Westwood Lodge

Quiet location. Spacious , well equipped, immaculate room with terrace. Simple buffet breakfast. Friendly service.

Great place very friendly welcome.

The room was nice, but the hotel is more than one mile out of town. There is no restaurant on site except for breakfast. Breakfast was fine but nothing special.

The young Filipino woman at the hotel’s reception desk is delightful and helpful! She’s what we liked best about the property! We also liked that it was just $25 NZD to have our wash done! Breakfast at hotel was mediocre at best. Room had terrible lighting and was in need of refurbihing.

Very unique, serene place to to stay. The staff was excellent. Everything we hoped it would be.

Fantastic host, very friendly and gave us great suggestions of where to go and where to eat. Accomodation slightly out of town but peaceful. Huge bedroom. Breakfast was delicious. Only thing i think could be improved was the tv only had 4 channels and two of those were sport but there were dvds (although very old titles) that could be borrowed from the lounge. Would definitely stay here again.

This rundown property was being managed by just 1 member of staff. She worked relentlessly but obviously the level of service suffered. We booked the grand lodge with mountain view at £250 per night snd really regretted it. There was mo mountain view! The room was dusty, dirty, fusty and generally tired. The Tv didn’t offer any channels other than the dvd! The hotel reception wasn’t manned. The rooms were only serviced on demand and the hotel promised to make a £2.50 donation to charity if you didn’t have your bed made up, this says something about the cleaners hourly rate! Breakfast had to be ordered by 9pm the previous evening , stating exactly how many rashers of bacon, sausages and hash browns you forecast you might need! Dirty breakfast dishes had to be cleared by the guests and placed in a plastic crate in the dining room. We did move to a standard room , with a view of the mountain, which was a much brighter room in the new block. Overall, would definitely not recommend or return! There are many other better places to stay in Franz Josef. Despite the really hard work of the one member of staff, the place felt more like a hostel than a £250 per night hotel. I really don’t like writing bad reviews but in this instance it feels very necessary.

We booked the Grand Suite with mountain view and regretted it. The view was foliage and a garden! The room was dark, tired and smelly! We downgraded to a mountain view standard room which did have a mountain view! Obviously no refund! The hotel was being run by one member of staff who worked incredibly hard but this clearly meant a lower level of service. Breakfast was only served from 8-9am and had be to ordered the previous evening. Dirty breakfast dishes had to cleared by guests and placed in a plastic crate like a hostel! The rooms were only serviced on request with a £2.50 donation to local charity if you didnt have the room made up! Overall very poor and definitely not worth anywhere near the £500 we paid for 2 nights! Would never return and would advise you to select any of the other numerous places to stay in Franz Josef!

The hotel was very comfortable and clean and very close to the town while providing a quiet respite from the busier touristy area. The manager who greeted us was warm, welcoming and accommodating. Breakfast was basic but sufficient.

Wonderful welcoming staff.

Great option for Franz Josef. Very large, comfortable rooms and a nice breakfast included. The owner is extremely helpful and friendly. Highly recommend.

Amazing and beautiful accommodation. It was a rainy day when we arrived. Audrey, made sure that our stay was a comfortable one. We played snooker/pool and lazed by the fireplace while enjoying our dinner which was delivered from a nearby restaurant in the town centre (2 mins drive). We stayed in the main cabin and our room was surprisingly huge! Will certainly stay here again when we are in the FJ area.

The perfect place to stay in Franz-Josef! It's far enough away from the heliport that you aren't constantly disturbed by the noise, but still close enough to town that you can easily get to everything important quickly. Audrey was super friendly and pointed out all the best food spots and other helpful locations. The breakfast was perfect for a quick start before the day's adventures and the room was very spacious and comfortable.

peaceful

The property is a outdoorsy lodge style with log walls and a nice fireplace always running in the main lodge. The rooms were relatively large, each with a patio and balcony and a private sliding glass door. I stayed in the main lodge, which was nice, but there are also cabins. The staff was attentive, breakfast was good ( a full English breakfast with all the trimmings), as well as fruit, juices, yogurt and pastries. The hotel is about 2 km from the main village. I'd stay there again, I was there for 2 nights.

