Amazing stay! Unbelievable service and delicious breakfast! Heather is the hostess with the…read moremostest!

We stayed in Nelson one night on our two week honeymoon throughout both North and South Island. We…read moretook a late afternoon ferry into Picton that was delayed so we weren't on track to arrive until close to 9 PM (and our trip was made slower by driving in the rain). The owners were so nice, checked in on us and weren't mad that we were making them wait for our check in (we were the last ones). The room was so big and the bed was so comfy - these weary travelers almost contemplated not going to Abel Tasman the next day...almost. Also Max recommended the best restaurant in town (Hopgoods) and called them in advance to make sure they would stay open to accommodate us for dinner. Literally it was the best meal we had on our trip and we were so sad that we were barely staying awake during it b/c we were so tired. Nelson is the type of place that I would definitely come back to and it has a super quaint center of town. If you are going to the area - definitely stay here....for more than one day.

Ok, I'm a first time backpacker. Not sure flying in from Auckland with a cabin bag actually…read morequalifies. I booked the Prince Albert for a couple of nights on booking.com for my daughter and I. Couldn't have been happier. Lovely historic building, a five minute walk from the centre of town. Warm and friendly reception, clean rooms, lots of separate areas for relaxing. Couple of things I didn't expect - anyone staying could order a $10 meal at the bar each night (including dessert) and there's free breakfast each morning. It's a simple affair, toast, cereal or waffles, but much appreciated on a cold winter morning.

The Trailways Hotel is now the Tides Hotel, along with the Tides Bar and Eatery. I was very happy…read morewith my stay here and thought the breakfasts were very good and the bar was a nice extra added convenience. I arrived in Nelson previously booked for another accommodation location that I have reviewed separately. That was a disaster, so I immediately went looking for something else. A local bar/pub (also reviewed separately) recommended The Tides, and it worked out very well for me. They were able to accommodate me for two nights at the very last minute (I mean, after 7pm, same day!) I think I lucked out that I am traveling in winter. If I had been traveling in summer, I would have been stuck with what I had. Like I said, I thought the food was good and the staff were good. I think the location is fantastic for access to downtown Nelson and also pretty good to travel around the region. Travel to Blenheim is a bit daunting, but you cannot change the topography of New Zealand and still have New Zealand! I really like the art they have all over the place. I certainly recommend it.

We went to Tides for dinner. Good location downtown with a view over the estuary. The parking was…read moreeasy. The food was OK, but nothing special. Service was a little slow and the waiter didn't know much about the menu.

Ridicously overpriced. Small rooms with very soft beds. Old overused towels. Poor lighting in the…read morebathroom. Slippery shower. Poor service had to ask twice for shampoo and conditioner. Noisy refrigerator. NO ICE! Nothing is close...you definitely need a car to stay there. No breakfast anywhere nearby. Staff doesn't show up until 9:30a. $50 charge for evening service if required. I've stayed in hotels worldwide this is at the bottom of my list. I will say...the rooms were clean.

Good location with view out over the water but a bit most with planes flying overhead. Near a nice…read morerunning and biking path and they rent bicycles. Very nice hotel with cute English style Cottages. Laundry was easy to do. Staff were nice and helpful. Room had a big jacuzzi and comfy bed. TV only has about 10 channels.

After a long day of travel, we arrived at the hotel around 8pm to check in, planning to just drop…read moreoff the bags in the room, and head into town for dinner & drinks- upon arrival, we discovered the hotel had an error when registering our hotel reservation with our travel agency- an internal error, being managed by a very friendly new employee in training- we found ourselves stuck at the front desk for far too long, while they managed internal billing items. After standing around awhile, the manager even realized, 'oops- you really don't need to be here for this'- we didn't get to the room until about 35-40mins later. When checking in, we were initially told, 'wow you got updated, wait until you see your room.' But after all the errors, when we arrived in the room I hope the assumed upgrade was just part of the error, and not that our tiny dinky room really was their top tier stay. Overall, we knew we paid for a check hotel studio room, and that's what we got, so not that it failed (hence the lower ratings) it's just ya get what you pay for. If you pay for 1-2stars, the experience and room will be 1-2 stars. Saved money, was what it was.

From the owner: We offer 78 well appointed accommodation rooms, Flames on Forty Restaurant Bar and three conference…read morerooms. Outdoor heated swimming pool and BBQ area, off street carparking.

