Lakestone Lodge

Location is wonderful, great food and wonderful staff.

Stunning property with a breathtaking view over the lake. Loved every moment and the star gazing was the icing on the cake. Chef was michelin star good. Food was excellent.

Nothing it was perfect.

The view across the lake is very special and the standard of cuisine is great and the menu well considered. The host is very friendly and great to have a chat with.

The decor style was more modern than traditional High Country Lodge.

The best view I’ve ever had at a hotel

The staff are very friendly and make you feel very welcome. There are only 6 rooms, so it is very intimate. You can interact with other guests in the common areas or you can do your own thing. Views out over the lake were stunning. Also while star gazing is not offered in January, we suggested that we'd still head out around midnight to take a look as we'd missed two other star gazing events due to inclement weather. It was a nice touch to see that the staff had put out two star gazing chairs for us even though the event wasn't being run. The staff were excellent, the premises is very nice and I'd happily spend a number of days there (if we had the opportunity).

If you're looking for a boutique lodging with some of the most insane views of all time, this is your hotel. Lakestone Lodge is incredibly unique, you'll be one of the only people to stay right at the foot of Lake Pukaki with a direct view of Mount Cook. Safe to say this is the ONLY place you'll be able to get both of those views, it literally does not exist anywhere else. Every room faces the lake and is beautifully arranged with views from both your bedroom and bathroom, and the room is very nicely decorated with excellent amenities. A huge surprise was the food! As its the only venue in the area with an option for dinner (Twizel is a little bit down the road), I wasn't sure what to expect for dinner but both me and my travelling partner were absolutely blown away with the quality of our dinner. Local salmon, lamb strap and lemon tart dessert with an immaculate presentation. Truly an awesome stay. Staff were incredibly accomodating and the owner/manager of the lodge gave us some really insightful information on the area and region, awesome stuff.

I absolutely loved the serenity and relaxation of the lodge due to its location, but if you want an accomodation with multiple food and drink options, you might want to look at Lake Tekapo or Twizel for your lodging.

Wonderful location and view. Friendly staff.

Felt a bit like a motel along the corridor. Might have been improved by some artwork or photos along there.

The lodge was exceptional! The views, staff, service, breakfast, dinner, room were absolutely wonderful. We loved the views of our room, the little (but not too little) private garden outside each of our room. We loved how the staff were so detailed and meticulous in meeting everyone’s needs. My husband and I are vegetarians and they prepared a vegetarian menu for us. The staff showed us the proposed dinner menu during breakfast and asked for comments. 🤗 The croissants 🥐 in the morning were crispy! Yum! The breakfast and dinner were not buffet style, they were specially prepared for each of us based on our orders. There is a campfire place outside the dining area which was really cosy and nice to sit around and chit chat after dinner and to admire the views.

Nil

Amazing location, great lake view, very peaceful. Friendly staff. Great food

Great view, excellent food

They have a "movie room", though would have been good to have a tv in the room as well

Great food, dinner and breakfast

We didn’t like the squeaky door to the bathroom We felt the lighting in the evening could of been more subtle We also thought it could of been warmer in the main lounge

The view, the lounge/dining room was fabulous. Our room equally. Staff were very welcoming and we felt very much at home..only with beautiful weather and a great view of Aoraki Mt Cook And the food was great. Well- prepared and delicious. Good walk up the hill behind..with superb views. Spend the money..it's worth it!

Cannot think of anything you need to add to your service.

Outstanding dinner and personable attentive owners and staff. The private views from each room are stunning especially from the large bathtub.

Lovely spot to relax for a few days. Views are amazing of Mount Cook. Food was excellent and the service and staff were so attentive to our needs. Great spot. Would highly recommend.

Wonderful place: the location and the views, the comfort, and the food were all great.

Absolutely everything!!! Location, location,location, layout, homey inviting lounge and eating area, outstanding food, staff super friendly, private and intimate feeling accommodations.

The staff are so friendly, kind and welcoming!! Erica, Kim Kelsie -all lovely! The ecological measures are so appreciated and show respect for the land and water- proving that high end luxury can be environmentally responsible.

