Franz Alpine Retreat

Just a one night stay on our roadie down the West Coast to the snow, to check out the glacier and have a walk. Unit was as expected, new and warm. Was fine for our needs.

Value for money

Very quiet, easy driving distance to Franz Josef township

The staff weren’t overly friendly. They wore headphones while giving us our keys and when we needed any assistance they didn’t really talk to us and kept their headphones in. When we booked we were told we would have milk but there was no milk provided. The bed was as hard as a rock. There were towels labelled “make up” but then there was a sign above them saying if we used them to take our make up off and stained the towels we would be fined. Overall we were there for one night and can’t really find much positive to say about it

The accommodations were fine, my wife and I booked a 2 bedroom cabin for one night. We had a friend traveling with us as well. When booking a 2 bedroom cabin I think most people would assume that would mean 2-4 people staying in the room. Upon check in we were charged an additional $50 for the third person. So in my mind they made an additional $50 on us for the use of one additional bath towel. A bit ridiculous considering we were the only guests for the entire night. There are plenty of other options around Franz.

Horrible horrible horrible! Would never stay again. Stayed in cabin no 1 - first one on your left as you go in. Disgusting carpet mat (seriously why would u have that on view when people came in) , place smelled musty and damp. Shower was not cleaned properly From previous guest yuk!!! Tripped up on stepping into and exiting the cabin (my husband fell and scraped the skin on his hand!). You have to wash and put away your dishes b4 leaving! Paid over $300 nz for one night! What is the cleaner for then! No dishwasher even. Beds were hard. Sorry to say but there was nothing pleasant about our room! Couldn't wait to leave in the morning.

I didn’t enjoy this accommodation at all! For starters, we booked a room that fits 4 people and there were 4 of us ! Only to be charged an extra 45 per person after 2 people! That was not written anywhere. Secondly, it is quite out of town! Thirdly, the notes inside the cabin have quite a nasty tone to them! Don’t do this, don’t do that! Don’t eat this! Very controlling! Toiletries were ok! Usually I’m not a hard traveller to please but this one failed to do so!

A good place to stay that is away from the city center but close enough. Great ability to see stars at night.

Spent a fabulous night here while waiting to go on the helicopter the next morning to visit the glacier. Greeted very wamly at reception and our accommodation was huge!! Two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, dining and lounge areas. Was about a 5 min drive on the edge of town - we went to town to see the kiwis and have dinner. Would stay here again.

Someonestarted

The website talks about Mountain Views, but don't count on it. The chalet we were given, #7, faces the highway. The glass front and the porch face the reception area and the highway so you get headlights directly into the room if anyone shows up in the evening to check in, and you have to walk out of the room, and around the corner and stand in the parking area to see the mountains. I booked here specifically for the Mountain Views. So disappointed. Would never book here again. We went down the road to the Glenview Villas, and were able to get a really nice room with a nice large patio and a gorgeous view of the glacier - exactly what I had EXPECTED at Franz Josef Alpine Retreat.

Nice hotel. Clean and modern. Fresh milk for coffee was a nice touch.

We really enjoyed our stay at Franz Josef Alpine Retreat. A very quiet and peaceful spot, it's a 5 minute drive to town and has all you need for a great stay. The staff are absolutely lovely and helpful!! We also appreciated the laundry facilities.

Very nice place to stay when visiting Franz Joseph. A bit out of town so a drive is necessary for dining. The room was very spacious with a sitting area, kitchen and nice bathroom/shower. Nice relaxing view sitting on the front porch. Very good value for the money. Would definitely do again.

Property was clean and in a good location for Franz Josef activities. It would have been useful to have a sink in the kitchen area, so you didn’t have to wash up in the tiny sink in the bathroom. There was an error when we checked in and we were chased for payment. The maid did not make our bed the next day and forgot to leave milk and a tea towel. When we mentioned these mistakes, they were quickly remedied.

Large nice new facility. Loved it!

Excellent choice. 7 minutes drive from Main Street, but great location. Quiet. Modern and fresh. Multiple choices of unit size, so look for the one that is right for you. I recommend this accommodation. Parking right at your individual unit, which I prefer.

Loved our stay. Very quiet and close to Franz Josef shops although need a car to get there. Parking was excellent (next to the unit). Facilities were excellent - we made use of the washing machine and drying racks. Lots of info available at reception for things to do in the area. Comfortable beds and everything you could need in terms of cooking and entertainment/tv.

Large 2 bed unit with beautiful views. A few min drive into town so would need a car.

