We stayed here one night in preparation for hiking the Harper River Track from Bealey to Coleridge Lake Village. The manager did us the favor of picking us up at Arthur’s Pass, which solved the problem of how to get to the hotel in the absence of readily-available public transportation.
The hotel has a main building with restaurant and bar. The rooms are separate and downhill from the main building. Some rooms are large with en suite bathrooms and kitchenettes (the hotel refers to these as cabins, although they are not detached structures). Others are smaller with shared bathrooms. We chose a larger, cabin-type room.
The main area of the cabin had a queen bed with two night stands, a twin bed, a couch, a television, and a small dining table with four chairs. The kitchenette had a sink, microwave, and small refrigerator. The bathroom was equipped with a toilet, shower, and single sink. There was a small patio that looked east down the valley of the Waimakariri River. The room’s heating was provided by a plug-in space heater. The construction and furnishings were basic, but clean and reasonably comfortable. The room was, however, not too soundproof — we could hear other guests in an adjoining room, and the sounds or people getting into and out of their cars.
The restaurant’s dining room and bar share a large open space on the second story of the main building. The bar carries a few draft beers and a full selection of liquors. The restaurant carries a small number of options for each meal. The food was adequate, but not a great culinary experience.
The lady of the place told us about mountain parrots — keas — that frequent the hotel. We were not lucky enough to see one.
Overall — given the options in the area, the price of staying, the proximity to Arthur’s Pass and the Te Araroa trail, and the friendliness of the manager and staff — this is a good selection.