From reception to leaving our experience was a good one. The young staff were welcoming and while busy [a few signs around the hotel explaing summer staff shortages] they still managed to be attentive and friendly. Not the least expensive of sites we stayed at during our south island tour but well worth the experience and we would recommend Cardrona to anyone want a comfortable, friendly stay. Wouldnt have missed this for the world.More
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Taking safety measures
I've dropped in for a drink here several times and always wanted to stay, so I finally got around to doing so just before Christmas. Stayed in a Twin Queen Room which was extremely good value for money (not sure if they have lower rates currently due to Covid). I can barely fault the room, it was spotlessly clean and in very good nick. The only negative was the TV which was from the early 90's, but I believe the upgraded rooms have newer TV's.
The pub was its normal historic self and the gardens out back are beautifully maintained. My friend and I often commented how good it would be to hire out for a significant birthday or wedding. The menu choice was limited, but did the trick as I imagine most people only stay a night or two.
The only problem we had was on our second night when we came out for dinner a little before 8:00pm and were told the pub was closed! Nobody had mentioned closing hours to us during our stay so we went to bed hungry that night. Luckily we had a bottle of wine from the vineyards to keep us watered :-) There was no manual in our room with hours which could have avoided that problem, and that actually would have been most useful to us as we also wanted info on the distillery and local walks etc too.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us this review!
We are very pleased that you enjoyed your room and stay! We are certainly aware of the TV situation, we have had plans to upgrade these for a while, which have just been a bit slowed down due to the COVID situation. We agree - we have hosted some pretty epic parties and weddings here over the years!
I am so sorry to hear about you missing out on dinner! This should not have happened - we do always advise guests to make a booking in advance for dinner (especially these days with such unpredictable traffic flow down our way) - this way we are aware of any guests expecting dinner on a given night - we are so sorry if this was not communicated to you, it would have been included in your welcome emails, however, staff should also have communicated this. We are experiencing staff shortages at the moment and trying to navigate this as best we can - but do always intend to provide the best of service!
We will take on board all your comments, and perhaps we will see you back for your next significant birthday??
Very best wishes from us for the year ahead!
CH
Lovely old hotel, amazing staff and wicked food. Our room didn’t have a bar fridge but staff quickly organised a bag of ice for our esky. Special thanks to Chris who made sure our stay was memorable. Beautiful gardens and even a hot tub for guests.
Thank you for this review Donna,
We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay with us! I will be sure to pass on your special thanks to Chris!
Very best wishes from us,
CH
We stayed at the Cardrona Hotel for 2 nights over Christmas. Our room was large, well appointed and looked out onto the beautiful gardens outside. Beds were large and comfortable. Our Christmas lunch was delicious. The Cardrona hotel has lots of quaint touches that make it special - well tended gardens to enjoy a drink, a spa outside for guests, playground for kids, an outdoor fireplace and a sweet little gift shop nearby. It makes it the perfect place to rest and relax. But like everything in hospitality what makes the difference is the staff - the team at Cardrona were fantastic. From the friendly woman who took my booking, to the housekeeper who did a lovely job servicing our room to the bar staff who still had a smile on their dial in the evening after a hectic Christmas day, we thought they bent over backwards for us. Thanks for making our Christmas a bit special - we really needed it after last year. Look forward to staying with you again.
Thank you very much for this absolutely lovely review.
We are so thrilled that we were able to provide you with a very special Christmas experience, especially after a tough year had! We appreciate you choosing to stay with us, and we hope to be able to host you again some time.
All the very best from us for the new year,
CH
Its always a pleasure to visit this place and chill out with some local works and get away from the crowds.
Rooms are comfortable and clean and being able to stay in a pub with open fire and gardens a treat.
Service was exceptional this time.
Food was good although disappointing no full breakfast was available when we visited at christchurch.
Veal was very tasty and steak was good, but not sure about the fried potato slices served as a blob lot on the plate.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review. We very much appreciate you choosing to stay with us and are so pleased that you had a great stay! We do apologise regarding the lack of full breakfast during your stay; at the moment due to staff shortages and the unpredictability of visitor numbers during this COVID mayhem, we are offering continental breakfasts to all house guests. We do try to offer our full cooked breakfasts where possible, depending on staff availability. We are so sorry that this has affected you during your stay.
We look forward to seeing you next time!
All the very best from us,
CH
So many lovely spots both inside & out to enjoy a drink and / or a meal. Beautiful gardens & fascinating history. The meals were good too!! We'd always just driven past or got the obligatory photo outside but now it's a must stop!
Thank you for this wonderful review! We are so glad you've upgraded from photo stop to popping in for the full experience :)
All the very best from us,
CH
