Rutherford Hotel Nelson
27 Nile Street West Trafalgar Square, Nelson 7010 New Zealand
Lowest prices for your stay
US$141
Free cancellation until 19/08/22
Reserve now, pay at stay
US$136
Free cancellation until 20/08/22
US$136
Free cancellation until 20/08/22
PricelineUS$141
TravelocityUS$136
Orbitz.comUS$136
View all 14 deals
Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
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.
Full view
View all photos (146)146
Room & Suite (39)
Dining (27)
About
#16 of 42 hotels in Nelson
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Nelson is an extraordinary NZ destination befitting a hotel of such a high standard. The Rutherford Hotel Nelson offers luxurious hotel accommodation with a full complement of features designed to help you achieve the most from your stay. The hotel offers a range of superior guest facilities including two restaurants, a cafe and is only a couple of minutes walk from Nelson's main shopping district and landmark cathedral. Dining, relaxing, or getting away from it all, this is one of the few hotels that puts you right at the doorstep of three national parks and an unmatched range of sandy beaches, blue seas and mountain wilderness.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Bicycle rental
Boating
Babysitting
Paid private parking on-site
Parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Sauna
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast in the room
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Bowling
Golf course
Hiking
Mini golf
Archery offsite
Bicycle tours
Walking tours
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Car hire
Taxi service
Business Centre with Internet Access
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Massage
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Concierge
Currency exchange
Newspaper
Non-smoking hotel
First aid kit
Umbrella
24-hour check-in
24-hour front desk
Express check-in / check-out
Clothes dryer
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Washing machine
Ironing service
Show more
Room features
Allergy-free room
Blackout curtains
Air conditioning
Desk
Housekeeping
Coffee / tea maker
Cable / satellite TV
Bath / shower
Bathrobes
Interconnected rooms available
Room service
Safe
Telephone
Wardrobe / wardrobe
Clothes rack
Iron
Private bathrooms
Tile / marble floor
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Minibar
Electric kettle
Flatscreen TV
Radio
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Show more
Room types
City view
Landmark view
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English, French, Chinese, Afrikaans and 4 more
Location
Full view
91Great for walkers
Grade: 91 out of 100
90Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
28Attractionswithin 0.5 km
Contact
27 Nile Street West Trafalgar Square, Nelson 7010 New Zealand
Getting there
Car HireSee all Nelson car hire
520Reviews6Q+A81Room tips
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 166
- 231
- 84
- 30
- 9
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
14 days in New Zealand with a night at the Rutherford in the middle, how bad could it be? We were a group of 3, a couple and an adult child. We wanted a room together and not two double suites, so we booked the 3 bedroom suite. At check-in I asked if the room had a view. I was told it looked at the Cathedral. Great I thought. We checked-in in the afternoon and left our luggage in the car while we walked around Nelson and then after we had dinner arrived at our room. The first thing my wife said was "this room looks like where they store their excess furniture". The room was the converted manager's apartment on the first floor with no view of the Cathedral over looking the hotel's front door. Outside the door was the main stairs to the function room on the ground floor. It was also next to the entrance to the swimming pool and the gym. By the looks of it we were in the only room on the first floor. At 12:30am we had function guests standing outside our door talking and carrying on for 20 minutes. At 4:00 we had a couple standing under our windows in the forecourt having a full-on domestic dispute for over 30-40 minutes. Two people screaming abuse at each other for over half an hour. It was gross beyond belief. My 15 yo daughter had never heard adults speak to each other in such an appalling manager before. The next day she was still visibly upset by the experience. A standard suite at the Rutherford, with a view of the bay, is NZD$190. We paid NZD$880 for a night in hell in the converted managers apartment. At checkout the receptionist was surprised because she had "heard" that the 3 bedroom suite was "really nice". Then she apologised as she charged me full price for the room. Reception no interest in our night from hell other than to ask us to fill out a hotel survey.…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
I was here as part of a conference and also staying an extra couple of days. The staff have been amazing and really going out of their way to please. The food has been outstanding as part of the conference package, such a pity the restaurants are closed. Breakfast is in a lovely restaurant with spacious tables and a peaceful setting. Whilst I haven’t yet checked out, I must say the location is central, a little dated but very clean and has character. A lovely foyer, and I like having opening windows for fresh air. Nelson is a wonderful spot, restaurants close by and friendly locals. If you are looking for an event to be held in Nelson, I highly recommend this hotel. Great for tourists needing a central location. I will not hesitate to return.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, General Manager at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 23 Jun 2022
Dear Airmac, thank you very much for taking the time to leave us our encouraging feedback. We are delighted to learn how much you enjoyed your experience with us and that in particular our team was able to make your stay memorable. I have passed your motivating comments on to our team here at the hotel. We hope that your current say continues to be enjoyable. We are reviewing frequently and are hoping to be able to open our restaurant and bar again for dinner service as soon as we are able. Again thank you for choosing to stay with us and we are looking forward to welcoming you back to our extraordinary region. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
We took 40 senior folks to stay a few nights at the Rutherford in May 2022. Rooms are great, they were able to provide rooms with walk-in showers for a handful of mobility-impaired clients. Breakfasts were excellent, likewise a catered set-menu dinner. The conference room we used for this dinner and musical concert was a bit sterile and lacked any decoration but would have been perfectly satisfactory for its usual purpose. The management and staff were uniformly helpful and attentive. Overall we were treated extremely well and highly recommend.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, General Manager at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 7 Jun 2022
Dear Andrewlondonmusic, Thank you very much for sharing your experience. We are delighted to learn that you and your guests enjoyed your stay with us. It was indeed wonderful to see another group at the hotel and having some activity. I have shared your encouraging feedback with our team. Again thank you for choosing to stay with us and we are looking forward to welcoming you back to our extraordinary region. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
Brilliant as always. We have stayed many times. Central city. Lovely views. Close to all the restaurants cafes bars and shops. Next door to the iconic Cathedral. Part of a top hotel group. Hotel is getting old and is a little bit on tired side. But is clean and everything works well. Lovely breakfast buffet area. Friendly and helpful staff.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, General Manager at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 16 Jan 2022
Dear Garynmcdiarmid,, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your stay with us and are more than happy to share your encouraging feedback with the team. There certainly is a lot to see and do in our extraordinary city and region. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
Hotel was exceptional, really comfy beds with all the amenities. Great service at reception. Lovely morning dip in the pool and the thing to top it all off was the great customer service from Anuris this morning for breakfast (best laugh in the world).