My stay was too short! Have to return:)

Great location at the bottom of Lake Pukaki with awesome view onto Mt. Cook. The property provides super service and is completely off-grid and self sustained. Food was awesome. We loved the star gazing - well educated, super comfy and we saw galaxies with our plain eye.

this was a great location. no complaints.

Amazing location, warm welcome, beautiful building and comfortable rooms. Star gazing session an added bonus.

the initmate space, location, and bath tub! plus the cleanliness!

no amenities in the room - tea, coffee, etc. though it was in the common area.

Everything.

Nothing

View form the rooms is to die for.

A bit pricy but worth it!

The respect they have for nature and the dark zone is truly tremendous. Even with clouds it was some of the best views of the Milky Way I have ever seen. The property was meticulously maintained and the amenities were exceptional.

That I didn’t have more time to enjoy!

It is not so much the fault of the property, but due to roadworks trucks passed right in front of the property all night and there was no soundproofing so it was very loud....

Beautiful location with nice hike from the property and free mountain bike use to bike along Lake Pukaki. The highlight, however, was the exceptional food.

Nice place and great

Superb little boutique lodge. Staff can't do enough for you. Very comfortable room with garden and a fantastic view. Big bathroom. Food excellent - even a packed lunch - laundry done (at cost). Best hotel of our trip so far. It will take some beating. If you're on a road trip across the east side of the South Island and looking to break the journey consider a stop here. Flights to the glacier from Mt Cook airport, hiking, dark sky area. Beautiful views.

The lodge has lovely staff and a lovely position on Lake Pukaki. The views from all parts of the hotel are stunning. The staff are excellent and very helpful. An excellent stay.

Yes

Bathroom’s shower not good

The view is beautiful, the staff is very friendly.

Everything is good

Excellent and thoughtfully-prepared meals. All staff members we interacted with were extremely warm and friendly. Stunning views of the lake and night sky.

Nothing!

Everything about Lakestone Lodge was exceptional. The friendly staff, the view, the service, and the facilities.

Nothing to mention.

really like the view

nothing just little pricy bt worth it

We loved everything about Lake stone lodge! Staff were great, couldn't be more accommodating! Always making sure you were quite happy. Location, scenery perfect! Very Relaxed ! quiet, you could do whatever - walking, reading, massages on site, great meals.

N/A

I like Mike and his staff friendly approach, a sense of homely feeling.

It does not provide a twin bed information at time of booking.

The gorgeous view of Mt Cook from the room is awesome, all the staffs very friendly. Superb bathtub with the mountain view too!

We stayed here for our 25th wedding anniversary and it was a fantastic treat. The staff are great, can not fault the lodge or its location. Exceptional food. It was an absolute treat to stay here

5 star property, views are to die for and staff and chef was excellent. Really enjoyed our stay here.

Location has excellent views. View of lake and mountains was exceptional. Room (given the rate) was more like a modern clean motel than a luxurious lodge. I fully appreciate what the owners are trying to do but it falls short on a global scale. Our hosts were very courteous. Dining again was pleasant but fell short of expectations. The food was above average but not excellent. The dining room was very basic and again, given the ambiance and experience the owners are trying to achieve, fell short.

I didn't dislike anything. I would stay again. As I've mentioned, given the cost of staying, I would like to see some improvements.

the welcoming attentive arrival, the superb views and connection with Aoraki/Pukaki, the huge hip bath! the outdoor setting and the privacy. Meal was very good, modest easy to eat portions beautifully presented; help yourself tea coffee etc a great idea. Very easy access to the A2O trail and lakeside and to the kettlehole area.

only negative I saw was a little bit of cleaning in the foyer toilet required. Also the rear of the building could do with visual improvement to downplay teh ac units and inevitable moss and debris on gravel. Crushed rock and groundcovers? ferns?

Anna and her team did an excellent job.

