were lacking. There are nice outdoor hot tubs and saunas adjacent to the spa which are great it would be nice if they had a pool for the warmer days to relax at. I also think that for a five star resort the bikes should be included for guests and not an extra charge again taking in to consideration the remote location and limited dining options. My biggest disappointment was that there were not more dining options, we spent three nights and on a few occasions we were looking for a bite to eat in between lunch and dinner and despite the notebook in the room saying there were all day dining options I called the front desk and they noted there was nothing available until 6pm. All in all our stay was very comfortable and I think that they have the potential to be a really great five star resort I just think for the items they are lacking it’s just not worth the current price point. I think traditionally when one thinks of a ‘resort’ the idea is that it is a place you don’t have to leave eat, drink or relax however during our stay this was not the case. But again the staff and spa...