I am not sure how exclusive this place is but for us it was fantastic. Beware, it is not readily found using normal GPS. We had a fantastic room overlooking the lake and mountains. Fantastic sunrises. Very spacious Villa with personal Gym, Sauna, and Spa. Nice fireplace and the staff are very attentive. Very personalised service. Excellent meals and catering for all tastes catered for. Although you need to make your own breakfast, all the ingredients are provided and replenished each day. There is even an observatory with a powerful telescope for star gazing. Overall fantastic experience and will go again if opportunities arise.
This retreat deserves its five star status. The location of our villa was stunning and the setting was peaceful and idyllic. It was the perfect place to escape and relax for a long weekend. We really appreciated the special touches like the marshmallows waiting to be roasted by the fireplace and the complimentary chocolate. The underfloor heating made the villa toasty and the beautiful bathrooms have to be seen to be believed. The friendly and knowledgeable staff were the icing on the cake and ensured that we had everything we needed during our stay. Nothing was ever a problem. The head chef Tom introduced us to some great cooking tips during a live demonstration and he made everything look effortless. Each meal he created was delicious and insta-worthy. Tom even packed a luxurious picnic lunch for us when we set out for the Huka Valley. One of the highlights was using the outdoor hot tub at night to enjoy a breathtaking view of the stars. Thank-you for a memorable stay and we hope to visit again soon.…
Had a most idyllic 3 night stay here with family. The villas are absolutely stunning and love the open fireplace and hot spa outside under the stars. The food was brilliant under the competent chef Rafa. Also had a cooking demonstration and learnt so much, a delicious venison meal with panda cotta to follow,To top it off, it was our birthday and Rafa made a beautiful birthday cake to celebrate. Luke was a most gracious host and full of enthusiasm. We loved the astronomy evening with him with a glass of port. A true delight and 5 star experience.If you have any special requests they will try their best to accomodate. A perfect place for a wedding!!
Had the most amazing stay for 3 nights with my family. We were a group of 8 and had the two Villas. The accommodation was stunning and spacious. The food was delicious and the service professional and warm. Standouts were the star gazing with Luke, and a cooking experience with Rafa. Particularly delightful were the extra unexpected touches, such as the complimentary gin and tonics, welcome cake, marsh mellows by the fire, and many more. This was all topped off by the spa overlooking the valley.
As promised, I was back again this time for 3 nights with my parents and siblings. They were all blown away. This time we did the star gazing with Luke and the cooking lesson with Rafa. Love the passion and hospitality shown by them both and Tatiana and Winston were so helpful.Thank you, thank you, thank you again for providing all of us with such a wonderful experience and allowing us to create magical memories that will last with us forever.
This retreat is such an idyllic location. Great to get away and recharge. Stunning food that is garden to plate. Stunning views of Mount Cook and Lake Pukaki. Great hosts and a very special weekend getaway. Would highly, highly recommend! ❤️
We had a brief stay (one night) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The accomodation is absolutely first class with many thoughtful touches to make you feel at home. Dinner and breakfast was scrummy and generous served at our own table in our villa. A highlight was stargazing with Luke at his private observatory. We were able to use our own DSLR camera to get stunning shots of the galaxy just like you see in magazines. We would thoroughly recommend Mt Cook Lakeside retreat and we'll be going back for longer next time.
We went with another couple and had 2 x 2 bedroom villas (they blocked off one of the rooms). We could have shared one villa between us but the retreat was nice enough to offer us separate villas. Nothing was a problem for the staff, We were so well fed, The food is incredible and the chef cooked whatever we wanted, We decided one night we wanted asian fusion so the chef created us a surprise menu. It was devine. You will not starve and they even provided a small tasting of whiskey which my husband loved. he highlight of this place would have to be sitting in the spa watching the sun set and the spacious rooms/villas. Everything was of the highest quality. We loved it so much that we are coming back again to stay. You should definitely take advantage of the international tourists not being able to come here as we would never have known about this place otherwise. It's the perfect location to visit Mt Cook and Twizel. …
Great overall stay. We stayed two nights in one of the villa’s which was very spacious, great attention to detail and fantastic bathroom with floor to ceiling window (one way glass of course!) with great views to the mountains whilst having a shower. Outdoor in-ground spa/hot tub again looking out to the mountains. The food was also top notch along with a cooking lesson. Excellent attention to detail with some nice touches. Staff were great. Many thanks to Luke, Kaye and the team
We booked a year in advance for Dec. 2021 travel to NZ believing COVID travel restrictions would be lifted by then. Sadly, we had no choice but to cancel this long-awaited trip due the continuing NZ border closure to USA travelers. This lodge was the ONLY accommodation that refused a refund of our booking deposit 60 days in advance of our scheduled arrival date. They retained our $2,500 one night confirmation deposit, only offering to apply it to a future stay. While "no refunds" may be their stated policy, it seems highly unreasonable under the circumstance of our not being able to physically get into the country...not by our own choice. Be aware that your deposit will be kept whether or not you can get into the country. Unfortunately for us, there is no predicting a future December we will be able to plan a family trip to NZ, so this establishment will retain our sizable deposit in perpetuity. ALL the other hotel and five star lodge establishments we booked were 100% understanding of the situation and built goodwill by cheerfully/immediately refunding our deposits, kindly welcoming us again in the future when the border re-opens. By all accounts Mt. Cook Lakeside appears to be a lovely place to stay. Just reason out in advance if you can afford/are comfortable with the substantial deposit risk, or book when you know the border is sure to be open to you..…
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