The 17 best pet-friendly places and activities in Lake Tekapo

Great stay! Very close to town. The animals are great. Common areas super cosy. We had a big snow dump during our stay and staff were fantastic and helped all guests dig cars out. Definitely will stay again!

The room is comfortable and clean, with a nice bed and powerful heater. However, the soundproofing is poor; you can hear conversations from the next room and the common areas. Additionally, the water pressure and temperature are unstable. I wouldn't recommend this place, but if you’re looking for budget accommodation and can tolerate the noise, it might work for you.

Solo traveler Good hostel, good commun areas, I met great people. Really clean. The outside areas are also great There is a sport court behind the hostel and they have balloons that we can use. This was really cool ! Beds were not really confortable though.

Convenient location Walking distance to town centre Clean bathroom Well stocked kitchen Rug up as the accommodation is not well insulated and even the linen and blanket is not enough during April. The heater makes a squeaky sound all night but I guess is expected with 2 star and place being old One toilet is slightly inconvenient for a single block of rooms

Phenomenal independent accomodation that we were lucky to stay in last month. Twin room was clean and cosy, shared spaces were excellent and the animals on site were cute. Shared bathroom facilities also clean. Plenty of parking nearby and overall atmosphere was great, thank you.

Very clean and tidy. Self serving check in process (in the small hut by their main entrance). Kitchen and common area in the building on your left. It would be better if there are signs outside the huts/houses about where the facilities are, especially for guesses arriving late.

This was such a charming hostel with bunnies, guinea pigs and chickens on site. With a small number of rooms the kitchen was never overcrowded and was fully equipped. Location is fantastic, just a short walk to town. This was easily the coziest and best hostel we've stayed in.

Great and easy access to the town centre via the footbridge, room is perfect for what you need and has in house facilities to cook and wash clothes. Amazing views of the lake.

Amazing location! Just a hop from the Church of the Good Shepherd and the walking bridge to the town center. Beautiful facilities- clean with an incredible shower. Able to sit on the porch and enjoy the glorious night sky!

Avoid ‘The Birch - 3 Bedroom’ like the plague! The pictures on the property site are in no way an accurate depiction of this dilapidated property. Upon arriving, there was a leak somewhere, and the carpeted floor in the toilet room and down the main hallway to the kitchen and living room was soaked. I contacted the property management team immediately and two on-site team members showed up not long after. Communication was very basic and not great; English did not appear to be their first language. We left for dinner so as to allow time to address the issue. Upon returning an hour later, we found a space heater and a folded-over rug. What a mess! Nearly everything was in poor condition throughout the unit - bathroom included. The sliding closet doors were off their tracks in our room and would not open. The bed is too large for the room itself and the door would not close to allow for privacy. Bugs were in the corner of the room and smashed against the wall. In the bathroom, there was no hand towel. In the kitchen, no paper towels. The list of problems goes on and on. By the next morning, the already-musty smell of the unit had turned to mildew, suggesting the water issue was not fixed. I am appalled that this property is being rented out in its current state. I have included additional pictures of the state of the property. To add insult to injury, I contacted the property management team, sharing the same pictures posted here and demanding a refund. I have not heard back. I will be reporting this business and filing a claim with my credit card company. Do not stay here - you’ve been warned!

