Great restored Victorian-era house. The house is gorgeous and they did a good job of maintaining…read morethe décor. They have a carpark, but the driveway is quite steep, so I ended up parking on the street in front (it was free the evening I arrived into the next day). Quick and nice check-in and the room I got was comfortable. I had the rose room, so it overlooked the rose bushes of the little sitting garden on the first floor, which was nice. The shared bathrooms were clean, though I had to go and use the one on the 2nd flr a few times as the one on the 1st flr right by my room seemed to constantly be occupied. The continental breakfast with toast, jams, coffee and fruit was nice when leaving the next day. My only complaint would be they need to advise that there is a cat in the house. I wondered why I was having some allergy issues that evening into the next morning when I saw the cat in the dining room where the continental breakfast was served, the next day. I am highly allergic to cats, so this probably would have affected my making a reservation here had I known that. Thankfully, I did not have a full-blown allergy attack and was able to enjoy my stay, but because other people may have similar allergies, this may be something to disclose on the reservation sites.

I am a fan of Hulmes Court B&B. It is located within walking distance to the octogon...woot woot!…read more There is parking in the back, kind of a tight squeeze, but manageable. Two cats rule this place and we got to meet them both. The orange cat joined us for brekkie in the dinning room, and he was so well behaved. Breakfast is continental: yogurt, muesli, toast, jams, fruit, juice, coffee and tea. The room we picked had a bathroom connected to it, just the way we like it. A TV with a VHS player, hot water warmer, tea and coffee. Downstairs in the dinning hall is a nice library of VHS movies to pick from. We stuck with our New Zealand trip and watched "Whale Rider" & "The Piano." It was a lot of fun to actually rewind a tape. Some of the rooms you have to share a communal bathroom in the hallway. There is someone on duty during the day operating the house. Everyone was very nice that we met. I have to say that this place is a great find if you're in the Dunedin area. Very down to earth place, and almost like home.

Exceptional, truly 5 stars!…read more So we stayed in New Zealand for over month, all over the country. 10 different hotels, ranging from big international chains to small B&B's. Not one of them a bad stay, all ranging from average to excellent, but THE BIRCHES was the best of all, and the only one we give 5 stars. Huge home built in 1907 but lovingly restored/remodeled by the current owners less than a decade ago. They did an EXCEPTIONAL job on the remodel, the rooms and bathrooms are HUGE, with exceptional attention to detail. Every detail. The owners clearly gave substantial thought to having their B&B provide all sorts of little amenities, comforts, and personal touches that show they truly care about the experience for their guests. The morning breakfast was huge, fresh, hearty, well prepared. Coffee the best we had our entire stay in country. The hosts were warm and wonderful and so clearly enjoying their roles as hosts, a wealth of local tourism information, soooo helpful. One note - The Birches is in Mosgiel which is actually about 15 km outside Dunedin proper. Do NOT let dissuade you from staying here, it is not an overcrowded area, traffic flows freely, and driving is easy. You will be able to access everything by car within minutes, and will want a car anyway to visit outlying areas like the Otago Peninsula. Quite, low-key, peaceful; this is where you want to stay. Over the past 30 years we've stayed in hotels, motels, shanty shacks, beach cabins, urban closets, desert palaces, jungle tents, dumps and dives all over the world. This quite possibly ranks in our Top 10 favorite stays of all-time, anywhere. The house is stunning, the hosts exceptional...

We were excited to snag a last-minute room here, especially as it was Lonely Planet's…read moretop-recommended accommodation in the Dunedin area. Pros: The place is very cozy and homey, with an awesome garden and outdoor deck area. Our room was spacious and comfortable, with windows that looked out to other hilltop areas. We slept with the windows open to make use of the puffy comforters! The lounge is always open, with hot water for coffee or tea readily available. Cons: The beds were a bit soft by my standards. The television didn't turn on, not that we really needed it. Surprisingly, there was only one toilet and one shower for the three or four rooms upstairs, which seems a little on the skimpy side considering the number of people who had to share them. The lock on the toilet room wasn't sturdy enough so knocking was a MUST. The shower drain was clogged (ew) by the time I showered early in the morning. Breakfast fell a bit short, being "continental": basically carb overload, with bread, muesli, wheatbix, and cereal offered alongside a large bowl of yogurt and sliced fresh fruit. The location also left a little to be desired, since it was a bit of a drive from the downtown area. Bottom line: an alright B&B experience. For me, the cute things about this quaint guesthouse won me over. And as long as you're okay with sharing a bathroom and shower, I'd recommend it.