The first thing I would preface this review with, given that this is a material consideration - Fjordland Lodge is NOT a cheap place to stay at. There is a definite premium to any of the places you would be staying at closer to Te Anau proper (which is about a 5-7 minute drive from the lodge), so sticker shock is more than a fair thing to encounter when first looking at staying here. That said, it is hard to imagine a more idyllic, rustic setting that really encapsulates the South Island experience than staying here, and I would be more than happy to come back again, at the same price, to enjoy the experience again. The service here is absolutely fantastic - Andy (the general manager) is fully devoted to making sure you are well taken care of, and the rest of the staff at the hotel - multilingual folks who tend to your every need, from the food and dining service to making up your room or unloading your car - are absolutely attentive to everything as well. Given that the lodge is quite small - there are maybe 10-12 lodge rooms in the main building, and perhaps a couple separate cabins elsewhere, everything feels very intimate, and that works out extremely well. The main lodge area feels like a giant living room, with multiple couches to see the simply gorgeous view of Lake Te Anau and South Fjord in the distance, set against the many mountains. There's a second level that is more like a study, with many books on New Zealand, as well as some old-school board games if you don't have other ways to pass time. The lawn outside - where you can get picked up for helihikes - is a fabulous place to get in sunset photos (as the lodge does face west), and there are a few chairs outside where one can sit down, sip on a glass of wine, and simply take in the beauty of nature.
As for the standard lodge rooms, they were pretty modern and well-appointed, with similarly high ceilings, the same fantastic view west, and a balcony where you can sit outside as well. The rooms have modern amenities but keep with the rustic nature of the lodge, with a large wooden slab being the setting for the sink in the bathroom. That said, the room temperature feels like it would work better for winter; the unit in the room seems like a heating unit rather than a cooler, and while there is a plug-in fan for air circulation, it isn't ideal - particularly because of the dearth of plugs in each room (the only way we charged all electronics was due to the alarm clock having multiple USB power outlets). I would also say that with only halogen lights in the room, it can also tend to heat things up a bit as well, relative to using fluorescent bulbs. Again - small things, but the room experience, while cozy, sort of incentivized us to spend our time while on the lodge grounds elsewhere.
One cannot forget the food as well. Breakfast and dinner are included in the price (they figure you are likely to be out and about around lunch time; you can ask for a pre-packed lunch for NZD $25 ahead of time), and they are both executed extremely well. Breakfast includes a vast array of choices, from pastries to make-your-own egg dishes, to a small selection of 'rustic' (their term) breakfast choices. The smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, on top of a fresh croissant, was particularly delicious in my opinion. The lamb stew is also very rich and flavor and is a bit heartier, but it is also great. Dinner each day is a 3-course menu that changes daily (and in the truest sense; the menu never had any of the same items the 3 days we were there); you do get an extra course on Christmas Day! You always start off with canapés before you sit down to dine; each day was 3 delicious morsels (such as fish cakes topped with house-made jelly, bacon-wrapped dates, or guacamole with a slice of tomato, served on a crisped bread cracker). Suffice to say, the restaurant would deserve a review of its own entirely, but all of the food was absolutely delicious and fantastic. The servings were never too large; all of the food was incredibly fresh and locally sourced, and execution was spot-on for every single plate. Fish or meat, the cooking was just perfect. Desserts often have a local cheese selection (I had a very interesting savory cumin seed cheese one evening) along with desserts that you may find elsewhere but are done fabulously (the brown sugar pavlova was a standout in particular). Their wine selection is extensive with New Zealand bottles and glasses, and while you do have to pay for those, they did not seem excessive at all. I had a bottle of Mature Vine Rippon that was marked at 1.5x the cost at the vineyard, which seems extremely reasonable given that I assume it is multiples higher than that ordinarily.
Yelp tells me I am running low, so in short - this was the best experience I have had in New Zealand, and if you are staying in/around Fjordland National Park for at least 3 nights (the minimum), definitely stay here. It's costly but will provide memories for a lifetime. read more
