Jen was a very friendly host, and it was clear she truly enjoys welcoming people into her home. We loved the area, the garden, and the animals—her dog, birds, and alpacas. We would definitely recommend this stay to other guests.

The only thing we didn’t enjoy was that some guests were cooking dinner with very fragrant and intense odors that spread throughout the entire building. This is not a criticism of the host at all—just a note that guests could be a bit more mindful and respectful when using shared facilities, perhaps by using a fan or opening a window. On the first night, we felt a bit cold and unfortunately couldn’t figure out how the heating worked, but the next day and night we were just fine. :)

Te Mahuru Retreat is beautiful! We were only there for one night but loved the place. The room was very clean and comfortable. The location was perfect. It is a few minutes out of Kaikoura which was nice. The town is a really fun beach town, but it is very busy. It was nice to have a quiet place to relax in the morning and evening. The breakfast provided was way beyond what we expected. There were plenty of options with fruit, meat, cheese, homemade bread, cereals, etc. They also have a full kitchen if you want to cook your own food. We enjoyed meeting people at breakfast and exchanging our trip experiences. Add bonus, the grounds are beautiful. We definitely would stay there again.

Nothing!

Good things about this stay: On a whim we decided to cut our stay in Christchurch by one night and come to stay at the Te Mahuru Retreat. This turned out to be a GREAT choice. The owners are so friendly, really genuinely wonderful humans. The room was spacious, quiet and comfortable. There was onsite laundry (free) which was excellent for us because we were a bit over a week into our adventure and needed to do a wash. The hot tub was very calm and relaxing - we did go in summer time so it was probably a bit too warm to really enjoy, but we still did as much as we could. Complimentary breakfast was excellent and just enough to give us energy to be on our way. The property was also tucked between some very curious (and friendly) cows and some totally disinterested llamas and we could go right up to the fence and watch them graze, which for us was a wonderful treat.

Not so great things about this stay: NA (it was all great!)

As we were unable to spend the night as our original ferry was cancelledd and we had to get the 2am ferry we only spent breakfast and caught up with a couple of hours sleep it is hard to rate. when I rang Jen to let her know we wouldn't make it Jen was wonderful. Said if we managed to get there at any time we could use the facilities to freshen up and have a sleep. Jen did not mind what time we got there. She has a wonderful attitude. It was a life saver for us as we could not have driven directly to Hanmer from Picton.

Nothing

Bed was comfy. Accommodation was tastefully decorated and immaculately clean. Host was lovely and the home made bread was a nice touch to breakfast although I thought there could be fights over the crust! Didn’t get to use the hot tubs as the weather was awful but they looked great. The property is beautiful and the view of the mountains gorgeous. I felt like I could reach out and touch the snow. On top.

Nothing. It was perfect.

An absolutely brilliant place to stay! A super comfy bed. I really enjoyed the guest book in the room with all the info about the retreat, the places around and the earthquake. Despite the big communal kitchen, the room also features a kettle and a fridge. There is a french door to the garden with plenty of outdoor sitting. The kitchen is equipped exceptionally well. At dinner and breakfast (which was provided!) we really enjoyed chats with the fellow travelers and the host who was super welcoming, nice and considerate. Our 3yo was super happy with the playground and all the toys in the lounge, including massive railways. We haven't tried the hot tube but no doubt that would've been a really pleasant experience.

That rare case when nothing comes to mind! The accommodation was quite pricey (the most expensive out of all our places to stay during the trip), but it was absolutely worth it.

Location was good. Pretty easy to locate. Check in was easy. Owner was friendly and gave us a lot of tips. Breakfast had a wide choice. But there was not white bread. Pretty cool private hot tub.

The rooms are not sound proof and they are very close to each other so the neighbors can pretty much hear everything. And automated bug spray would have been helpful as our room had a couple of bugs. Water pressure in the shower was really poor.

Absalutly everything. We were warmly greeted on arrival and made to feel at home. We were able to doniur washing which was great! Unfortunately we were to tired to enjoy the hot tubs. But we watched the sun go down with the stunning back drop of the mountain range. The night sky was lit up with stars. Breakfast was perfect, warm home made bread and lots of options. Our hostess was incredibly attentive and very knowledgeable. We wish we could have stayed longer!!

Just that would couldn't stay longer!

Everything! The entire property was a dream - especially the private spa and the extensive grounds that could be explored. Views were amazing. Felt like we had the place to ourselves due to plenty of space for all guests and lots of different amenities and areas. Lots of games and activities available for your leisure. Well maintained and clean property. Doggie pats were an extra treat. Steve was very friendly and helpful by accommodating an earlier breakfast time for all residents. Made use of the star gazing swings and got to see some beautiful stars and constellations.

Nothing at all.

it is a very nice accommodation with hot tubs and a huge beautiful garden as a bonus. The facilities were very clean and we appreciated the heaters in the room. The view was breathtaking! The breakfast is very simple (but with delicious homemade bread!), so be sure to take a bit of your own food with like at least some spreads for the bread. The kitchen is shared by everyone, but it was clean and well-equipped.

- the breakfast was very simple - the beds are super soft, my back was painful for the next day - the walls are very thin - we were lucky that our neighbors were quiet after 9 pm, but I heard a guy snoring from the next room.