Great!

Quiet spot. It rained in the evening; electricity power was cut and restored about an hour. The only sink was inside the toilet and was rather small. TV was a mini 24 inch.

Clean, comfortable, quiet and well-appointed chalets. About 4km from town so no hustle and bustle. Basic but not 'budget' as it felt quite luxurious for what it was. Stayed in the 2 bed one bath bracken chalet - can't fault it.

Beautiful mountain view. No nonsense room with just what you need at a great price.

Very nice room, clean, comfortable, warm plenty of hot water, convenient for our plans. Although our accommodation was small we love the small details very nice.

The accommodation was okay for the time we were there. It's a short drive from Franz Josef. Facilities limited. Only microwave, kettle and toaster. No decent sink to wash up in, only the one in the bathroom and did not like the rules imposed. No strong food smells (although we didn't cook anything strong, not to wipe make-up on the towels, flannels). Heating wasn't on nor was the fridge when we arrived and no note to say the fridge needed to be switched on. Reception not manned either: had to telephone for someone to appear. All bars, restaurants, food stores 5km away in Franz Josef.

Staff lovely

The views from this place were fantastic. It was very calm and relaxing with a nice quiet start to every morning. This is about a 5 minute drive to the main area with cafe and shops so you’ll need a car to get to and from food, but would definitely book here again without a doubt. We did not have a kitchen but the option to have one is good out here.

This property is a fair way out of town but it is nice and quiet with great views across the countryside to the hills. There is a small kitchenette with microwave, crockery and cutlery, and detergent, tea towel etc, but no sink for washing dishes. This is has to be done in the bathroom! Did we not learn anything during COVID about clean and dirty workflows! There is a warning about using the shower: if you get the bedroom carpet wet you will be charged a fee. This is because the shower tap is positioned such that the water temperature cannot be regulated with the door open so you have to get under a cold shower, close the door and then regulate the temperature. Poor design and installation become the problem of the guest. Two heaters in the room: one didn't work and the other was ineffective.

Clean, spacious room - 5 minutes drive to the town centre.

The motel is conveniently located and reasonably priced. Even being close to Hwy 6, it was quite. There was separate parking near cottage. It's very well maintained.

Great sized cottage with plenty of space, which we enjoyed a lot. A fair bit of drive out of town so having a car is an absolute must. There was some issue with electricity for a while but probably not the hotel's fault. No one around at reception most of the time.

Lovely roomy chalet in great condition. Short drive to the township.

Great place that’s not too far of a drive for food and shops. Franz Josef is small so everything was within 15 min drive. I would say WiFi is spotty so I rarely used it.

Uncomfortable, small, lots of restrictions, limited heating.

Rural location. Quiet. We had a two bedroom unit which was very spacious

Great place to stay,just outside Franz josef.great little place,heater if it’s cold,has microwave for simple stuff. Not keen on washing up in the sink you wash in tho. Has a fridge and utensils for two people.really nice to have chairs and table outside to sit in the sun

The property was very nice as was the staff. My issue with the room was that there was only 1 tiny sink in the bathroom. In the living room / kitchen area there is a fridge, microwave, hot kettle and plates, bowls and silverware but there is no sink there. So if you eat a bowl of cereal or a bowl of yogurt, for example, you have to take those bowls into the bathroom and rinse them in the very tiny sink.

Located 5 minutes from FJ but a nice drive anyway.

We arrived late after the office was closed, but there was a note for us on the door with a detailed map of how to find our room and where to park. Checking ourselves in was easy. Room was spacious and comfortable. The area was nice and quiet. As we had to leave early, we never actually met any of the hotel staff.

Too far out of town

No great view from our unit. The photos are misleading.

Gorgeous view of the Franz Josef glacier from our chalet. Large and spacious, it was an accommodation we will never forget staying at. Conveniently located just outside of town, we were able to get what we needed, visit where we wanted, and finish the day with a beautiful stay.

The property seams clean, close to the main highway, not too far from the main town center. Breakfast options are terrible, its best to go into town and grab a bite. The folks running/managing the place could improve their communication skills/style.