The property is a outdoorsy lodge style with log walls and a nice fireplace always running in the main lodge. The rooms were relatively large, each with a patio and balcony and a private sliding glass door. I stayed in the main lodge, which was nice, but there are also cabins. The staff was attentive, breakfast was good ( a full English breakfast with all the trimmings), as well as fruit, juices, yogurt and pastries. The hotel is about 2 km from the main village. I'd stay there again, I was there for 2 nights. I had no problem with the Wifi from the lodge, which was running at about 10 Mbps. I am a digital nomad and work from a laptop and iPad, so this is important to me. The only problem I had was early the first night, could get coverage in my room, so I had to go to the lodge (which was okay since I wanted some tea) but it was fixed later that evening. I think the router for the rooms may have been down.

Lovely setting, enjoyed the fireplace at the end of the day. Audrey, who checked us in & provided our breakfast, was very helpful & friendly. Situated nicely on the edge of town.

I’m sorry to say this was the worst out of all the accommodation we stayed in during our NZ trip. On the positive, the rooms are large and the beds are comfortable. On the negative, it is hugely under-staffed; it really does need some TLC and updating, but worst of all, the Wi-Fi is absolutely awful. Nowadays you can’t get away with non-functioning Wi-Fi, so come on Westwood Lodge, spend some money on this place!

Location was convenient. Nice communal sitting area with fire and snooker table and selection of dvds you could borrow. We had a large suite, it was quiet if a little dated with drafty windows and it needed a new mattress as was very soft and roll together! Breakfast was included with modest buffet selection of food plus choice of cooked egg.

Despite the stormy weather, we had a great time around the fireplace. Breakfast was good. Room and bathroom are spacious, very clean. We stayed only one night; I wish We has more time to stay.

Stayed at the Lodge for one night as doing a heli hike next morning . The room was large, comfortable with a good sized bathroom and the best bit - a rolled top bath. There was a good selection of toiletries. We saw a lady on arrival who give us access to our room but saw no other staff about until we left the next morning. The TV was not working on arrival, found the aerial was not connected, after connecting there still were not any channels ??? The lodge did have some DVD’s on site so watched one of those instead The hotel is a short drive from the town and it’s attractions, unfortunately the breakfast didn’t start until 7am and we had to leave early. There was no one on site to get it early for us, so we had to make breakfast in our room - there was some crockery but only 1 bowl and spoon . We are travelling all over New Zealand and found the lodge to be the most expensive stay with the least service unfortunately which was a shame as a nice place.

This is not a traditional NZ B&B. This is run by an Asian family who were charming - when you saw them. Great room, bath and location. The breakfast was poor. Most of it out of a packet. Cheap yoghurt, pre sliced bread. Only thing freshly cooked were eggs, that just appeared on a white plate on their own so widely unappealing in terms of presentation. . Help yourself to anything else you want. Reminded you of a US Holiday Inn budget or UK Travelodge. Cereal all had sulphates. If this is your first stop, it does not reflect NZ B&Bs. We had been offered delicious homemade sourdough, organic cereal, freshly made breakfast to order before this. Tables were not layed and you were expected to clear your own plate as if in a MacDonald’s. Let themselves down over breakfast as the location is amazing.

Made very welcome. Spacious room and excellent bathroom. Good breakfast Friendly and helpful staff. A little way out of town

Nice view

Nice breakfast available, staff very helpful and nice room.

A marvelous hotel! Comfortable, even luxurious, and close to town without being caught up in the hustle and bustle of New Year’s Eve. Lounge area is very nice and breakfast was good. Only issue at all was that the WiFi connection was at best inconsistent, but for us that was a very small matter! A great stay!

Spacious room, comfortable bed, nice breakfast. Friendly, attentive staff.

This place was the cutest B&B we stayed at on our road trip! It was quite empty when we stayed during festive season as well. The bathrooms are very large along with the bedrooms. We had our own porch / garden area. The breakfast was better than other hotel breakfasts we’ve had on the trip. The staff was so sweet and it felt like an old time B&B where someone welcomes you into their home and treats you like family. The fireplace was great when it was turned on. The beds have the capability to heat up, and there’s heated floors in the bathroom and a towel heater. Mini fridge in the bedroom. We stayed during the summer and it wasn’t too hot at night at all, quite a comfortable temperature so lack of AC wasn’t an issue during our stay. I was a bit worried about that before visiting. My only constructive feedback to the hotel is that they should add a screen to the sliding door so that we could leave it open for fresh air and not worry about mosquitoes. That’s a pretty quick fix so hopefully they are able to make that change next year!