My strong recommendation:…read more If you are traveling for leisure/pleasure and/or to visit Nelson, do not book here. Book somewhere else in Nelson proper. This is a motel in the harbor marina. It is isolated and desolate. The only thing with people nearby at night is the Anchor Bar & Grill, which is infrequently and not particularly favorably reviewed on Yelp. It is a mile from town and the area is dark and - again - desolate. My experience: I drove up from Christchurch to Nelson on a Sunday. With a few stops along the way, that is an 8 hours drive, so I arrived at 6:30 pm. My estimated arrival time (entered along with my reservation) was 6:00. The drive in to Nelson from Blenheim is, if not perilous, certainly stressful, especially in the dark. When I arrived, the reception was empty, so I rang the bell for service, which clearly led to a phone, and the answer was, "Yes, I've already left for dinner, so I left the key inside your door and I will catch up with you in the morning." For my money, that is not acceptable! I expected to find a human being when I arrived. I went into town (not a pleasant walk at all!) and found a pub and looked for recommendations for something else immediately. Thankfully, it is winter, so this was achievable: with high tourism, I might have been shit outta luck. I'll review the new location separately. I went back this morning, to acknowledge that I hadn't stayed the first night of my booking and that I would not stay the second night of my booking. I pointed out that I had arrived at 6:30 and that my estimated arrival was 6:00. The response was, "yes, that's why I left the key in your room for you". Totally matter of fact, no signs of an apology. I was flabbergasted, but I just asked what I could do about a refund and she refunded me the second night. I'll take the hit on the first night in exchange for the self respect of not staying in that place. After she handed me the refund slip, I asked if she needed anything else from me, and she said no, so I said goodbye and left. There was, in my opinion, no hint of any aspect of actual hospitality. If you are overnighting in the marina and need a break and a proper shower and a full bed, perhaps this might work, but for any other reason, I would say stay away. I was my own travel agent on this, so part of the blame is on me for incomplete research, but I offer this up to help anyone else who may be considering this place in the future.

From the owner: We offer a friendly welcome, first class service and an extremely quiet and comfortable stay, in…read morenon-smoking studios, 10 of which boast wonderful Nelson Marina views. Start your day in our sunny breakfast room with a FREE Continental breakfast buffet or a cooked breakfast at an affordable cost. All our rooms have Sky guest select (50 plus channels) , Unlimited free hi speed WiFi and direct-dial phones. Our motel accommodation is just a fifteen minute walk to the Nelson CBD and 10-15 minutes drive from Nelson Airport.

This is one of the best motels we have EVER stayed in. Check…read morein was great. Very friendly Lady, who was obviously the owner. CLEAN...very clean. Well equipped kitchen with most everything and laundry machines. Coffee, cookies and a bowl of mints. Location is great...close to town, restaurants and groceries. Excellent bed and linens were very comfortable. I think this facility is very good value.

From the owner: Modern, luxurious motel accommodation in heart of Nelson city. Spacious studio, 1 and 2 bedroom…read moreunits with full kitchen facilities and outdoor patio / balcony. Free WiFi, Sky TV, onsite parking, competitive rates & exceptional service.

This was actually possibly our favorite place we stayed as far as motels/hotels on our entire trek…read morethrough New Zealand. So first, the views. The name of the place says it all, and to my knowledge, every room has a view of the water about as spectacular as ours. That said, we were on the top floor, and while it's a walk to get up there, the views were great. Next, the owners. Very fun and personable and all together helpful. The motel had these night little touches in the rooms, it felt like home at times, and you can tell that's a tip of the way the owners operate. We really enjoyed chatting with them and everything they did to make the experience great. Finally, advice. Food, as you may now realize, is EXPENSIVE in New Zealand. There's a great fish and chips take away down the street (I think it's called Kiwi Takeaways). Go there, grab some grub to go (because by now you've stopped at the liquor store on the corner and gotten a nice wine or two) and go back, sit on your balcony, and enjoy the food, drink, and views of Picton!

Great view of the harbor and clean rooms. Only downside is it's pretty close to Main Street that…read morecan get loud sometimes. Otherwise great stay!

One of my favorite places to stay this trip. The owners were incredibly friendly and personable…read more Joss (Joc?) is celiac so she is very familiar with all sorts of dietary restrictions and willing to cater to them. We ordered a simple breakfast from some handy little forms they keep in the room and she delivered it to the door of our chalet. Top awesome things: so many birds just outside our French doors. We're not birders at all but it was totally neat. Totally walkable to our kayak day trip and three different dining establishments - a cart-type with plenty of picnic tables called the Fat Tui, a more locals-friendly pub called Park Cafe, and a bit of a nicer spot with lots of GF/DF options called Hooked. There is laundry and a kitchen on site. Dedicated parking for each chalet. The internet was 4/5 but that means better than many places we've stayed in NZ. No additional cost. Our room had a queen or king bed plus an extra twin in the corner. Would be good for a family. I hope we can come back to visit next time we are in the country!

This is an excellent place to stay. It's close to restaurants and fun activities. The couple that…read morerun this place are also very lovely people. A must for a few days in Marahau