Abel Tasman Lodge

We had a nice stay at Abel Tasman Lodge. The location next to the park is excellent and facilities are clean and modern. However, the lodge claims to be the “best” small stay in NZ. It is far from the best! The reception took a photo of my credit card on arrival - I never saw them delete it (even after check out and asking them to) which is very concerning from a data privacy perspective. The “spa” is an old hot tub in desperate need of updating. There is absolutely no outdoor lighting so in the evenings it was impossible to walk around the lodge or even find our room without a phone light. If a hotel claims to be the best it must really live up to this - I would say this is a good, but not a great stay.

Under normal circumstances Abel Tasman Lodge would probably have gained a 4 or 5 star review, however events that occurred and the poor response from the owner significantly changed my view of this establishment. We had noticed that the handle on the toilet door was sticking throughout our stay but thought no more about this until the catch failed to release early one morning when my partner became trapped inside. Being no stranger to DIY I tried a number of options to try to release the catch from the outside and eventually realised we needed help. The owner did come over but could offer no practical help at that time other than a couple of screw drivers telling us her husband had already left for work. In the meantime my partner was just about holding down a full panic attack having been locked in the small space a considerable time. I managed to remove the handle with said screw drivers but there seemed no way to easily get at the catch to release. With no immediate help in sight the only other option was to get my partner out via the small window by opening the window and unscrewing the window restrictions allowing the window to open fully which enabled my partner to climb onto the cistern and lever herself up onto the window ledge and over the top. It was a significant drop on the other side so had to catch her to break the fall but desperation to get out seemed worth the risk. That said I think very few people would have been able to get out the window but fortunately my partner is small and thanks to ongoing yoga classes is flexible. I can understand these things happen and it’s not anyones fault but there was not the slightest apology from the owner about the distress this caused nor the considerable wasted time that disrupted our planned day. If this had happened the previous day we would have missed our water taxi tour but the nearest we got to any apology was that this had never happened before. Tina you may have a beautiful hotel that runs smoothly but this means nothing when you fail to acknowledge the distress or inconvenience caused when something goes wrong, it’s how you respond that really matters and your reluctance to apologise or to accept any responsibility detracts from everything that is right about the place. So folks provided nothing goes wrong, you will have a nice time but if something is wrong you are on your own and won’t get any recompense or gesture of goodwill to try to put right a bad situation. Just a few words or small gesture would have made a difference in how we felt leaving the place - it seems that brushing it under the carpet and taking the money is the number 1 priority at Abel Tasman Lodge. It left us with definitely sour experience on leaving still without one word of apology.

Abel Tasman Lodge was superb. A well equipped, spacious and very comfortable chalet with a lovely terrace overlooking beautiful gardens which were teeming with birdlife. The owners were friendly and helpful. It was also well positioned right on the edge of the National Park and very convenient for walks, water taxis etc. Three excellent places to eat nearby, one of which is a food truck serving some of the best burgers I've ever had. Ideal for a takeaway with a beer sitting on the terrace in the evening sun! We were there for three nights, but wished we could have stayed longer. Highly recommended.

Perfect break From the Friendly greeting when we arrived to the cheery goodbye when we left this was a perfect break. Fantastic accommodation in a lovely setting. Everything we wanted

Wonderful place to stay We loved our 4 day stay here. The Lodge is the perfect place to stay- beautifully clean and well appointed facilities and just minutes from the Abel Tasman Park. Would highly recommend.

Beautiful room and balcony. Great how close to Aqua Taxi. Nice hot tub to access free of charge. Also nice massage available. Highly recommend