ACCOMMODATION

Serenity on the Edge of Wanaka I have been staying in Wanaka for Eight Years and the straight line that runs through the experience is the traffic and attendent consequences grows ever year. This makes Alpine View Lodge on the edge of town on a no through road especially attractive. The original owners left a legacy of well equipped Wooden Cabins with everything you could practically need. Air source units to keep you warm or cool depending on the season. I stayed in Aspiring the self contained cabin which has a fully servicable kitchen with all the modern utilities which enabled me to cook all my meals whilst staying in Wanaka. The hosts hail from Shanghai and offer their own unqiue brand of hospitality based on curteousness,mutual respect and a desire to please. Cheney is fastidous in maintaining the properties and Mavis and her husband continue to prime the properties for peoples arrivals. Your key point of contact is Melianni who is as sharp as a tack and takes seriously any request or special need one may have. As a tramper I know of only one set of hosts who could add value to my existing knowledge and thats because they are trampers ! Whereas Melianni has familarised herself with all the usual activities involvling planes/choppers and four wheel drive packages whihc abound in the area. Next year will be my third visit with them and I very much looking forward to sharing the beautiful space that is Alpine View Lidge.

Change of ownership but still a great place There hasn’t been much recent reviews for this place so I’d just provide a bit of recent insight for anyone looking for reviews after change of ownership. I can see from older reviews that the previous owners were probably very charming and friendly and cooked good breakfast. When we visited in August we found out that there have been new owners since end of 2018. There are a few notable differences eg there is no breakfast for the time being (though it was stated clearly on the booking information page), and I think probably the new owners have a less outgoing personality and the fact that they are not local kiwis and while they are helpful and responsive, may not feel like they are in a position to offer as much advice and tips. However the rooms (at least the self contained unit we stayed at) seem just as well maintained and inherited all the great features and appliances, including a fully functional kitchen, washer/dryers, heaters / air conditioners in every room, and even board games. There were some minor hiccups during our stay of 9 nights but the owners were communicative and responsive. Our kids also enjoyed feeding the sheep (the owners gave them some sheep feed). There was some unfortunate hiccups with their booking portal, charging some customers prematurely / double charging, but the owners were quick to rectify the issues and made also made additional refunds to ensure that no customer were shortchanged due to forex / bank transaction costs. Location is about 5 minutes drive from Wanaka town centre so it is good if you have a car. The upside is that it is very quiet and peaceful. At the time when we made the booking, there was a 10% discount for longer term stay (I think it was for more than 5 nights stay) making it great value for our family of 4 to stay at the self contained unit compared to options within walking distance of town centre. Overall I recommend this place if the prices are right and if you have a car. My only issue is that the additional charges of 3% for using a visa card for payment was not stated on the website / in booking information page. Although I understand that it is not an uncommon practice for small businesses in New Zealand to pass own credit card processing fees to customers, it should be stated transparently and clearly including the amount for each type of card (visa / master / amex) to enable customers to make a better informed decision.

Best BB in NZ We spent two fabolous days by Michele and Craig over New Year 2016/7 (just realized that our review form 2017 was not posted - apologies Michele and Craig). You cannot find a better place and more friendly hosts. If Wanaka was a bit closer to Denmark we would drop by every year :-)

Comfy stay with lovely hosts. Stayed here for two nights with my partner. Craig and Melissa were lovely to deal with and they went above and beyond our expectations. You will enjoy your stay here. If I am in Wanaka again I know where I will be staying!

Wonderful stay and awesome hosts We stayed 3 nights at Alpine View Lodge.Room was very clean,warm and spacious with its own outdoor area.Great views.Michelle and Craig were wonderful hosts and made us feel very welcome.Highly recommend staying there.

Lovely place to stay We only had one night at the Alpine View Lodge. Would have loved to stay longer as Wanaka is a great place to visit. We had a very comfortable room and breakfast, round one large table, was excellent. Craig and Michelle are great hosts and we spent so long chatting over breakfast that we didn't get away until 10.00.

Blissful! Michele and Craig were wonderful, welcoming hosts; breakfast was delicious and a great opportunity to chat to our hosts and other guests; accommodation was first class, warm, comfortable with a superb view. A delightful place to stay.

Wanted to stay here much longer Stayed here for two blissful nights in Cardrona suite. Michelle and her friends made us so welcome & breakfast was an absolute pleasure. Looking out over mountains with sheep horses and chickens in the foreground was stunning. Michelle's recommendations of the local area and further afield (yes you were right about Greymouth!) were really helpful. Wanaka is for us the nicest part of New Zealand despite what looks like just a little too much development going on - hope they don't go too far - nobody wants another Queenstown developing. Meanwhile at Alpine view Lodge it is quiet and serene. Thank you for a memorable stay.

Paradise in Wanaka Located in the middle of a beautifully landscaped garden, backing up to a gorgeous green pasture full of grazing sheep with giant snow-capped mountains in the background, the Alpine View Lodge is a traveler's dream come true! Our spacious room had floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that looked out on the spectacular scenery. The owners were visiting their son in Perth when we arrived, but Lorraine greeted us and took care of our every need--from helping us do laundry to calling and making a nail appointment for me in town. We enjoyed a delicious home cooked breakfast the next morning--including wonderful local lemon honey--with Lorraine and a lovely Aussie couple also staying there. Our only disappointment was not being able to meet Michelle and Craig in person to tell them how much we enjoyed their lovely home. Hope we will have that chance on a future trip!