Nice place to stay

Very clean, modern cabin with plenty of space. I rented a 2 room cabin. Check in nice and easy, cabin was cosy and relaxing. Shower divine, good pressure and hot as you like. Kitchen was well supplied, with microwave, fridge, ironing board. All curtains blocked a lot of the light. Very peaceful. I would stay here again

It was hard to find a person who would monitor the front desk. Other than that, it was a very nice stay.

very clean and staff were very obliging

Great

Brilliant location and views, amazing cabins and quiet. We decided to stay here for 2 nights after the rain had settled in and slow our trip down. The location is approximately 5 kilometres out of Franz Josef itself but the benefit is the peace and quiet and large cabins. The cabins had a well kitted out full kitchen, large lounge and dining room and good sized bathroom. There were 2 heaters in the room which kept us toastie warm all night. There were DVDs in the reception for you to use free of charge and the gentleman at the reception was friendly and gave us some fresh milk to enjoy a cuppa with upon arrival. We will definitely be going back and staying on our next trip to NZ.

A good place for a few nights. We stayed for 2 nights in room 11 - Kereru. We knew this room does not have full kitchen, but that was fine for what we needed. There is a microwave, toaster, electric kettle, plates and cutlery which was adequate for 2 of us. We had already read comments about the absence of sink, so this was not a surprise for us. The bed is firm, which we like. The water pressure, flow and temperature in the shower is excellent. It is a modern place with everything we needed.

Very beautiful and nice place stay, viewing the mountains cover with snow.

The rooms are not isolated so its very difficult to heat them up. The room has a "kitchen" with no sink so its very difficult to clean the dishes. Not what we expected.

Excellent.

Enjoyed our stay at this resort, clean cabin,comfortable. Could not get a good internet service. Highly recommend this stay.

2 bedroom units very spacious. Quite modern, warm and comfortable.

Clean, basic. Easy free parking.

We arrived after hours and the reception was closed but they left precise instructions and the room key taped to the office door.

Each unit was its own with parking in front. Unit was clean and staff was very friendly. The property is convenient to Franz Josef - about 10 min drive to town center.

Really nice & clean .a few Kms out of main town but short drive .

Good size rooms, no air con quite stuffy, a fan would have been good. Was probably unusually warm in Franz Josef.

The property was alright..but not walking distance to town and the internet was very sporadic.

Quiet location out of town. Small studio apartments were comfy enough for a couple touring. Included microwave, fridge, couple plates, bowls, cutlery, kettle etc - all great ... but no sink! All staff we met were lovely. Wifi weak during evenings. Being 4km+ out of town and almost no lighting outdoors the night sky was amazing.

This place offers first rate accommodations. It is clean and modern and spotless. Nice to be out of town in a quiet area. Just a few little things to note. The Wi-Fi was sktechy and we were near the office. It wouldn't hurt to put one box of facial tissues. The front decks were an issue. The stair heights and depths varied and were of not in construction compliance. One of the steps was not level and my parked car stopped my fall. I doubt seriously the decks were inspected and approved. If you have any handicapped accessibility issues this is not the place for you.

Nice clean and tidy, also our unit had a separate lounge from the bedroom which was great. Beautiful place

The cabins are budget cabins. For the price I would say they are ok. About 5km outside of town (not walking distance). Ideal for families. Cabin is basic with a small bathroom, small couch and small tv.

Comfortable stay but the guidance against cooking spicy foods seems disrespectful against certain cultures - don’t really see the need to restrict what people eat/cook

The place was very good, clean and comfortable. The only thing I found odd was that there was no kitchen sink. Very hard to wash crockery and cutlery in the small bathroom sink.

We had one night at Franz Josef retreat -the room was clean and comfortable

Clean and spacious with a comfortable bed. It’s about 5 mins from town so nice and quiet

Fantastic clean, comfortable, quiet, spacious accommodation just out of Franz Josef township. Close to everything and in a beautiful setting. Unit had everything we needed for our family or five and was a really lovely comfortable place to stay. Would definitively recommend Jag Escape Franz Alpine Retreat.

Great place to stay. Quiet, comfortable and clean.

Room was clean and well-equipped with bathroom amenities and even came with a microwave oven!

For a one night stay over we were very happy with this place. Disappointing that there wasn't a separate sink for doing dishes, but a great shower. The location is about 5km from the village which suited us fine - the room was very quiet as a result. Clean and well presented.

The bed was very comfortable and the soap smelt nice. Although billed as luxury it is actually very basic. The sink in the bathroom is small and that is where you are supposed to do wash your dishes! The TV is only a 20". Come on, TVs are cheap now, there is no need for anything that small! In the height of the summer there is no air con or fan available, although I had two heaters ready for winter! There are signs everywhere stating that if you break something, or it goes missing you may be charged, quite threatening really. All in all it was disappointing. Not their fault but the wifi is ADSL because it is so rural so internet kept dropping out.

