The Vicarage Geraldine — Local services in South Island

Here we go, yet another five star review and yes the Vicarage deserves every one of those stars, Seriously!

The location, The rooms, the comfort level, the cleanliness, the amenities, all been mentioned in previous reviews and so well deserved.

We were travelling from Dunedin to Christchurch ready to fly back to Australia in a few days. Our daughter booked us in as a stopover because she liked the look of the place.....Well, so glad she did, a stopover in Geraldine is now a lifetime memory. Far exceeding all other accommodation, we experienced on our journey throughout the southern Island.

Bricks and mortar aside, the helpful messages, the welcome bottle of Good wine in the fridge, the complimentary chocolates, the invitation to enjoy a complimentary glass of port or 2 before bed, But wait there is more the Bakery at the rear is in a class of its own, Breakfast is wonderful and the Big Breakfast is Awesome Five stars.

Do not hesitate, if you can secure a room, Do it, treat yourself or even someone you love, just DO IT, seriously.

So glad we did and is on our to do list when next we visit.

To Brigitte and Michael Barker, Thank you for Hosting us and Not only the Vicarage but the Bakery are a credit to you...

Sometimes we feel that there is rating inflation with online reviews. Not in this case: The Vicarage earns a 5+ and sets the standard for boutique hotels. Everything was perfect. The room was tastefully appointed with sensitivity to the historical period without being overdone, the bathroom was nicely updated and the bed was incredibly comfortable. Overall, the hotel was beautifully restored and immaculate. And we appreciated the small but lovely touches including the detailed pre-arrival information regarding things to do in Geraldine (incredible helpful) as well as the lovely guest sitting rooms complete with complimentary port. We reserved a room with the breakfast package and cannot say enough about our experience at Barkers (the restaurant right behind the hotel where breakfast is served). Barkers serves a delicious hot breakfast and has such lovely staff. It was the icing on the cake of an incredible stay. The Vicarage is truly a treasure. Between the accommodations and location (in the heart of things) it is perfect place to stay for any one visiting Geraldine. In fact, it alone is a reason to visit Geraldine! If we lived in New Zealand it would be our “go to” for a...

Response: Apologies Michael you are correct, The Vicarage is not a B&B, but rather advertises as a 5 star hotel, which it is not. And, regardless, it does not detract from the fact that it is overpriced. As for the claim it offers a 'home away from home' experience, well we don't live in a share house; and you misunderstand that we were expecting to be 'hosted' but at the same time we didn't expect it to be so totally impersonal. Thank you for taking the time to respond with a long and gratuitous rely.

Disappointed. We stayed in a range of hotels and B&Bs over a few weeks travelling the South Island, and while the Vicarage provided a lovely suite, $358NZ for a bed and shower for the night felt overpriced, particularly as we travelled in the low season. We didn’t get breakfast included for this price either. Remember though, it’s a B&B. There was no ‘greeting’’ when we arrived and the place seemed very cold and impersonal. We did see someone the following morning, but we have no idea who we chatted to. But, our real bugbear was on the day we arrived we got a marketing email with a “Winter” offer starting that day! PS. We’d rather get breakfast than a bottle...