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26 Elgin Terrace, Oban, Stewart Island 9846 New Zealand
South Sea Hotel
381 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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This is one of the older buildings on the island so do not expect the comfort and tranquility of a modern building. The room we had a fantastic sea view (room 2). It was a good size room with decent bed and washbasin. The showers and WCs are shared facilities with other rooms but there were plenty and they were clean. You will get noise transfer from the bar and other rooms but with earplugs if you are a light sleeper it is not an issue. The bar is the only one on the island so if there is a function on you will get to know! Good choice of beers at non rip off prices. Reception was friendly and helpful. We did eat there and had great meals including fantastic crayfish. Breakfast were good value for the portions served. Nice area out front to eat or get a beer. Complementary 1gb of WiFi included, also free public WiFi and decent 4g signal.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed at this hotel for one night and couldn't fault it. They allowed us to check in at around 12.30 pm and upon checking out the next day looked after our luggage until 3.00 pm.
Only a few minutes walk from the ferry jetty this hotel is well maintained and inviting. The unit facilitaties were adequate and bedding was comfortable. Staff were friendly and obliging. This place is recommended.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed for two nights in a studio unit. These units are located behind the main hotel in a separate block and are away from the noise of the bar, so they are nice and quiet. The unit I was in, number 22, was comfortable, although the mattress on the queen bed was getting a little saggy on one side and is probably due for retirement. The shower had really good pressure, perfect for warming up after a cold winter day on the island. The studio units also have a small kitchenette with everything you need for preparing hot drinks and basic snacks. There is a bit of light leakage into the room from external lights thanks to rather thin lining on the curtains, but its not excessive.
The in-house restaurant serves great pub food showcasing local produce including seafood. Prices are reasonable and serving sizes are generous. I had one meal in the restaurant and one in the hotel's bar (the restaurant is not open every night in the off season) and had no complaints.
Staff were friendly, the location is beautiful and within a few minutes walk of a small supermarket, the ferry wharf and the local airline office.
If you're visiting Stewart Island, give this place a go. It's worth the experience!
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Date of stay: July 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â Try a studio unit for a quiet night
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Being directly across the road from the beach, only minutes walk to the ferry, airline drop off and pick up point, the information centre, DOC and the local supermarket make staying here easy and ideal. We had a studio room with its own bathroom which we found very good. Great shower good bed, tea and coffee making facilities, micro wave and radiator heating all made our stay very comfortable. The restaurant and bar in the main building were great to take advantage of. If you want to be in the centre of the action in Oban this is the place. Thank you to all the staff for making our Stewart Island experience as great as it was.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My partner and I stayed here for one night on our first night in Oban. We booked the Double room for a 100 bucks (shared Bathroom facilities). The room was clean and bed was comfortable. It is an old building so don't expect too much. The room was on the first floor and had a side view. Outside the room there is a kettle and coffee/ hot chocolate in the common area with a beautiful view overlooking Halfmoon Bay.
We had Lunch (no booking required) and Dinner (Advanced Booking required) at the restaurant. A bit pricy (as everything on the island, but I would say it's worth it as the food is good quality. We tried the mussels, the cod and the chowder.
The hotel lets you store you luggage overnight if you are going tramping and you can pick it up on your way back. Make sure it's a small bag as the cupboard isn't big. The Foursquare is a 1 minute walk and the Ferry is a 3 minute walk so it's a great location.
The only negative would be the reception on the first day. I understand that it was the beginning of the long Easter weekend and it was busy, but it shouldn't be an excuse to brush customers aside as though they are a burden. Hopefully it was a one off, as the hotel quietened down in the following days and the reception was a lot warmer.
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Date of stay: April 2021
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed in a studio unit, which is located in a building behind the historic hotel building. The room was incredibly large, much larger than what I expected. I found the high ceiling interesting. In the winter, it takes a bit longer to warm up the room. But I suspect in the summer, that high ceiling comes in handy to keep the room cooler.
Service was very good and I will definitely stay at this hotel again.
Note that the hotel doesn't have a secure space to store your luggage after the 10am checkout. This issue comes up if you're leaving on a ferry later in the day. Guests were advised to leave their luggage in the lobby/check-in area. However, a staff member wasn't always present, so luggage is left at the owner's risk. That said, I do believe people on Stewart Island are honest folks, and I'm just being a bit paranoid.
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Date of stay: July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed on the island for four nights. We booked a seaview room in the hotel with shared bathroom. Large room with a queen bed and a toilet next door, the window had a beautiful view of the bay with a large patio area. The bed was not that comfortable and in the morning when we opened the curtains to take in the view other quests were making good use of the area outside our room to enjoy the view also. The shared bathroom facilities were clean but I just didnt feel comfortable with the room so we asked to change to the motel and they were very accommodating. The next couple of nights were much more comfortable. No view but a very comfortable bed, kitchen facilities and an ensuite. Great room with good TV reception - not good for their wifi, my phone was fine. The last night we had a faulty smoke detector in the room next door which made sleeping difficult. I couldnt contact anyone to fix the problem until the next morning but it was handled well when I managed to speak to someone. The motel units were great, I would happily stay there again but would avoid room 29, it has the least privacy and the lights shine on the door all night.
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Date of stay: June 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited Stuart Island during winter time so not too many accommodation options were available, so hotel was the option, and we weren't disappointed. The hotel offers quite nice, clean rooms. Toilets were on the main hall, clean and tidy. Our room had an awesome bay, ocean view! And those sunrises! There is a very nice bar and cafe also available for the hotel guest and you can choose between Continental or menu breakfast. If you need wash your clothes there is washing machine at the back of reception. We stayed there three days and we probably will choose this option again.
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Date of stay: August 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed 3 nights in single room, very comfortable with good clean shared facilities (but kitchen sink needed a scrub to get rid of tea stains). Awesome view of the bay and sunrises from upstairs balcony. The place was very busy, restaurant fully booked each night so need to book. Food was excellent, everything reasonably priced. Great staff, calm and professional even when under pressure.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here as part of a tour group. Loved the vibe with the resturant and local pub also part of the hotel. Had a roomy motel room and the restaurant food was fanstastic. They are short staffed at the moment as some more remote places in Nz and I can not fault still how lovely and genuine everyone was even though between what seems like the islanders doing multiple jobs everyone was so kind lovely and the lodgings were great.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Oban area.
PRICE RANGE
$117 - $138 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandSouthland RegionStewart IslandOban
NUMBER OF ROOMS
17
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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