Lovely unIt,very comfortable ,with beautiful view .and was at a very reasonable rate

Love everything about it the space the staff it was just lovely thank you

Great overnight stop. Very clean and tidy. A wee way out of the town. Friendly host.

A really beautiful apartment with amazing facilities. Made us feel so comfortable and homely

Place was clean and tidy. We did wander why when were one of 3 only visitors they didn’t upgrade our room to get a better review.

it was very clean and a great place to stay

Easy- breezy check in by email. Key in room. Spotless and quiet

Awesome stay in the one bedroom cabins, very clean, tidy and very comfortable, short drive from town lots of lovely places to eat Nice staff very pleasant met us as we drove in Highly recommend, we will be back

Very clean and as new condition. All I needed for an overnight stay. Only thing missing was a sink in kitchen area. Would definitely stay again. Excellent value money.

We really enjoyed our stay in the chalet. It had a nice sized living room and well equipped kitchen, the bed was also extremely comfy. We especially enjoyed when the weather was bad being able to borrow some DVDs from reception to watch as the tv in the living room had a DVD player. The staff were very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. The location was only a few minutes drive to the town. I would definitely stay here again.

Great location only 5 minutes out of town, very peaceful, clean almost brand new units and great friendly service Full laundry available and plenty of parking a great place for afew couples or family's to base themselves while checking out the glaciers

We arrived late Saturday night just before 8pm and the hosts were very kind waiting up for us. We booked a chalet, it is nice and spacious with a reasonable bathroom. We opened up our room Saturday when arrived to find dead flies on the window sill and floor, while we are pretty easy going this showed a sign that the floor hadn't been cleaned before our arrival. We went out on Sunday and our room was serviced but still the flies were left there. Yet the battery I took out of the clock was put back in 😒. ( ticking clocks and I don't get along). The bed is very hard rock and the couch is a more comfortable option. I would only reccomend staying a short time due to lack of cleaness and poor bed. Which is a shame as the hosts are lovely people and the shower has great water pressure.

Didnt like the fact there was self checkin not on to greet n meet. Layout of rooms could have been slightly better

This property is a bit outside of the township, it claims to be quiet are a bit overrated as it is right by the main highway so traffic all night. I was a bit disappointed as the chalet we were in had a locked door which was another bedroom which if I knew about on the website would have happily paid for. The chalet itself was very nice had everything you might need if cookin for yourself.

Great stay, modern room, out of town

We loved our stay here. The two bedroom unit was very spacious and had everything we needed. It was very clean and the beds were comfortable. Our towels were changed every day ( if required) and our rubbish taken. Lovely staff. Nice quiet spot just outside Franz Josef. The price was also reasonable. Highly recommend.

The place itself was sparkling clean and well kept, however I felt a bit of selective racism only because a note was kept that we shouldn’t be heating curry or other smelling food ( liable to credit card charges if they have to clean). I do understand that certain types of foods will leave some after smell in the room but such things should be explicitly told whilst booking. Nor that I was going to heat up curry or eat in the accomodation itself but for some communities curry’s are the usual food and I can’t see them going outside in the cold to have their food.

We enjoyed our stay here. The unit had everything we needed. It was clean and tidy. The area was quiet and peaceful and a short drive to town. We would happily stay here again when we are next in town

We had an amazing stay! Everything was perfect. Price, location, unit, services. Highly recommended!! We had an awesome Christmas. Only thing: there are plenty of messages in the unit like don't do this which is completely fine but at the end of all of them they write, otherwise we'll charge an extra fee. This is really unpleasant and not elegant at all for a property like this one.

A comfortable room in a nice quiet spot. Perfect for a nights stay.

Orsum place, very clean and relaxing. Lady in office very nice and nothing a problem. Good value

A beautiful, well presented property in a quiet location.

Spacious and modern,quiet and all the facilities of a 4 star motel.The surrounding area and setting is great

Very stylish and clean! Great location. Would definitely stay again :)

Our two bedroom apartment was very clean and tidy. The extra heaters left for us in the room left us cozy and warm during the cold winter night. Just out of town it was an easy 5 minute drive to get to the local restaurants. The wifi was poor with very patchy coverage.

Place felt very new, was double glazed and insulated. Very clean inside and plenty of heaters were provided, including electric blankets! Good range of appliances, utensils and kitchen tools in the chalets. Had to make a last minute booking change to include more people,and they made it happen & with the preferred bed setups in each room. Would definitely stay here again