Find the Cheap Wanaka Hotels

We recently stayed at the Wanaka Hotel, attracted by its central location which did not disappoint being so close to the lake and the centre of town. However, our overall experience was marred by several discomforts. The hotel shows its age with a rather run-down appearance and old which could definitely use some modern upgrades. A minor, yet notable inconvenience was the provision of single ply toilet paper, of which there wasn't enough. The quality of toilet paper says a lot about a place. The bathroom was compact, to say the least, and while the heated mirror would be a thoughtful touch in winter, it made the room unbearably warm in the spring sunshine. The lack of a powerful shower further dampened our experience. The absence of air conditioning was felt, especially during the sunny afternoon when our room turned into a sauna despite opening the windows and sliding door. Parking was another challenge. It’s a game of luck to find a spot at times due to the pub . This could be quite inconvenient especially if you’re carrying a fair bit of luggage. The combined effect of these issues unfortunately outweighed the benefits of the location. We have decided not to return to Wanaka Hotel for our future visits to the area.

We were looking for a good 2 bedroom self catering cottage or apartment and were pretty staggered by the high prices for a five day stay in early March 2024. Eventually we found the Clearbrook Motel online and were pleased to snap up a two bedroom apartment because it had everything we wanted and offered more bang for our buck than alternatives we'd seen elsewhere. Having our own clothes washer and dryer was also very welcome. Price was not cheap but for this town it was very good value for money. Location is excellent with shops, restaurants and lake within 100 - 200 metres and we had a lovely view from our living room over a babbling brook and even snow capped mountains. Reception staff and cleaning staff were extremely nice, respectful and helpful.

After dawdling through the alpine beauty of Haast Pass, and descending down SH6, passing-by Lake Hawea to Wanaka, we were challenged to find our accommodation. The lodge is positioned in the south part of the town, off Ardmore St, the waterfront, driving up Helwick St. passed several shops on both sides, crossing two roads Brownston and Upton, to Warren Street, down sharply on the left. We were given a spacious room, with a large king bed, and an outside seating area with views towards Cardrona Resort and Mt Aspiring National Park. There were a couple of areas, the kitchen/dining room and a sitting room/lounge, shared with other residents and a reception manned mid-afternoon until late afternoon/ early evening. Access later was via a secure digital locked door. The arrangements were unusual, but perfectly comfortable and quiet on the edge of the town centre, with restaurants and shops within easy walking down Helwick Street. We had time to swim in the lake on the two days we stayed in Wanaka, both days hot around 30c in mid-afternoon, relieved by plunging into the icy lake wqters. The experience contrasted with the daily cold-water swim our daughter had introduced us to back up in the Bay of Plenty, it was noticeably clearer, not buoyant like sea-water.

The location is CBD and close to shops and restaurants. If you can't lug bags then ask for a downstairs room. The bedrooms are quite small, and there is only a microwave and really nowhere to store bags. Good wi-fi reception was a plus. Clean and tidy.

A brilliant team who looked at my special request associated with my wife’s limited mobility and looking for a view and we were upgraded to a perfect room with porch and bed views. Such considerate hosts. The room, although a little dated, was comfortable and had everything we needed. The extra large bed gave us a perfect sleep and when I had mastered the air-con we also had a room at the correct temperature. Recommend for short stays.

HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND. Don't come here if you want a good time and what you payed for. We paid for 3 queen beds + 1 king bed. All we got was a room with 2 double beds + 1 single bed and an argument with a wall-faced staff member. We talked to a staff member onsite and she tried to tell us we did not need more beds and would fit perfectly in what they gave us. Mate it's not about if we fit or not. We're paying customers and thereby entitled to what we payed for. We tried to explain this to her and she had the nerve to try get us to pay $235NZ for an extra room with 1 queen bed + 1 single bed. We paid for a certain amount of beds and didn't get it and she wanted us to pay even more to still not receive the service. She tried to tell us we told them we only had 1 person staying on our booking form so we showed her our booking confirmation which clearly stated our guest number to be exactly how many people we brought. We even tried to suggest a compromise where they simply bring in an extra mattress. She refused our suggestion and kept trying to push us to pay for an extra room. She deflected all our requests to speak to another staff member, insisting that the manager shared her views. At this point she simply went back to her room despite our attempts to reason. We ended up having to BUILD a bed with two diagonally placed sofas. Upon further inspection of the rooms, we found that the showers were not very clean with spots of mould on the sides and some of the bedroom lights refused to switch on. Furthermore, one of the bedroom heaters did not function. Attached are some photos of the lights and heater. The photos of the beds with are for size reference only - taken in the morning after sleeping.

'West Meadows Motel' hardly inspires the imagination - until you get here that is... A superbly designed and built complex that is both architecturally appealing and very well appointed. My phone booking, and reception experience with Matt was both casually relaxed yet thoroughly professional, and we felt right at home from the moment we arrived. Our 2 bedroom unit was really lovely - 2 identical and well proportioned bedrooms with clever light blinds and super comfy beds. Both tastefully done, and same with the lounge / dining area. Think modern contemporary with plush yet simple decor. Just perfect really. Sliding doors out to balcony, a user-friendly guest laundry and nicely designed car parking and gardens round out the overall impression that this place was designed and built with the guest experience in mind. For a 2 night stay I didn't expect to return after a long day hike on our first day to find the whole unit cleaned and beds tidied - this isn't 'usual' motel practice, yet it was here. Matt was also super helpful with local driving, hiking and 'insider' intel. Situated a km or two out of 'town', we worried about the walk in/out to forage for dinner, but that wasn't an issue once Matt told us about the excellent Stoaker Room 400m down the road, which was fabulous. Meat lovers rejoice! And if you didn't want to drive into Wanaka proper (only 2 mins drive or a 20-30 min walk) then they will happily drop you there and you can taxi home. A relatively new development, built in 2017, West Meadows both feels new, and yet well established at the same time. It is a superb place to stay, and all round one of my favourite motels in a 6 week tour of the country - and yes, I have stayed in many... Would return in a heartbeat and cannot recommend highly enough. Top job guys, may thanks, you were spectacularly good.

A big motel, the environment is good, and there are children's entertainment facilities, children love it! There is a large bed and a bunk in the room, enough for us 2 big 2 small 4 people to sleep. Although the kitchen is small enough, you can make some food for yourself. When I checked in, there were 2 children, and I was charged an additional fee of $ 50, so the cost performance was not so high.

Parking is very convenient, the clerk's attitude is very good, ten minutes drive to the town center, not far from the red dot of the network, the inside is very clean, there is no taste at all, it is very suitable for passing by.

The room is very clean, the location is also very good, it is very convenient to go to the supermarket and shopping, it is also very close to the lake for a walk, that is, the boss is not very good, we do not know where to park, he seems to be very unhappy