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We invite you to share our haven of peace and tranquillity. Our elevated location offers you an all-day relaxation with native birdsong from the nearby nature reserve and unsurpassed sea views over the Bay. Laze on your private deck to soak up memorable sunsets or unwind in our outdoor spa under a blanket of stars...
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English, French, Dutch
Location
36 Bay Vista Drive, Pohara 7183 New Zealand
The Bay Lodge
79 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
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I never write reviews, but for this fabulous place I have to make an exception. I stayed at the Bay Lodge for four nights to relax after travelling through the North Island for two weeks. Sonja and Filip are fantastic hosts with excellent knowledge about the Golden Bay and the rest of New Zealand knowing all the secret and special places. They also perfectly organize and book your trips and walks in the Golden Bay. The suite (one of three) is modern, clean and nicely furnished and has spectacular views over the Golden Bay. The breakfast was delicious and you can use both an outside pool and a spa pool with great views. This is the best place to stay in the Golden Bay.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip 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.
Response from Sonja V, Eigenaar at The Bay Lodge
Responded 7 May 2020
Glad you appreciated our Golden Bay “creation”. Thank you for taking the time in writing us a review. We really appreciate your positive feedback.
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Wow - how can we even begin to describe this wonderfully peaceful accommodation overlooking beautiful Golden Bay. We have just left this amazing place and would return again in a heartbeat! Sonja and Filip provide a wonderful, friendly service with many extras that you don’t usually see in accommodation such as port, chocolates and cookies, sun hats and a beach bag, movies and magazines in the room. They even brought us a delicious freshly baked cake to have with a coffee on our first full day there. The suite and grounds are immaculate and beautifully decorated and the price extremely reasonable for what is supplied. We had a stone grill dinner prepared for us one night on our patio and it was amazing with an abundance of delicious food and lovely wine. There was a guide book in our room that we could take with us on our drives to see the area which was very helpful. They cater for every kind of guest from those wanting adventure and activities to those wanting absolute relaxation, and everything in between. Thank you Sonja, Filip and Eliana for an amazing few days! Your thoughtful touches and absolutely amazing accommodation are first rate and I could not recommend The Bay Lodge any higher. Definitely one of the best accommodation choices we have ever made!
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Date of stay: March 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.
Response from Sonja V, Eigenaar at The Bay Lodge
Responded 7 May 2020
What a lovely review. Thank you for all the detail about what made it special. We are glad you enjoyed your stay at our little Paradise.
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This was our first visit back to Golden Bay in 10 years. It remains an absolute hidden gem in our country- travelling here involves a long, hilly and eventually dead end drive at the top of the South Island so it doesn't make many people's itineraries unless they have a lot of time to explore NZ. But it is a truly beautiful place to explore a variety of quality locations at a slower pace, and the Bay Lodge complements the whole experience of Golden Bay so well. Filip and Sonja clearly appreciate the beautiful region they live in and they have made a very place to stay in as a base to explore the whole area. Everything about our accommodation was perfect, and the breakfast hamper was a super start to the day. Pool a real added bonus, and the sunset and views were a perfect way to finish the day. Highly recommend visitors to New Zealand with time to explore the Abel Tasman also make the effort to visit Golden Bay and enjoy the hospitality of this quality lodge. We'll definitely be back.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:If you want the most privacy out of the 3 rooms Aroha is the best choice.
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.
Response from Sonja V, Eigenaar at The Bay Lodge
Responded 7 May 2020
Thank you so much for taking the time to review us. We are very pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back in he future. There is so much more to explore in this best kept secret region.
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In February we stayed in The Bay Lodge in Pohara for five nights.
The location above the village with a view of Golden Bay is phenomenal.
There are three rooms in the lodge, we had the smallest, but it is perfectly adequate for two people.
The furnishings are complete and extremely tasteful. The room is also in perfect condition.
The room has a wonderful terrace with several places to sit and even its own bed outside.
If you wish, the hosts will give you a breakfast basket, which is brought the evening before. It contains everything you need and it tastes excellent. Any special requests (e.g. vegetarian) are of course taken into account. Exemplary.
