We never ended up staying at the Hermitage because our little boy got really sick with fevers and unfortunately we had to cancel everything including the glacier explorer experience which is a shame as it was all for our sons birthday! We were coming from Queenstown and were here from Sydney and hence were too worried to make the drive with a sick boy (min 3 hour drive). Josh was amazing to deal with from when we were booking the trip from Sydney - he was helpful and nothing was too hard. Then today I reached out to the hotel to explain our unfortunate situation - Oliver spoke to me and said he would take everything into consideration and make a decision. Within two hours Jessica replied and had processed the refund. I don’t think you can get service like this everyday! So as much as we are disappointed that we didn’t end up staying in Hermitage and get to see Mt Cook - we are blown away by the exemplary customer service experience and for that alone we would recommend the hotel and try and come back again in future!…
We stayed at The Hermitage for it's iconic location and great views of Aoraki and the neighboring mountains. It's one of my favorite places to be. We stayed in standard rooms which were conveniently close to everything in the hotel and had a nice view. The facilities are very basic. The staff were friendly and helpful but it is clear they are run off their feet and the hotel is understaffed. Not their fault, more people just don't exist and visitor numbers are significantly down especially mid week. The buffet is the only dinner option, but the cafe is good until 4pm and reasonably priced. Breakfast buffet is good *if* you get there early in the service window.
We had a buffett after our walk at Mount Cook. Was some of the most incredible food I had had in a long time - ranging from cheeses and different types of salmon to roasties, soup and various other meats with unreal desserts. Only downside was since we weren't staying at the hotel we had to wait until 8:30pm to be seated.
The place was fantastic but first I want to mention the FOOD!! The buffet was amazing but what I really wanted to note is the lovely effort of the staff to accomodate for vegans! The large desert wall contained vegan options- we got to try the panna cotta, truffle, snickers slice and berry muffin all of which were fantastic! One of the chefs even went to some extra effort of making me additional vegan food to what was at the buffet (which he offered- I didn’t have to ask for)!! I was sooo appreciative of the staffs friendliness and genuine care. It was Next level and made our stay! The room itself was great- views were excellent and the location was great! Would definitely stay again
Beautiful hotel in the middle of outstanding natural beauty with lovely staff However the little things let it down The bathroom that was not as clean as mine- and my standard is not that high. Coffee in Sir Ed’s bar not great and they seemed to be running on left overs. My hubby did not like his pizza with the egg on top! The salmon platter at the Snowline Bar had cold cauliflower and carrots included. And was not generous. Come on. There is a salmon farm down the road The Martini was undrinkable Oh well. The location and the magnificent mountains in pictures windows is what it is all about Had the best time at Mt Cook. Put it on your bucket list
We had a premium room with spectacular views of Aoraki Mt Cook and a telescope in-room to bring everything closer. Rooms were clean, warm and cosy; beds were comfortable. The staff were all excellent. Highly recommend the dinner and breakfast buffets although the food was not as good on the stat holiday as the normal weekday day (different chefs?). The hotel isn't as grand as some others but it is comfortable. Sadly, you can't see the amazing view at night so don't worry about booking a window seat after dark. Highly recommend you splash out and stay here...awesome experience. Sad to leave.
Visiting Mt Cook and staying at the Hermitage is definitely a bucket list item not to be missed. Luckily for us it was reasonably quiet when we just turned up with no prior booking and we got a room on the 8th floor with a view straight out to Mt Cook. Room itself was tired, but spotlessly clean - and the rooms are huge!! We didn't dine in the restaurant itself but sat in the lounge area with great platters and wine which was perfect for what we wanted. The next day after walking to the Hooker glacier lake early, we checked out & had brunch in the cafe upstairs which was really really good too. Not overly expensive either and great coffee. All the front line staff were extremely helpful and friendly. We were very impressed, keep up the good work team!!!
We stayed here at the start of our Alps2Ocean ride as part of our package. Unfortunately the weather during our stay - gale force winds and rain didn't allow us to enjoy the views until the morning when we started riding. The accomodation level was what is expected of a high end hotel, everything immaculate, good staff and restaurant with great views when weather allows, undercover storage for bikes at the rear of the hotel and ideal accomodation for the start of our 337km ride. Price of meal were up there but in keeping with the accomodation. Would we stay there again. Only if we could afford to.
Had a great stay. Room on 2nd floor with balcony looking at Mt Cook. Service staff were lovely and efficient. Awesome view. Staff in bar and restaurant were excellent. We had the two course menu option and the food was not only outstanding, but filling. Did the Tasman lake boat trip and highly recommend it. We had a perfect fine day so we were spoilt I think. Did the Galaxy planetarium experience. Kate was outstanding, explaining and answering questions. Definitely be back to The Hermitage.
A glorious conclusion to a wonderful day roaming around Mt Cook area We had read the reviews which had attracted us to the Hermitage Alpine restaurant. The five of us experienced an amazing variety of entrees, mains and desserts from the fixed price set menu. The pictures show a lot, but doesn’t allow you insight to the fantastic taste
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