Our family of 4 adults had a wonderful stay at this lodge- love the log cabin decor- feels very inviting and comfy. Kristy and Audrey were very accommodating during our Christmas stay. Would definitely recommend this place to my friends and family

Everything was fine

We had 2 nights stay and it just wasn't enough. The place was so cozy and really comfortable. It was such an experince to remember. The staff kept in mind our request and fulfilled to the best possible. The room was beautifully done with heaters to keep us warm. The bed was very comfortable and helped us to have restful nights for our long drive. The location is great as it is close to the town and all the attractions. Thank you Kristy and Audrey for making our stay a memorable one!

Great.

Upon check in we were greeted by Alex. He was super helpful with what walks to take, what restaurants etc. Very cute, cozy place with super view! Only issue is with the strong musty smell and the shower was odd. Two glass walls and no door so floor got very wet and slippery. Need grab bars in shower. The tub was awesome for a warm soak after long days hiking in the rain! Breakfast was very nice. Cleaning staff hung up our dirty towels, but Alex gave us clean ones after asking. Nice towel warmer also.

Loved the room, most comfortable bed ever, staff very friendly, nice continental breakfast included, great location, avery short drive from Franz Joseph and all it contains and nice views from the room of the mountains

Westwood Lodge is decent but rather overpriced for what it is. Both the continental and cooked breakfast is delicious and spot on time, the bed is comfortable, and the location is quiet. However, everything else is dated and tired. The staff is friendly but not seasoned hospitality professionals – they are learning and eager.

My wife and I spent two days at Westwood Lodge, where our main objective was to heli-hike Fox Glacier. Very happy with our choice for a couple reasons. First, while there is good lodging available much close to Fox, the town of Franz Josef has much more to offer and the location was perfect - not in the middle of town, but much closer than it looks on the map. Second, the Coach House Suite was super clean, comfortable and spacious with a nice back patio facing the Southern Alps. Lastly, while the place was clearly understaffed, Alex, the fellow seemingly running the place single handedly was really terrific - friendly, courteous and very helpful with tips for dining. The only disappointment (and why only four stars) was, given the short staff, the lovely lounge area was essentially unavailable -- the bar closed, fireplace off, and no reason to hang out in what looked like a great spot to relax after a long day. With that in operation, it would be five stars for sure.

We had a beautiful suite that had a private outdoor sitting area. The landscaping was magnificent and made us want to stay a week instead of a night! The breakfast was delicious. We highly recommend this place!

Such a lovely place. The room and ensuite were very spacious and comfortable. The guest lounge/dining area was great, especially the fire. Breakfast was very generous and tasty. Alex was really helpful and had so.e good tips on the local area.

The Westwood Lodge is about 2 kilometers from the town’s restaurants, helicopters, bars, etc. It has very friendly staff living on site, with a cozy gathering area which includes a fireplace, chess board and brain-teaser puzzles, and billiards room. Our room was clean, comfy and had an outdoor patio with sitting area and mountain views. Free parking just outside our front door, and delicious breakfasts included daily. The staff even washed and folded our laundry at no charge. Overall great value and experience. Highly recommended!

The room was comfortable and clean. The young guy running the check in was very helpful and courteous. The breakfast was standard continental - nothing special. My only complaint was that the room had a very strong smell of insect repellent or buy spray. You could smell the same odor outside the door of the room. This was off putting.

Very pleasant large room. Staff excellent

Excellent facility. Big clean room. Helpful staff

This is truly a premium lodge in the middle of nowhere. Loved it! Very comfortable and spacious rooms, big bathtooms, beautiful view/ location, nice amenities and complimentary welcome chocolate from NZ! It's modern, high standard and still has the chalet feeling without coming accros too old and traditional. Wonderful! We didnt try the breakfast but the room and pool table were great!

It looks very new and high standard. It was very comfortable, beautiful spacious bathrooms. I was happy to find a place with such high level of comfort in the middle of nowhere. Didnt try the breakfast.

Great location, great accommodations, and the staff were very friendly. They have a great big billiards table, a cozy great room, and a common breakfast area, with the option for a prepared breakfast in the morning. Only desire would be that they had air conditioning.

