Tekapo Heights

Very clean, tidy, quiet and extremely comfortable B &B in Lake Tekapo. This place has apparently is darkest place in the world(?) with 2 astronomical observatories. No street lights or outdoor lights allowed! Fantastic views of the Milky Way and the cosmos.

We had a wonderful visit at Tekapo Heights. Our room was spacious and quiet with a great view. The hosts were fun and well organized. We wanted to go hiking early on Mt. Cook and it was not problem to get breakfast to go.

Because of sudden knee problem making long driving from Blenheim impossible, I cancelled my booking 4 days prior to my arrival date. I was the only guest booked into the B & B so there were other un-booked rooms available so owner did not suffer any loss from turning away other guests. But apparently the owners are so greedy that they kept all of my rent money of $255, insisting that that is their "cancellation policy". No compassion, just a greedy owner who wants your money despite everything.

We ended up running quite close to the check-in deadline, because the "10 minute extra" scenic route we had been sent on added nearly an hour to our travel time. We called and they told us not to rush. They were very happy and welcoming when we arrived. They do not speak much English, but used translation apps to communicate effectively. Super sweet couple. They really wanted to ensure that we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The bed was a little firm for us, but overall it was an amazing place to stay.

The last time I stayed in Lake Tekapo, I didn't have a great experience with accommodation, as it seems there is a bit of a premium staying here as it is so small and so some of the places cost a lot and are not great value for money. However, at Tekapo Heights, this was really not the case. The place was fabulous and immaculate and the owners were lovely, knowledgeable and friendly. We were leaving early the next morning and so they made us a packed breakfast to take with us (there was rather a lot of butter in the sandwich, so maybe ask for no butter if you're not a thick spread butter fan!), but otherwise this was great of them, as it meant we could get on to our next destination nice and early. The room we had was spotless, so clean and maybe had been re-decorated/renovated recently. The bathroom was lovely and the shower was very smart. There was a nice view from the window. There was a huge comfortable bed and there was a little tray with food snacks on when we arrived, which was a lovely touch. It took less than 10 minutes to walk down to the main road, from which you can crossover and head to the shops/bars/restaurants along the lakeside or the Observatory Tour offices. Very handy location. Highly recommend.