A truly magical setting with service to match. We’ve stayed in many New Zealand hotels, and this was the first where the staff seemed truly focused on exceeding guests’ expectations. And boy, did they! We had room service dinner, and each—absolutely delicious—course was delivered exactly when we were ready for it, and at the perfect temperature. With no television, we had only conversation (mostly about the food!) and stars to keep us entertained, but seeing every constellation imaginable is an experience we’ll remember forever. We started the next morning with a brisk walk up the trail directly behind the lodge to earn our breakfast. It was cooked to order, magnificent, and served in the cozy dining area, with morning views of Mount Cook and the stunning blue of Lake Pukaki. We didn’t want to leave and would have stayed a week if we could afford it!

What a magical place! Stunning views, and the isolation makes for fantastic star gazing. The food was fantastic, the service impeccable, and the views to die for. Loved the "off grid" feel, and the way that consideration for the environment permeated the whole experience. Truly excellent stay, thank you!

Superb location and personal service. The room was excellently equipped but a little on the small side. Television provided communally rather than in each room.

Amazingly beautiful and well run little Hotel / Lodge. Owner operated and meticulously well managed. The rooms are so well designed, you wake up in the morning seeing the sun raise from your window over the lake. The chef would likely get a Michelin Star for his food that he serves in the evening. Recommend you eat there in the evening vs. going to a local restaurant. Breakfast is equally impressive. One of the best experiences I had in NZ while traveling from North to South Island.

Amazing location with great views. Room was spacious and clean with a bathtub. We were warmly welcomed by Mike the owner and throughout our stay also had really good service from the staff. It felt like a home :) We hope to be back thank you!

The setting is breathtaking. Service was wonderful. Highly recommend adding the dinner as part of your stay.

Absolutely fantastic. Mike and Anna have an amazing lodge and are wonderful at providing information on local activities and history!

An amazing lodge with fantastic views of Lake Pukaki and Mount Cook:) Great hospitality, amazingly delicious dinner and breakfast. Definitely a 5 star place! Highly recommended:)

Lake Pukaki is world famous for its colour and surrounding scenery. Lakestone Lodge meets the criteria associated with the description of unique. Set on a knoll overlooking the lake and with a backdrop provided by the Mt Cook National Park, it provided us with a truly memorable experience in the heartland of New Zealand. We were in Mary’s room which was slightly larger than the other guest suites so was very spacious and extremely well appointed. Everything about the Lodge makes you use superlatives; the eco ethos is well delivered with no compromise on luxury for the guests. The lounge area with guidebooks, telescope and binos was a great area for pre-dinner drinks where you could share your days experiences. They also have a very talented chef so both breakfast and dinner were gastronomic events in their own right. Just go!

Thank you to Mark and Anna for a beautiful lodge along Lake Pukaki. Hospitality second to none. Dinner at the lodge was outstanding compliments to the chef. Lakestone Lodge is like being at home away from home except with spectacular views. Unfortunately we did have two rainy days, you cannot predict weather. The Lodge is new and spotless. Location is secluded, closest town Twizel 10-15mins and Lake Tekapo 35-45 mins. Met some lovely people from all over the world for the two nights we were there. Would totally recommend if you want serenity.

clean and comfortable room stunning view of mt cook & lake pukaki nice location to star gazing

If you are looking for a luxury experience as a couple where you can escape from the day to day, visit Lakestone Lodge. From the complementary welcome drink to on demand expresso coffee, the owners and staff make sure they look after you during your stay. The breakfasts are amazing and the evening meal thoroughly recommended. There are no televisions in the room, but Lake Pukaki provided constant entertainment during our stay with different moods and vistas. At night, the darkness and quietness is complete. The Lodge is situated within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve and provides great opportunities for astronomy, sky gazing and astrophotography when the sky is clear. Stop reading this review and book your stay.

We had an incredible time at Lakestone Lodge. The scenery is stunning, the accomodation is thoughtful, well planned, Eco friendly and very lush - the deep soaking tub with an outlook to the lake is amazing! The owners are friendly and knowledgeable and the chef designed meals were wonderful. Calm, serene ambience ensured we left feeling relaxed and recharged! The private cinema room (with surprise popcorn delivered!) was a lovely touch with plenty of movies and pay tv selections so you don't have to miss your favourite teams' game. So much thought has gone into this lodge and it shows - fantastic stay!