The lack of air conditioning is a bit of an issue on warmer evenings as the windows don't have screens on them to keep the mozzies out - this is the main reason for 3 stars.

With our summer stay, an air conditioner would have been nice

but no fan, wifi poor,  banquet even meal failed to deliver.

The heater is quite small for the room size so it never got that toasty in the room,

With threadbare carpets, aging furniture and outdated heating, the Mackenzie Country Inn is more like a rundown Holiday Inn than the image of a quaint, rural B&B that the name conjures.

but no air conditioning (and is probably not usually needed).

There was no air conditioning or ceiling fan so it was very uncomfortable.

Hotel was quite basic- no air conditioning and breakfast was a let down.

This place could use some updating as they still use metal keys and there is no air conditioning or elevator,

There is no fans and limited fresh air and we would not stay in summer as it would be so hot without air con.

By the dryness of my chicken it had been under a heating element for some time.

Our room was cold - despite having the heater going on full the whole time.

My only gripe is that the heater in the room was super loud kept making noises so we couldn't have it on over night which resulted in a cold room.

but there was still an irritating humming noise all night long, presumably from the air conditioning unit downstairs.

When we had a shower the bathroom drain overflowed onto the bathroom floor.

but there are electric blankets on the bed and fan heater in bathroom.

After entering the deluxe room and putting our bags away when found there was no shower curtain in the bathroom, which we requested.

but the furniture and bathroom were tired and in need of updating.

The water pressure in the shower is almost non-existent and the ‘warning’ about limited water is alarming as the first 5 minutes are used waiting for the water to warm up!

Like glass in the toilet or liquid soap, feeds like 1980 in Russia.

Very very very outdated place where the rooms are almost clean and the bathrooms are like 1950s US hospitals complete with little or no hot water.

There was a nasty stain on the ceiling and the bathroom was shabby.

Basic kitchenette with tea and coffee facilities only and it's quite a challenge to fill the jug in the bathroom sink.

There are two food markets less than one click away, the hot stays hot if showering less than than an hour, and there are several places to eat in the small town.

although bathroom need some work,  and warmer need some work too.

I couldn't fit the jug under the tap in the bathroom.

Even ignoring that the room had clearly had no upgrades since 1985 and that no free wifi was included, the final straw was that the shower was barely more than an intermittent trickle down the wall.

The hotel room was on the first floor and was large with two double beds and two stylish lounge chairs, a small balcony also with two chairs. The hotel was a little dated (1990s?)

Reception was not open and all exterior and interior doors were locked.

The lobby and the bar area needs refurbishment, including all the worn out carpets.

I would also like to suggest they refurnish each room as the furniture are super old and my husband said “it looks like a scene from a horror movie”.

but the carpets were worn, the rooms ceiling had paint flaking and generally, it was just showing it’s age.

Minus 1 star because there was a (for lack of better words) creepy vibe to the hotel and town in general.

Very tired, tatty furnishings badly in need of updating.

When meal it arrived was very nice and the surroundings were as they were some 20 years ago, we did not worry that it took a while to get our meal as the entertainment was very funny.

not Queens) and the hotel is quite dated and a bit dingy.

The bathroom was very outdated and smelled of drains.

Although the common areas of this hotel looked as if they'd been updated recently and were quite pleasant our room was very dated.

The Mackenzie country inn charges $275 per night for a poorly decorated family room which I think has not been updated since the seventies.

The mattress and pillows and sheets need to be updated

but the tap ware, etc could probably do with updating.

They are currently doing some remodeling work.

Other folks have commented on the need for refurbishment,

A small sign said refurbishment is in progress

However, the hotel is definitely in need of refurbishment, it is dated.

The inn was doing some refurbishing ( changing carpets) at that time

Under renovation at present, the rooms were very ordinary, the bar food poor and the general experience not worth the agents booking fee.

Very comfortable room was clean and in great shape.

Come with a positive attitude, this hotel offer a very classic feeling, the room is clean, got a bathtub,

Large rooms clean and comfortable, had a great nights sleep.Evening meal was lovely and breakfast plentiful and varied.

