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5.0
#1 of 1 hotels in Featherston
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Value
Anything is possible whether it be an insight into farming in New Zealand, a tour of the lodge historic coastline, or even something as simple as enjoying a walk through the 3,200 acre haven that is Wharekauhau.
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
Quaint
Languages Spoken
English, French, Filipino
Location
4132 Wharekauhau Road Palliser Bay, RD3, Featherston 5773 New Zealand
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A group of friends (3 couples) took advantage of a special winter offer to stay on a Saturday night. We were blessed with good weather and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. As to be expected the service was exceptional and the food catered to all dietary requirements. We were made to feel very welcome and taken to our adjoining cottages with incredible views over the coast and adjoining farmland. There were so many lambs! The cottages were beautifully appointed, I found the bed very comfortable. Fantastic selection of teas in the mini kitchen. My only complaint about the cottage was the the water pressure for the bath/shower was incredibly slow. The indoor swimming pool was sufficiently large to do some lengths and a reasonable temperature. The walks around the property were well signed, however the ocean walk was closed, I think the steps to the beach were being repaired. The evening meal was wonderful, lots of courses with beautifully presented food. Our party enjoyed the different flavoured gins on offer - so many of them! We had our meal in an upstairs room with a very well stocked bourban bar, though we did not try these. The waiters were very well informed and chatted at length with us about the estate and mentioned some of its more famous guests. Breakfast was very good with a wide range of choices. The signature dish was great. Although a bit picky it would have been good to have been offered more than one coffee, and the lack of a side plate at the start meant that we were using out saucers as plates for the cheese scones. Overall a wonderful stay, I would definitely return if there was another special offer.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â I think all the cottages have a good view. Ask for a room with good water pressure for the shower!
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.
Wharekauhau sits in splendid isolation between the sea and the mountains behind so it is a lovely drive in. Service was good in all areas and the cottages are individually nestled in private settings, making for a very peaceful stay. The loudest noise we heard was the chorus from the frogs in the pond, and we slept really well. The dinner menu is set, with four courses and is included with the tariff, but cheese is an optional extra, as are drinks. Presumably if you can afford to stay here you won’t mind paying for your sparkling water. There are no options on the menu but we were shown the evening menu earlier in the day and I assume could have asked for something else. On both evenings we had good meals, with delicious starters. They were definitely the standout. The lamb main was very good but the second night’s pork fillet was not of similar standard. A rather strange “peanut butter and jelly “ dessert was apparently a new addition and fellow guests were less than enthusiastic. Overall the food was acceptable rather than fabulous. Notably the breakfast buffet offered only rice bubbles and cornflakes as cereals, a first in my many years of hotel visits. It was duly put out the next morning after I had commented. Cooked breakfasts were good. Small niggles were rectified promptly, such as no shoe cleaner, but there were a few lapses in the maintenance line which preclude top quality ranking, such as broken insect screens and a dead light bulb.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Rooms
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 stayed two nights and we wished we could stay longer. From the moment we arrived we were greeted by genuinely lovely, friendly staff and that continued for our whole stay. The staff are down to earth, not pretentious which is definitely the kiwi way and immediately makes you feel welcome. They were interested in what you had planned for the day and gave some great tips on local sightseeing and food stops like the Captain's Table food truck at Ngawi. The cottages are beautifully styled and comfortable, and the view from everywhere on the estate is amazing. We immediately felt relaxed in the peaceful and stunning surrounds. Our first time away from the kids in years so we decided on room service for dinner for the two nights and both evening meals were absolutely delicious, high quality and the pairing of local wine was excellent! All of the food was high quality, and we've stayed in some luxury spots before. We treated ourselves to a spa treatment on our last morning which we would highly recommend. The NZ Resident special is a great initiative so we're going back again before it ends but this time for three nights. Thank you so much to all of the staff at Wharekauhau for making our stay so wonderful! I'm terrible at remembering names but you're all amazing and we can't wait to come back!
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Date of stay: July 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Every room had great views
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 arrived at the lodge for our 3 night stay with great expectations and excitement as we have stayed at many luxurious venues in NZ and around the world and love the whole experience. On arrival we were greeted at our car and the luggage whisked away and given a tour of the lodge. We would have expected a glass of champagne on arrival or even a small afternoon tea but nothing. We were shown to our rooms and after about an hour or so my partner went to the bathroom to discover urine all over the toilet and a dead insect plus dead flies on the floor. After a further look around we noted more dead flies scattered around on the floor plus some very brown stains on the carpet and big chips out of the doors and a lack of maintenance throughout out the cottage. The cottage is very comfortable and stylish and the bedding is fabulous but let down by the level of detail expected in this caliber of lodging. The food and service from the staff was faultless and really made us feel welcome and very well looked after. The main lodge area is beautiful and the decor gives an immediate feeling of grandeur and style. Our group made an effort to dress for cocktails and dinner and know that everyone doesn’t necessarily want to do the same which is fine but to see some guests wearing frayed jean shorts or shorts and sneakers in the elegant dining room and lounges was very disappointing and once again for a Relais and Chateau hotel was not expected compared to their other properties we have stayed at. Overall we loved the experience but slightly soured by the lack of finer detail and condition of our accommodation for the hefty price tag.