UNETHICAL COMPANY - THEY ONLY WANT YOUR MONEY - DO NOT USE THEIR PROPERTIES IF YOU ARE STAYING IN TEKAPO! TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO AN ETHICAL KIWI ACCOMODATION PROVIDER INSTEAD! As myself and partner were planning a trip to NZ’s South Island), I made the mistake of selecting the wrong dates to rent one of their properties. Instead of selecting 11-14 of July, I accidentally selected 11-14 of June. The cost of the 3 nights WAS $500 (AUD). IMMEDIATELY (I’m talking a 5 minutes) after I made the booking, I reached out to Lake Tekapo Cottages and explained the situation. Any ethical accomodation provider would be understanding in this situation (or so I thought). Instead of accepting my cancellation request on Airbnb, (I could not even physically be there for the dates selected as I live in Australia), their immediate reply was that: “We are unable to accept the cancellation request”. My partner and I had been saving for this trip and to get this response was terrible. To give more context, they had a number of open properties as June isn’t as busy as July. They knew they were not going to be able to cover the dates that I mistakenly booked. SO IT WAS A CLEAR CASH GRAB OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM $$$. They wouldn’t even let my partner and I change the dates to something in July when we arrived in NZ. They justified this by saying “it’s too close now to change the dates”. Which is just disgraceful and PROVES THAT THEY JUST WANTED TO POCKET THE MONEY! In the end, I cancelled my booking as I had no choice. Lake Tekapo Cottages advised they would refund me if the dates were covered by someone else (again putting themselves over their customers to ensure they take their $$$). Only one night was booked by someone else. They didn’t even get back to me like they had promised. I had to contact them again and argue, and finally they agreed to give me 1 nights refund out of 3. AND EVEN THEN, INSTEAD OF THE $165 AUD WHICH WE WERE OWED, WE RECEIVED $151 AUD. Hopefully my $14 was put to sorting out some of their plumbing and outdated furniture people have reviewed on google. I am now $344 out of pocket for a service they never provided. This is without a doubt unethical behaviour and they give good hardworking accommodation providers in New Zealand a bad name. AVOID AVOID AVOID.

They offered a 50% discount to Tekapo Springs in exchange for leaving a review, but it ended up being more hassle than it was worth. We were told to call a number (no answer, no call back), then told it would be dropped off—but it never was. In the end, we didn’t receive the promised discount. The location was great but unfortunately a few issues affected our stay including painting to the cottage during our stay, wi-fi not working for part of the stay and some stained towels. Great location though!

Fantastic spot so close to town & church walking distance Easy to find well sign posted Great cabin with spa perfect for viewing the stars on a chilly night Will certainly be back

Our stay at Lake Tekapo Cottages was absolutely fantastic! The cottages were cozy, clean, and well-equipped, offering a perfect mix of comfort and charm. The serene location provided breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains, making it an ideal spot for relaxation. The hosts were warm, welcoming, and attentive, ensuring our stay was seamless from start to finish. We highly recommend Lake Tekapo Cottages for anyone looking for a peaceful retreat in a stunning natural setting. Can't wait to return!

Loved this place ❤️ so quiet 2 bedroom spacious lounge dinning area, definitely deserves 5 🌟, with dog statue & tekapo church right there's a wee stroll across the bridge and you've entered the shopping area.

Because of the Canterbury floods, I didn't make it to Beech Cottage - absolutely gutting! But the owner was very understanding and sympathetic and immediatly offered to cancel our booking free of charge. I will try to make it back next work trip! Thankyou

What a lovely peaceful place! Gardens were pretty, very close to the lake. Great stay here

Nice spacious cottage. Doesn't have a direct view of the lake but it is a very short 2 minute walk out.

Very comfortable home. All conveniences. Very warm.

feels like home. slept soundly. no hassle at all

Fabulous place to stay well recommended

spacial house, yet with very strong onion or BBQ smell all over the second floor, the previous photos from google maps were totally wrong. with the availability of only one night, we still have to pay minimum 2 nights policy, $530, it's not worth it at all. Please refer to the photo I uploaded.

Fabulous house, has everything one needs. Great deck with view of the lake.

Fabulous stay for the Whanau had every thing we need and was super warm and cosy.

Great weekend. Lovely lake views from the deck.

sad that shower in ensuite leeks.. lovely place to stay

Great spacious layout, well fitted out and warm.

Awesome

Has everything you need, & great service

A beautiful house with amazing views.

Cosy nice place fit for 8

Just the best for peace and tranquility...

Beautiful, well appointed home with fantastic views over the lake

Wonderful place highly recommend

Stayed with family of 10 adults and 1 child and was perfect as a holiday stay.House never seemed to small for that many people.House had a gud woodburner and a heatpump in lounge and the heat from both warmed all of down stairs and upstairs as well.Also each room had its own little heater.Beds were comfortable and warm.Not a fan of the sheets in winter they were not cosy to get into but everybody has their own preferences.Everything you need when on holiday in there and totally enjoyed staying there.

