Christchurch & Canterbury
Soak up the mountain views from these tidy, reasonably priced, free-standing wooden chalets, set on the slopes behind the town centre. All chalets have…
Must-see hotels in South Island
Christchurch
This relaxed wooden villa is painted in bright colours and has a sunny front room for reading. Rooms are cosy and colourful. Pipi the house cat is a…
Central Otago
Antique furnishings are dotted around the large and lovely rooms in this pretty 1865 stone cottage. Two of the three rooms share a bathroom; the third has…
Christchurch & Canterbury
The YHA-affiliated Kakapo has a cheery owner, a roomy kitchen and lounge, chill-busting underfloor heating and a 1st-floor sundeck. Bunk-free dorms (some…
Christchurch
Pretty in pink, this 1897 house is one of Christchurch's most elegant accommodation options. Rooms are trimmed with antiques and Turkish rugs, and the…
Nelson Region
Compact, low-key YHA hostel with rooms spread between an old villa and a purpose-built backpacker lodge with a smart kitchen/lounge. The self-contained…
Marlborough Region
This historic B&B (once home to Picton’s mayor) has three individually styled rooms in the main house and two homely self-contained units out the back…
Christchurch
Sheltered by well-established trees, Foley Towers provides a range of well-maintained rooms and dorms encircling a quiet, flower-filled garden. Friendly,…
Christchurch
Relaxed coffee-and-croissant breakfasts, friendly owners, elegant furnishings and close proximity to Sumner Beach make this charming B&B a definite oui…
Christchurch & Canterbury
This top-notch holiday park is set amid well-established parkland right in the centre of town. Tidy accommodation ranges from budget cabins to plusher…
Dunedin
Soak up St Clair's surfy vibe from the balcony of your chic room in this contemporary medium-rise hotel. All but the cheapest rooms have ocean views, and…
Dunedin & Otago
Facilities are good at this holiday park, squeezed between the highway and a stream. Standard cabins are on the cosy side, but larger ensuite cabins and…
Nelson
Set behind a large tree just across the bridge from the town centre, this modern motel offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, each with cooking…
Central Otago
One of Cromwell's more stylish motels, Carrick has spacious, modern units and is just a short stroll from the main shopping complex. Executive units have…
Otago Peninsula
On a working sheep farm with harbour views, the rustic timber lodge and self-contained cottage here are steeped in character and feel instantly like home…
Christchurch & Canterbury
Luxuriate in a stylish modern apartment with all the mod cons, including an iPod dock and fully equipped kitchen. Sizes range from studios to two-bedroom…
Buller Region
Boutique studio and two-bedroom units open out to a big, grassy yard and vegetable garden at this relaxed and refined set-up, and hosts Arran and Alexia…
Christchurch & Canterbury
This farmstead, 2km north of Twizel, has three cosy, self-contained cottages (one sleeping up to 15), and a lodge with sparkling, modern rooms and a deck…
Dunedin & Otago
Bathrooms and kitchens are sparkling and the hedges manicured at this simple campground, 3km off SH1, 20km north of Oamaru. Cabins are simple but well…
Christchurch & Canterbury
An attractive timber-and-stone complex offering modern studios and apartments, most with sunny balconies or patios. Try for one of the two spa rooms,…
Franz Josef Glacier
Guests staying in these 16 comfortable motel units, from petite studios to two-bedroom apartments, enjoy sweet service and a barbecue area. Bonus: you won…
Queenstown & Wanaka
Take history to bed with you in this 1875 miners' cottage at the end of Arrowtown's cutest strip. Rent it as two-bedroom accommodation, or as a studio,…
Wanaka
Guests in the four spacious, modern bedrooms are pampered with home baking and a cedar hot tub. It's 4km from town, tucked in behind Mt Iron, but there…
Nelson
These 16 well-equipped units are closer to the highway than the beach but still handy for all of Tahunanui's watery attractions. All have patios or…
Dunedin
Unbeatable city and harbour views are the trump card at these modern apartments, just a short walk from Roslyn's eating strip. Each has full kitchen and…
Havelock
Set in a large garden with old trees and blooms galore, these 1960s units have been tastefully revamped to offer home comforts. Local activities are…
Central Otago
The pick of the motels on the main drag, these clean, modern units have all the mod cons, and full kitchens, too. Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments…
Blenheim
One of the cheaper motels in a pricey town, this angular, 1970s-looking complex offers clean and comfortable units with kitchenettes, and a cute kidney…
Christchurch
This large, modern hotel in the heart of the CBD has options to suit all budgets. Rooms are compact and sharply designed, with smart TVs and sci-fi pod…
Christchurch
There's only one guest room at this friendly, homestay-style B&B nestled among the leafy streets of Fendalton. Rates include a generous cooked breakfast.
Kaikoura
In a modern house a short walk from good cafes and restaurants, Sunrise has spotless four- and six-bed dorms, doubles and sunny outdoor chairs and tables.
Dunedin & Otago
The units at this motel are basically smart apartments, with kitchens, desks, stereos and tiled bathrooms, most with spa baths.
Nelson Region
Beautiful DOC campsite at the southern end of the Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park. Beware the sandflies!
Abel Tasman National Park
One of the most popular campsites in Abel Tasman National Park, beside Anchorage's lovely sandy beach.
Fiordland & Southland
A old public-workers' camp has stood here since the 1930s, largely abandoned when roading efforts ground to a halt in WWII. Decades later the camp was…
Greymouth
This former monastery came to be known as Noah's Ark when locals arrived for shelter after a flood. The name lives on, though it now houses a wildly…
Fiordland & Southland
Sprinkled across a hillside about 3km east of town, these cabins are styled like little hunting lodges (antlers, potbelly stoves); the loftiest have…
The West Coast
Nestled beside the Taramakau River, 63km southeast of Greymouth, is the tiny settlement of Jacksons. The exceptional holiday park here is a worthy stop…
Franz Josef Glacier
Options abound in these forested grounds: dorm rooms that sleep between four and six (four-bed 'flashpacker' en-suite rooms are worth the higher rate), en…
Central Otago
This small, popular and somewhat ramshackle hostel is right in the centre of town, with bunk beds packed quite tight. There's a no-shoes policy,…