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Date of stay: February 2021Trip 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 was so excited to have the opportunity to stay at Wharekauhau recently. However, what a huge disappointed it proved to be! Our room was dusty and dirty, with previous occupant's hairs, dust, and old soap splatters in the bathroom, shortbread crumbs left on the table, and a general stale and musty air about it. I brought this to the hotel's attention, but nobody seemed to care particularly and no effort was made to spruce up the room during our stay. The staff were excellent although one member of the restaurant staff was extremely rude and chippy in a way I have never experienced in a hotel of this supposed standard. On the plus side, the location is spectacular and the grounds were beautiful. Also - the spa treatment I had was first class! For the price (and I have been fortunate enough to stay in some fabulous lodges and hotels throughout NZ and the rest of the world) I found the whole experience extremely overpriced for the service we received. Maybe Wharekauhau thinks it does not have to go the "extra mile" with predominantly NZ guest at this time?
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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.
We stayed at Wharekauhau for three nights, given that we had a time limit on our journey through New Zealand and many places that we wanted to see, but really, if you do go there, stay longer! After you have done all that you wanted to do, the wine tour, the tour of the estate, the walking.....you should really take one day to just enjoy being in this beautiful property! The rooms are incredibly comfortable and tastefully adjourned, food is amazing as is the possibility of actually being served dinner in a place of your liking, which for us was an upstairs room with a spectacular view. Service is impeccable and the location is absolutely beautiful!
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
Stay for weekend at Wharekauhau and had the most relaxing and enjoyable time. Facilities were excellent, wine list extremely impressive with very knowledgeable staff. We picked a perfect weekend where although crisp not a breath of wind and perfect sky’s. The star watch following a exceptional dinner was the best way to finish a perfect evening. Staff could not do enough and always went the extra mile to please and assist. Ideal location to switch off and take in the views, wine or food or be entertained using the facilities, farm tours, shooting or bike tours. Only issue was under floor heating in our room not working which was noticeable at -1 degree mornings but this didn’t deter a perfect weekend. Looking forward to another visit in the near future.
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Date of stay: July 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.
After changing our accomodation 3 times due to COVID we finally arrived at Wharekauhau Lodge . We had high hopes from pictures and reviews and they were exceeded by far . First of all on arrival we were met out front where our luggage was taken and delivered to our room and our car was taken away and parked , then we were taken into the beautiful lounge with open fireplace and given a welcome drink. We then went to our room which was beautiful , comfy sofas, fireplace, raked ceilings, walk in robe and plush bedding with a view out to ocean.We thought it was going well until we went to happy hour and made new friends sitting around the fire and talking . But the best was yet to come with the food which was amazing . A talented bunch of chefs in the kitchen and great service made it a memorable experience. Breakfast also amazing with your your choice from great menu with house made bread,fresh squeezed juice, local, honey and the eggs were from resident chickens. All staff were amazing so hard to single anyone out but we were mainly looked after by Victoria who was amazing 🙌 I could go on all day but I think I have said enough. We loved loved loved this place . 🥰
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Date of stay: June 2021
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.
If you have ever dreamed of accommodation that foresees your every wish, Wharekahau is the very welcome reality. The genre delivers from the start, a mysterious and exciting drive, a gradual unveiling of the views, to the level of service and perfection you were trusting would prevail. The Lodges and Main House continue supplying the feeling of pampering you desire, with seclusion or familiarity with other guests at your choice. The excellent kitchen, service sans servitude, and general ambience of all, made this such a memorable two nights.
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Date of stay: July 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.
Dinner portions were tiny and on the cold side. Definitely no wow factor at all compared to elsewhere.
We were not impressed that a $50 bottle of wine on offer in the cottage was $150 in the restaurant.
Not a high enough standard for the price.
It was an amazing stay but we felt the whole experience was a little dated.
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Date of stay: November 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.
There are more places to choose from in the Featherston area.
PRICE RANGE
$4,814 - $5,227 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
wharekauhau country estate featherston
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandGreater WellingtonWairarapaFeatherston
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
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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