Room was clean, comfortable, and spacious.

My room was very clean, had a fridge, shower/tub, older

Our room was clean and tidy so nothing bad to say just a motel for a nights stay.

Pro's
- great location
- friendly staff
- clean room
- town centre close by
- some nice enough places to eat nearby
- plenty of parking spaces
- central location for visiting nearby lakes and short drive for great views of mount cook.

Our room is very neat, big and comfortable.

From a friendly welcome to a clean room and a great restaurant this centrally located hotel does exactly what it says it does, and offers a fantastic affordable stay in Twizel.

Everything seemed clean and the room was quite big.

but rooms very clean and comfortable bed.

The hotel is clean and the rooms are large.

Very spacious rooms, rooms were clean and comfy.

The hotel was clean the room was fine and the staff were really friendly.

Distinction Mackenzie Country Hotel Twizel

decor

bathroom

renovation

Free parking

Free internet

Bar / lounge

So we let her know we could change rooms the following night as well if needed.

We couldn't change our room because of this as it was fully occupied.

rooms are clean, modern and beautiful 
lovely and super sweet host
amazing view
quiet and peaceful place 
delicious breakfast 

we were traveling as a couple.

The room was very clean & cozy and had everything we needed for our stay.

The lodge has great views of the mountains across the pond and the room was spotless!

The rooms are clean, comfortable and stylish.

Our rooms were clean and comfortable and our breakfast in the morning was delicious.

We were greeted warmly, shown around the premises, and provided witheverything we needed..  
Jo and Peter made our stay here very delightful and our room was impeccable and most comfortable, with an amazing view of the mountains.

Beautifully decorated and clean room with exceptional bath products.

Everything was perfect from the log fire in the guest lounge, the view, the home baked goodies, the complimentary drink, the gorgeous spotless rooms, the art work, the library, the courtesy drop off and pick up to the restaurant for dinner, the conversations and laughs and the amazing breakfast.

The accommodation offers the privacy of a clean room with ensuite and spa and a view of the mountains.

When we arrived we where greeted by the host Jo and Peter like we where family , The rooms where very clean comfortable and very quiet, The breakfast was of high  standard, overall we would  rate MATUKA LODGE as one of the best places that we have stayed in and would highly recommend for others who wanted a quiet very frendly and comfortable place to stay.

We couldn't have asked for better service, room cleanliness the peaceful surroundings.

Room immaculate, breakfasts excellent, Jo and peter the perfect hosts so warm and friendly.

The room was spotless with spectacular views, the lounge and library were so comfortable to relax in with complimentary drinks available throughout.

lets start from the beginning: warm, nice and helpful staff; spotless room even with makeup remover; great taste in indoor decoration; beautiful view in the bedroom as well as in the public living room; delicious breakfast; all are the best!

The rooms are immaculate & the views speak for themselves.

The space is well-designed, the bed is lovely, the shower is powerful, the breakfast was delicious, the room was clean and well equipped, the view over the pond to the hills entrancing.

The only caution I have is to be careful with your key - we came very close to locking ourselves out because once the door shuts it locks - a bit dangerous!

Matuka Lodge

room change

room key

Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)

Free breakfast

Maybe because they have snow in winter, damp carpets then pretty warm summers and all the smells come to the surface?

but at least the carpets didn't stink nor the bathroom unclean.

The room was clean and had enough space for our suitcases and other assorted stuff.

Place immaculately clean and room itself spacious.

Our room was spotlessly clean and the spa bath a treat.

Warren was a welcoming face when we checked in and the rooms were clean, tidy and well appointed.

Room was very clean and comfortable, with excellent facilities.

The room was clean and tidy and has everything you need.

Management were very friendly and welcoming and the rooms were clean, comfortable and, importantly for me, quiet.

The room was clean and spacious, had a comfortable bed and power shower over a spa bath.

The rooms were so clean and the owner extremely helpful and couldn't do enough for us.

The microwave and utensils in the rooms are very new and clean.

Our room was spotless, quiet, large, and had a terrific kitchen.

The room was clean and the beds were comfortable and the heater is strong enough to keep us warm.