The hosts themselves are unbeatable in terms of warmth. On the last evening we were even invited to their private rooms for a chat; as if we had known each other for years.
There are plenty of tips for excursions or restaurants.
The farewell on the day of departure was as warm as if you were saying goodbye to good friends. We have never experienced anything like it.
With all that said, the price-performance ratio is unbeatable.
Conclusion: One of the best accommodations we've ever had in New Zealand (and we've been there 8 times).
We'll definitely be back.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip 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.
We stayed at The Bay Lodge for our wedding anniversary in Dec for 3 nights. We were warmly greeted by the hosts and were offered a delicious afternoon tea on the house! Everything was perfect and well appointed, from room decor to cleanliness. Every detail was taken cared of! This was the most stunning place we had stayed in by far! The hosts' local knowledge was superb and they offered us recommendations on the tracks and walks that we thoroughly enjoyed.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:The Aroha suite is at the most private location.
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.
Response from Sonja Van Bever, Owner at The Bay Lodge
Responded 14 Feb 2021
Great that you have such great memories of your stay with us and enjoyed the variety that Golden Bay has to offer. Thank you for taking the time in writing us a review. We really appreciate your positive feedback. It was a pleasure to have you stay with us.
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An absolutely wonderful paradise! This accommodation is beautiful, in a fantastic location, super clean, very well equipped and luxuriously furnished (without being snobby). The beautiful outdoor area is also a great place to linger. The super friendly hosts have traveled a lot themselves and have thought of everything that travelers could wish for. They provide very good information about excursion destinations and places to eat. If desired, they can reserve restaurants and excursions and take guests to excursion or hiking destinations for a small fee. You can have your laundry done for a small fee. Free milk, chocolate, biscuits and port wine or similar are available every day. Wine, sparkling wine and beer can be bought at a very reasonable price. Restaurants are within easy walking distance. You can also cook your own meal and eat outside or in the accommodation. There is plenty of space for this. Thank you very much for everything, we really enjoyed our stay here. Thank you also for the absolutely delicious farewell cake.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip 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.
A five star experience in a lovely location with scenic views, excellent facilities and wonderful hosts. Although the weather was a little changeable during our visit, this did not dampen our spirits and we look forward to returning again in the future to experience more of this marvellous area. Our hosts were perfect and surprised us with a home baked cake which was delicious. Yum! Thoroughly recommended.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip 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.
We spent 6 fabulous nights at The Bay Lodge for our honeymoon and it was perfect. Our hosts were super and made everything easy and relaxed. We will be back :) The suite was luxurious and private, including deck and of course the magnificent view of golden bay. Enjoying the spa and watching the stars at night is a real treat. We filled our days with a scenic flight, hikes, tours, boats, in and around the Albel Tasman, Golden Bay and Farewell Spit. A truely amazing place to stay!
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Response from Sonja V, Eigenaar at The Bay Lodge
Responded 7 May 2020
We are glad you enjoyed your stay at The Bay Lodge in Pohara for your honeymoon. Thank you so much for your lovely comments. We really do appreciate your feedback, and do hope to see you again.
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The Bay Lodge is simply stunning, everything that could have been added to ensure a comfortable stay has been, all the boxes ticked including heated swimming pool, spa pool, outdoor furniture and day beds. Our hosts were welcoming and informative, the space was private and relaxing. Expectations exceeded, luxury delivered. Thank you
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip 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.
This is one of the most beautiful places in NZ that we have stayed in. The view is stunning, the gardens are beautifully landscaped. The suite had everything we needed and more. The hosts were friendly and informative. We would definitely stay again and highly recommend to anyone.
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Date of stay: July 2020
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.
Response from Sonja Van Bever, Owner at The Bay Lodge
Responded 11 Jul 2020
Thank you so much for taking the time to review our property. We are glad you thoroughly enjoyed our place and garden. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future. There is so much more to explore in beautiful Golden Bay.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Pohara area.
PRICE RANGE
$461 - $485 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandNelson-Tasman RegionGolden BayPohara
NUMBER OF ROOMS
3
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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