Tekapo 1929 — Local services in South Island

Not worth $550 a night!! Highly recommend exploring other options. The location is the only thing going for it, and even then, you may as well stay somewhere a little further and walk.

It’s an old house split into three sections, and the booking has no mention of the shared entranceway, which was a very unpleasant surprise. It felt like we had been deceived when we showed up. The people in the “unit” next to us came and went well into the night, making an absolute racket with the old doors every time. As someone with sleep anxiety, I would never have chosen to stay here if I knew it would be like that. The walls are super thin, and we could hear our neighbours talking. They’re also mostly plywood, we referred to it as the plywood nightmare because the more you looked the more you saw. They talk about the history of the place, but have not managed to preserve any kind of charm, it just feels rundown. For $550 you don’t expect the decor to be old, worn and mismatched, like it was from a a charity shop from the 70s. There was a burn mark on the couch, bare bulbs without lamp shades, windows without curtains and overgrown gardens.

The bathroom has heated flooring, and that’s about as good as it gets. The shower plug was absolutely disgusting, and unfortunately when it didn’t drain properly because it was blocked, bits came out of the drain and into the water around our feet. They have tiny packets of waxy hand soap that look like they were taken from a cheap motel. I wouldn’t have a problem with it, if we hadn’t paid so much to stay there.

The quiet hours are 10pm-7am, and while we tried to be respectful of this our neighbours were not. It also meant that if you want to use the toilet after 10pm, it had better be in the dark as the noisy fan turns on with the light and continues for 15 minutes after it’s turned off.

We could get one channel on the tv, so it was good that the free wifi was decent.

It was overall very disappointing, and we wish we had spent a little less for a nicer place one road back. It put a real damper on our honeymoon, I wish we could get...

My partner and I stayed one night in the Pioneer Cottage at the back of the property. When we first walked in, the strong smell of greasy food/takeaway hit us. There were dead bugs all over the bathroom floor and in the shower, as well as on the ceilings. When I questioned when the property was last cleaned, I was told it was cleaned 2 days prior to our stay but that seems hard to believe. There was also long grass coming through the cracks in the lounge door, and there was also mouse droppings on the counter as well as under the sink where the chopping boards and cutlery were. And there were droppings on those too. So we didn't use the bathroom or the kitchen much as they did not feel clean.

On the plus side, the location was excellent and the heat pump did a great job when it was 3°C outside.

All in all, I'm very disappointed and wish I'd spent my $240 on a nice, clean hotel...

The garage stay out the back is a rundown craphole. Better value at a motel in town. Ive had better $120 stays in low spec pubs. This was double that price. They should be ashamed listing it on airbnb at that price. Im not saying its unliveable, but at the price they're charging its just not worth it. A washing machine in the middle of the lounge. A dodgy old fridge that freezes your food if its on the wrong shelf. Someone elses popcorn still on the floor. A maze for very skinny people to get to the toilet. Nowhere to cook, a dodgy plugin halogen. Nothing but tea for beverage condiments. Knives so blunt a brick works better. They are just scamming you because its 'Tekapo'. This is $120 accom being charged at a premium rate.

The bed was comfy (in the tiny bedroom) and other units in the main...