The room, staff, and property overall were great. The only thing I hope it has was air conditioning in the rooms and in the common eating area

Spacious comfortable accommodation, quiet location (but out of town but suited us). Helpful cheerful staff. Extras of dvds and pool table a bonus. Only downside was tricky to cool down accommodation in the hot weather!

Overall, the hotel is fine. But considering the cost and the unbelievably low level of staffing, I don't believe the cost of this hotel matches its value. To be clear, the one (!) staff we met our entire stay was very nice, but it was clear that he was totally overwhelmed by the immense amount of work on his plate without any help. In addition, our room was absolutely sweltering, and there was no A/C or even a fan. We couldn't open windows because there were no bug nets so sandflies would come into the room.

Excellent, excellent, excellent. Wake up on clear morning to a brilliant view of the Franz Joseph glacier while you enjoy breakfast. The sign out front of the lodge says premium B&B and I agree that the services were tip top but the price was not.

Great location with views of Franz Josef glacier and the mountains from our patio. Loved the snooker table, games and fireplace in the main lodge. Delicious cooked breakfast every morning. Very helpful staff, especially El who went above and beyond on some demanding requests from us.

After a long but beautiful drive from Greymouth we booked in early to the Lodge. A warm welcome from Alex and a very comfortable room with everything you needed. It is a quiet place with stunning views of the Franz Josef Glacier (if no cloud) and lovely to sit in the large lounge with the fire roaring. Alex was very helpful with local knowledge and even did our washing for us. Sadly the area was suffering from lack of staffing but this did not impact on our stay here. From the Kings!

Clean, quiet, spacieus

Beautifully furnished property with authentic alpine feel, relaxing guest lounge and friendly staff. Ashley was excellent, we would highly recommend this property to anyone.

Beautiful view of the mountains

Very disappointed there was no restaurant or bar as advertised. This was the reason we chose to stay and pay a premium. Felt we were conned on this

Beautiful views of mountains. Good location to Franz Josef glacier.

kind, reasonable price and clean.

First on the left as you drive in from the north. Situated in Bush setting. Nice big bed, warm, large bathroom and excellent facilities.

Love a quiet place to rest. Search no further. This is a beautiful place. Very helpful owner. Top quality NZ made toiletries and I am going to the indicated website to buy more for my own use at home.

Location was just outside the township so it was very quiet but still accessible. Great host and recommendations on what to do and see. It’s a shame there weren’t more guests. Hope tourism recovers for the region soon.

Stay at Westwood Lodge was excellent. Nice warm interior, comfortable bed and amenities provided were good quality. Felt very welcomed. Highly recommend to anyone.

Very welcoming and helpful. Room was lovely, spacious, clean and super comfy bed. Would definitely stay there again

Wonderful accommodations. Great location great breakfast.

The location is perfect for visiting this area. The Lodge is a beautiful place to stay, one night was not enough !!!

Beautiful lodge, great rooms, lovely breakfast and friendly hosts!

Great location and property just less than I minutes drive from the main strip. The service was thoughtful and therefore, just great! Little things like a mildly heated room, daily fruit and coffee/tea with two choices (yes - not just one but two choices) of milk, cookies, umbrellas, and attentive staff who ensure that your every need is taken cared of. All in all just a great stay. So why not 5 stars? It would have been except for but just one thing... The only improvement I’d recommend is for a WIFI booster. The signal is very weak and therefore, if you are editing at night to upload your great adventures, this is not the place to do it!

1, No shower curtains=the floor gets wet. I slipped and hit my head and shoulder on the door jam, It is so easy to install a curtain or screen across the shower 2. Ventilation is poor as there are 3 ventilation points, viz the bathroom window which opens into the outside walkway; the back door which opens into the garden; the window beside the gack door which has a fly screen. As the back window is the only opening with a flyscreen. it is the only ventilation point with protection from sandflies. Because of securities reasons, we can only leave the bathroom window open. There is no aircondition for ventilation. We were bitten by sandflies 3. The place is in need of refurbishment. 4. The breakfast was adequate. Having said that, the chef was very friendly and she was the highlight of the stay 5. Value for money.it is really poor. We paid $772.32 for 2 nights. We won't put this place in our must stay list

Great property, very nice spacious rooms, nice service

All great and strongly recommended. Owner is super nice, room is clean and comfortable, breakfast is super.