Read more
Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, General Manager at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 16 Jan 2022
Dear lucyjolliffe, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your stay with us and we are more than happy to forward your encouraging feedback with our team and particularly Anurag. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
Great pre Xmas stay. Wonderful views from the room. Good for our family of five with room in close proximity. Could walk to town centre, markets and local restaurants. Good sized rooms. Great to have a pool. Nice lobby and friendly helpful staff.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Lots of parking onsite.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, General Manager at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 16 Jan 2022
Dear dougaldinos, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your stay with us and we will ensure to share your encouraging comments with the team here at the hotel. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
I have been coming here since 11 years and unfortunately there are less good things to say each time. The reception staff are very cold and do not give a very welcoming impression. The room service (from Oceano) is served as very small portions considering the high price. Even after three courses you are left feeling hungry. The quality of the food is okay. I once forgot to sign my breakfast card and the reception staff made me come all the way back down to the lobby to sign it. This is not only unnecessary but very unprofessional given the amount of paperwork you already complete at checkin. The Japanese restaurant (Miyazu) has sadly closed down due to the pandemic. This was a great restaurant. There is however still plenty of signage advertising Miyazu. Hopefully this will be removed soon. The hotel is in need of a renovation and is slowly becoming tired and old. Many years ago the hotel once sold us a room at short notice. We later found out that this room was actually reserved for the crew of an airline who were just running very late. Not believing this we asked reception staff later that evening and indeed the crew had to be sent to another hotel when they finally arrived. On the plus side the hotel is in a great central location and within short walking distance of many food and shopping options. The rooms are light and offer good views.…
Read more
Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
This is a hotel in a great central location - walk around town for shopping or dining. A bit dated - but very clean and staff really helpful and pleasant. There is a bar and restaurant on site - we didn't go there but they appeared popular.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2021
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, General Manager at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 16 Apr 2021
Dear Toni D, Thank you very much for taking the time to write us a review. We are very happy to learn that the team here at the hotel was able to make your stay memorable and we will ensure to share your encouraging comments with the team. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
We went to The Oceano restaurant for our wedding anniversary on Sunday, not only was the food superb but the service from Simran was excellent, we had a 3 course dinner and it was so nice and then at the end Simran and the chef surprised us with a chocolate selection which was such a special thing for us, they went the extra mile and we would diff go back, highly recommended
Read more
Date of stay: February 2021
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, Other at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 5 Mar 2021
Dear Lisa6869, Thank you very much for taking the time to write us a review. We are delighted to learn how much you enjoyed your stay with us and that our team was able to make your stay memorable and I will ensure to share your encouraging feedback with the team and especially Simran. Congratulations again for your anniversary! We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
This hotel is interesting because it is dated but in a classic way. Everything is neat and tidy, just not modern or new. Our room was comfortable and spacious plus the staff were friendly. Very convenient location to park up and explore central Nelson on foot. Disliked · I paid for the room on check in but had to pay $5 for parking on check out, which was slightly irritating. The hotel also charges credit card fees. The shower set up means water gets onto the bathroom floor.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Alexander Siebentritt, Other at Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Responded 20 Jan 2021
Dear Emma W, Thank you very much for choosing to stay with us and for taking the time to leave us your review. We are delighted to learn that you enjoyed your stay with us and that our team was able to make your stay memorable. We will ensure to share your encouraging feedback with the team. Also thank you very much for feedback on areas of improvement, this is very important to us an we are reviewing opportunities to ensure for a better guest experience. Unfortunately the 1.5% additional cost to credit card transactions is a result of high fees charged to us from our financial service providers and is something we decided to pass on to those deciding to use credit cards. If paying with cash or eftpos this cost does not apply. We decided to add this cost to credit card transaction only in order to be more transparent and not include the associated cost charged by our financial service providers as a fixed position in our pricing structure for all guests. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best regards from the team at Rutherford Hotel Nelson ~ A Heritage Hotel. "Experience the best of N.E.L.S.O.N." Nature - Exceptional - Local - Safe - Optimistic - Neat
Read more
PRICE RANGE
US$118 - US$128 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
nelson rutherford hotel
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandNelson-Tasman RegionNelson
NUMBER OF ROOMS
113
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Which popular attractions are close to Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Nearby attractions include Nelson Saturday Market (0.3 km), Nelson Provincial Museum (0.2 km), and Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith (0.1 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Yes, free parking and paid private parking on-site are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Conveniently located restaurants include Harry's Hawker House & Bar, Paasha, and Hopgoods & Co.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness centre, and a sauna during their stay.
Is Rutherford Hotel Nelson located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.2 km away from the centre of Nelson.
Are any cleaning services offered at Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Does Rutherford Hotel Nelson offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business centre, meeting rooms, and a banquet room.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Rutherford Hotel Nelson?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, French, German, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, and Korean.