Our room was clean and spacious with a huge comfortable bed, well-equipped kitchen and large spa bath.

Very nice and clean rooms, well equipped kitchen and friendly owners.

The room is clean, with fully equipped kitchen and has the amenities that you need plus daily housekeeping, parking and laundry facilities available.

The owners of the Lakes Motel were very nice and gave us a great recommendation for dinner as we were passing by. Our room was clean and the bed comfortable,

Was greeted by a very rude cleaner who's first words were There's nothing ready.

She was rude and acted as if she could not be bothered with the questions that we - paying guests - posited about the place.

The Lakes Motel Twizel

rude

carpet

Parking

Love this quaint motel, stayed here in 2015 and was very fond of it ( except that time it was winter and extremely cold).

Rather depressing and I can imagine cold in the winter months.

One slightly odd thing was that a notice in the chalet said there was only one tank of hot water available each day as they were not on the mains I think, this meant quick showers were necessary so that the last person in didn’t have a cold one. .

The pros is you can park just in front of your room door while the cons is the wooden made roof creak at night as it adjust to the cold weather was creepy.

The rooms do get cold so get the heat pumps working as soon as you get in for a cosy night in.

However due to it being winter and therefore exceedingly cold we opted to turn on the electric blankets,

( also heating when cold)  - there is a communal BBQ area with seating.

No double glazing so could get really cold in winter.

Although the unit was cold when we walked in, once the heat pumps kicked in - yep there were 2 - one in the living room and a 2nd in the bedroom, it sooner warmed up.

Basically no insulation anywhere, so it can get very cold.

Being in such a cold area it would have been nice to have a heater that didn't take 2 hours to warm up, and the stupidly freezing cold tiles in the bathroom are a shocker, tip - turn the bathroom heater on a few times before going in for a shower.

The room was cold and the sink in the bathroom was almost unusable as the taps were too close to the edge!

Would have to have been 2 of the best nights sleep I've had for a long time, the bed was so comfy and warm, as well as the unit in general - that's saying something given how cold Twizel can get during the night!

We arrived at Twizel around 6pm, in a cold June evening.

The chalet was very basic and cold even in summer.

The rooms were very cleans and the beds were comfortable.

(So is my dog) the room was clean warm and close to everything.

Good friendly Manager , good parking , well appointed clean and tidy rooms , I was here for 5 days and found it ideal for my use.

There is daily cleaning service so the rooms are kept clean and the the room amenities replenished.

On arrival we found the room to be clean and tidy.

The rooms were clean and tidy and look well looked after.

The room was clean and comfortable, fittings and decore are a bit dated

The room was clean and had everything you needed including good cooking facilities and a microwave.

though as there was a very strong smell of old fried beef and fat that seemed to have got into the heat pump filter and made the place smell stale.

The bathroom also doesn't have an extractor fan, so it can get pretty damp in there.

however, an excess of rules plastered everywhere which was not welcoming - including dire warnings about cooking smelly food and the associated cost that you will be charged for doing so.

I did notice there was no smoke alarm in the room thorough.

At 9:30pm, our smoke detector started beeping and wouldn't stop (which we assume was due to low battery).

The only thing that I did not like was the shower curtain smelled like mildew.

Unlike previous reviews we had no issues with our room smelling, or with the customer service!

The beds were lumpy and a bit musty smelling and the bathroom was small and in need of refreshing.

The smell was similar to when a toilet has not been cleaned for a while.

The ceiling was made from timber and thus gave it a very country look.

The kettle was filthy so we had no hot drinks during our overnight stay.

but try to sleep with a heating pad without waking up in a sweat at some point.

We had been warned that castles were drafty, damp and cold,

Mountain Chalet Motels

cold

smell

Hiking

Downside of our stay is when the fire siren triggered and asked everyone to leave at 5:30 am that lasted under 5 mins which i think is a fake one because there was no warden in sight when that happened.

The walls are paper thin so could hear old mate in the next room snoring his ring off all night.

The walls are very thin as we could hear so much noise from the people next door.

Plenty of hot water and none of the noise I expected from a clientele that was mostly younger backpackers.