Cabin feel close to town & very friendly staff, clean & very informative with places to go and see

Westwood Lodge was fantastic! The room was very large and very clean. We had fruit and homemade cookies in our room upon arrival. The breakfast was fabulous too. There are 2 sweet labradoodles that greet you when you walk into the reception area. Kaz is a great manager and runs a first class hotel.

Very spacious room Nice view Excellent location Warm inviting communal room with great fireplace. Breakfast was perfect

Quiet location, spacious room, bathroom and lodge great room spectacular view.

Very friendly host who was very passionate about the west coast. Room was very nice and well appointed

It was like being a guest in someone’s beautiful home. All you could possibly ask for in a hotel. Our host was incredible. Our breakfasts superb! We would stay there again! A+

The location was outside of town which we did not like The parking spaces were too small The facilities were excellent The continental breakfast was also outstanding

Comfortable cottage with glacier views from a beautiful garden

Good rooms and a great breakfast

The rooms were large and comfortable.parking right outside the room. Close to Franz Josef. 15 minute walk, 3 minute drive. Breakfast was very good. Coffee and tea in room. Wifi and TV

Fantastic accommodation and experience. Our room provided indoor and outdoor sitting areas. The bed was very comfortable. The tea and coffee amenities and cookies were terrific. This lodge is beautifully built and furnished. The grounds are a delight. Kaz the owner is a wonderful host and provides excellent dining advice and walking advice. She liaises with restaurants and helicopter services on your behalf. The breakfast is superb and one to be savoured. The two house labradoodles, Benson and Zak wander around and make you feel right at home. Wish we stayed longer. Would come back in a flash.

Very nice and clean, comfortable, helpful staff. Thank you🌷🤓

The outside is simple. The inside is pretty awesome. The rooms are huge. Lobby is beautiful. Breakfast was great. Very clean and well kept. I highly recommend this place.

Modern and spacious accommodations with a very natural feel. It rained constantly during our stay, so the views through the trees to the mountains were muted in the few instances they were available. Helpful and friendly hosts.

Every about this lodge is excellent. Only very small problem was that internet is restricted to two devices. Otherwise perfect, would definitely go again and recommend.

The hotel was great, excellent location, great scenic views, excellent sitting area with a fire place in the lobby of the hotel. Felt just like at home

Beautiful room, fantastic common area with a fireplace and lots of DVDs to borrow. Only small issue was their cable tv was not working. All in all would definitely stay again!!

Perfect place to stay, it had the ambience of a cabin but with the quality of a 5 star hotel. I didn't find this in any other accomm whilst traveling through.

Lodge is walking distance from the town centre and dining options. Incredible view with a court yard to enjoy it. Good facilities. Short drive to Franz Josef glacier and Fox glacier.

Overall we were disappointed. The rooms are enormous but has nothing more than a normal hotel has, the space is wasted. The only reason we spent so much money was because the guest lounge are looked so amazing in the photos, and it was nicely done but seemed to lack atmosphere. When you're paying nearly $300 a night just to experience the cosy fire, you shouldn't have to ask them to turn it on at 5pm in the evening, nor was it on at breakfast the next morning! We purchased hot breakfast which we were both disappointed with. Overall it has the potential to be wonderful but just isnt there yet, and its about $100 overpriced!

Westwood Lodge was a great surprise. After a long drive from Christchurch, we were welcomed to a delightful lodge on the outskirts of Franz Joseph Glacier. Recommendations for dinner and activities were spot on. Prepare for rain during your visit, but our hike through the forest was beautiful.

Great place- highly recommended! Clean with gorgeous views. Great staff who are helpful and friendly!

The desk staff was extremely helpful, the inn was quiet and cozy, and the town had fantastic restaurants. It was the best place we stayed in our three weeks in New Zealand.

We had a lovely stay the garden setting and location of this lodge are beautiful.. It is close to the road but so quiet, you don't notice it. Staff gave great recommendations for where to go for dinner and breakfast was very good. Highly recommended.

Found the staff very helpful Recommend a very good restaurant that provided transportation to and from dinner Room was spacious and clean as were the common areas

The hotel staff was amazing with recommendations of what to do in the area and helping arrange excursions. The location of the hotel is so peaceful and quaint with a view of Franz Josef Glacier. It was a very relaxing stay. The breakfast was an added bonus!

One of the most beautiful settings and tasteful decor of any place I have ever been. Delightful and helpful staff, excellent food, luxurious and spacious accommodations.