Lovely house

nice place 👌

Lovely home, great walks

Comfortable accommodation.

early check in possible?

Luxurious accommodation surrounded by breath taking natural views of turquoise lake Tekapo and surrounding white-capped mountains. Artists will want to capture the stunning views, while golfers can play just next door. Experience some Mackenzie country, then return to swim or spa at home, or snuggle in front of the fire at night. Spacious and well appointed, relaxing and memorable, all the ingredients for a holiday feeling to cherish forever. You might not want to leave...

Throughly enjoyed our holiday in Tekapo and staying at Takapo Retreat was a highlight, I was with a group of friends and the house was incredible for our group, we all had our own rooms, enjoyed both hot spas and utilised the fantastic large kitchen and living areas. Thank you, will definitely be back again. Highly recommend. Super comfortable beds and house was very clean.

Over looking the stunning Lake Tekapo, this home is welcoming, well appointed and extremely highly spec'd. Within walking distance to the shops and local tourist attractions, there is plenty to do. A beautiful place to stay at any time of the year.

Brilliant spot for a long weekend. We were two couples and the house suited us really well.

I could live here.

(Translated by Google) Excellent accommodation. Located in a quiet place and equipped with everything. Bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. Not super big. The kitchen has a good and spacious freezer and refrigerator. 2 hobs and a dishwasher. Bathroom has a shower and also washing machine. The shower is small for older people. The bed is fine, although ours could have been bigger. There is air conditioning for heating and cooling. Waste must be separated. Our recycling bin was already full upon arrival, but we have no idea who will ensure that it is emptied. There is ample parking space for your car. Tip: walk up to the cemetery where there is also a nice view point. Tip 2: There is a short route to cowanss hill past the large house where there is also a wheelchair parking space. Also beautiful. (Original) Prima accomodatie. Ligt op een rustige plek en is voorzien van alles. Slaapkamer, badkamer, woonkamer en keuken. Niet super groot. De keuken heeft een goede over en ruime vriezer en koelkast. 2 kookpitjes en een vaatwasser. Badkamer heeft een douche en ook wasmachine. De douche is miss voor wat breedere mensen klein. Bed ligt prima al had die van ons ook groter gemogen. Er is een airco om te verwarnen en koelen. Afval dient gescheiden te worden. Bij ons zat de recycle bak al goed vol bij aankomst, geen idee wie zorgt dat geleegd wordt. Er is ruime parkeerplaats voor je auto. Tip: loop even omhoog naar begraafplaatstver is daar ook een mooi uitzicht punt. Tip 2: Er is langs het grote huis waar ook een rolstoelparkeerplaats is een korte route naar cowanss hill. Ook mooi.

Absolutely love it. Will be back

Big holiday home with 4 rooms, accommodating up to 12 people, full kitchen, laundry & dryer available. Great view from the house. Only downside is that there's only one toilet & one bathroom (master room has its own).

Awesome time there, great facilities!

Great place to stay

Stayed there often

(Translated by Google) It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the lakeside, but since it's on a hill, you can enjoy a great view overlooking the sky, and you can take pictures of the starry sky from your room or terrace. (Original) 湖畔からは徒歩10分くらいかかるが、高台なので見下ろせる景色が良く星空撮影も部屋や、テラスから可能。

The keys were easy to collect at "Discover Tekapo Accommodation" office situated inside the Godley Hotel. Hazel's House have 4 beautiful rooms that can accommodate 8 people comfortably. The hall and kitchen have all the necessaries a family could wish for. It also have a fireplace and there are plenty of firewood and an axe at the back of the house for your disposal. Would have given a 5 star rating if they have a rack in the bathroom for shampoo and bath gel. Also there were no hooks for clothes in the toilet and bath. Lastly, the exterior of the house was covered with cob webs. Hopefully, they have installed some hooks and give the exterior a good clean.

Photos don't do it justice... lovely place to stay and highly recommended

Fabulous holiday house, excellent accommodating hosts. Fantastic value, AND dog friendly 😀