BUT the outside of the unit looked like a barrack or workmans dormitory and in fact we were advised contractors were staying there and would be up early @5.30 so we might hear some noise!

Paper thin walls reveal the coughing fits ALL night of our adjoining room guest, old style ammenities hark back to days of yesteryear and the wi-fi, or more precisely lack of any decent wi-fi or internet is pitiful not to mention only 2 TV channels on the worlds smallest box television!

The rooms aren't sound proof at all, we were right next to the shower block so could hear toilets flushing, doors banging and people talking.

Walls paper thin could hear people easily thru walls.

but were constantly disturbed by the owner who blamed us for cooking late although the kitchen time was still open.

Criticisms: The mattress had seen better days and was quite saggy and the noise in the general area was obvious, simply due to the dorm style layout of the building.

But two groups/families arrived quite late (after 10pm) and was making a lot of noise.

Me: I see that (I begin to walk towards the door)
Him shouting at me: You are a very rude person you know that?

5) That brings us also to the poor noise insulation.

Couldnt hear a thing from my room and I also know 3 doors down there was a banjo and guitar and drinking going on and I didnt hear them either.

Noise travels badly, you could even hear people just walking along the corridor as if they were in your room.

First night was ok, and we went to Mt Cook which is an easy drive from Twizel, we had a fantastic day, then back to the "hell hole"
The room looked even worse the 2nd night and the noise from the neighbours very bad.

The tv was probably older than me which only got 2 channels with minimum reception, the beds were hard, pillows flat and we were situated right by the door into the block and that's all you could hear all night were people walking in and out as the door slammed shut, would definitely recommend you looking into a door that didn't slam and make so much noise considering people are supposed to be sleeping.

but maybe not to those who are sensitive to noise or looking for a quiet or secluded stay.

but unoccupied as owner is conscious of noise issues.

The rooms were clean and the space haters worked.

Stayed in Twizel for one night in a twin room with bathroom, room was clean and tidy,

Room is clean, shower is warm, reception is friendly.

The fact that the room was clean and the WiFi worked made this lodge acceptable.

Rooms were spotlessly clean, and with the heating and electric blankets we stayed very warm, important as it snowed overnight!

Our motel room was very clean with crispy white sheets.

The room was clean and very spacious (double bed with en suite).

The rooms are very clean, showers are good (not all rooms are en-suite) and everyone is helpful.

Rooms clean and comfortable, great hot showers. .

The room was clean, the kitchen was a bit of a fight when everyone wanted to cook at once

The room we were in smelt terrible like only smokers have ever stayed there and the smell had imbedded in the curtains and couch.

The room was stale smelling with minimal everything.

The furniture is incredibly old that when you open a draw or the wardrobe a stale smell cames out, which doesn't have any sense to use it and store your clothes.

The cups were so filthy that they were unusable and I washed my hands after picking them up.

Our room was a bit smelly when we entered

the hairs in the corner of the shower were disgusting.

Old Beds , dirty bathrooms ,old building , bad attention of the owner,  expensive wifi , normal kitchen refrigerators with bad smell 
very expensive for what the hotel is and I do not recommend it to anyone.

Smell musty, old, run down, carpets need replacing.

It would also have been nice if they had emptied the ashtray on the table outside our room as it was full of

The vast place is grotty and smells of old fat.

We told this to the owner and he said we should sleep in the filthy beds and that its not his probelm!!!

The room we had was a 1 bedroom unit with an kitchen that was missing a lot of the stated cooking utensils, and the room smelt musty.

The condition of the house is terrible, stains on bed linens, smelly towels, the kitchen cutlery is not complete and not clean, lights not working, sofa was smelly and moldy.

Very musty as if it was smoked in for years and there is no way to get the stink out.

I had a great time trying to prevent the water from escaping into the bedroom by creating a towel damn and dismantling the entire drain whilst trying to wash my hair, such japes!

We stayed there in an ensuite double unit for 2 nights, the room's furnitures were really outdated, bad odour in room and on linen, uncomfortable beds, shower was very small, when I was having shower, the dirty shower curtain sucked on me.

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