Cardrona Hotel

Great little gem hotel. Cute factor galore! And what makes it even more special is the staff. We were checked in by Verena who provided the most EXCELLENT customer service we have had in quite some time. Everyone here really cares about their customers. Food was excellent, and great choice of beers. Highly recommend!!!!!

We stayed in many motels and hotels during our 1.5week road trip but this was the best of them all! Absolute gem! Everything was perfect. Also the service during the dinner was fantastic, not to mention the dinner itself. Also breakfast for super filling (those cheese scones were delicious!!).

We loved Everything! The fantastic historical property, the beautiful rooms, the romantic atmosphere, the amazing food at the restaurant and great drinks at the bar, but mostly, the amazing team of people that run it and make you feel at home. So so friendly, competent, kind, wonderful people! Thank you so much to all and each one of you for making our stay with you so wonderful and unforgettable! Merci Beaucoup! Muchísimas gracias from Spain!!

I was pleasantly surprised! Called in for a coffee and toilet stop on the way to Wanaka, immediately felt warm and cosy, the atmosphere is brilliant. Was greeted at the bar by friendly cheerful staff with a smile. Service was tip top. I now wish I had of had a lot longer to stay, explore and had a scrumptious meal. Coffee was divine.

This hotel is the BEST! Me and my partner have been travelling for a little while and this is the most charming, cosy, and characteristic hotel we have stayed in. It was brilliant. Firstly, the staff are all lovely. We were given recommendations for local hikes in the area (diamond lake and Rocky Mountain trail FYI - insane!!!) and the meal was 10/10, tender and tasty lamb rump and amazing croquettes. We stayed 2 nights and ate here both nights, really delicious. The room was so cute and decorated so tastefully. It was comfortable, clean and had gorgeous views of the area. We even got a little balcony area which was a bonus and just lovely to sit on. Laundry and amenities were spot on too. I absolutely raided the gift shop, I wanted to buy everything. The art work around the historic hotel and restaurant was amazing. It was such a special stay and unbelievable value for money. I will make sure I get to come back to visit this hotel again in the future! It’s left a mark on me - honestly one of my favourite places in the entire world. Thank you so so much.

Absolutely stunning stay, wish we could have stayed longer. Beautiful, immaculate gardens with outdoor fire & hot pool. Cosy interior with indoor fire. Friendly staff, quaint room with local products. Peaceful & tranquil. Cannot recommend the Cardrona enough!

I love this place and am so happy we stopped off. It was worth the 1 hour drive. What a quaint little place, with amazing service and staff, lovely comfortable interior and exterior. The beer and wine selection is superb. You will love it!!!

Cardrona Hotel has such a unique charm — the rustic, historic vibe makes it feel like stepping into a different time, while the cozy interior and welcoming staff make it super relaxing. The back of the hotel is so relaxing and really stunning. It’s one of those places that’s perfect for a casual hangout or a special outing! We stopped for a drink and a bite and we were really content!

Completely charming pub, BnB, restaurant! We spent a night here and the accommodations are fine...it is an old place. But what is great is sitting outside with the fire drinking pints, bottles of wine, and charcuterie board or order from their restaurant....and than staggering back to your room!!!! Beautiful location and grounds. Great coffee. Visit Bradrona, Peregrine vineyards, and Cardrona distillery to complete the fun!

The staff members I interacted with were friendly and efficient. I had difficulty finding the hotel reception area and no one was there when I finally found it, though someone arrived quickly. It seems the restaurant and hotel were staffed by the same people and the restaurant held priority at that time of the day. The room was clean and had everything I needed. I appreciated the water heater and supplies for a morning cup of tea. The water in the shower was lukewarm and never got hot. My room was cold when I arrived. I was able to turn on the heater and it warmed up by the time I was ready for bed. The outside area is beautiful. However, I would have preferred not having glass doors opening to it. While I had no problems, it did not make me feel secure.

This is a great roadside stop for a meal. There is indoor and outdoor seating. You order at the bar and they deliver your food. We had a lamb sandwich that was amazing. The soup of the day, cauliflower and parsnip, was very good. They have fire places inside and a fire out outside. You can roast marshmallows outside. There is a playground for kids. There is a shop. The hotel actually has rooms for people to stay. We parked across the street.

We stopped at the Cardrona Hotel and Restaurant on the way to Milford Sound. It was morning so we were just looking to get some coffee, which we did, but I was disappointed that we had already eaten breakfast because the menu items sounded delicious! The coffee was good we enjoyed sitting in the restaurant for a few minutes before we were on our way. I'd come back to try breakfast if I was in the area again!

Delightful restaurant and pub close to Queenstown in a wonderful town. Stay, catch a rugby game on television, have a beer and enjoy dinner later. Great location and ambiance can't be beat!

Historical Hotel with tons of style and atmosphere enhanced by bone-warming hearths burning wood all day. Really good food, too, including a variety of hot and cold snacks to eat in the incredibly beautiful garden area with another fire to hang out around if one of their glass houses doesn't suit. We had a delicious dinner during our stay--venison with salad greens straight from their raised vegetable garden and salmon filet with baby carrots and potatoes. Friendly staff. This place rocks!

Historic country pub in wonderful setting This is a gorgeous country pub with a fantastic beer garden. We came for lunch on a sunny Saturday afternoon and sat outside listening to the live music. Our seafood chowder and lamb salad were very good - and it didn't take too long to come out even though it was busy.

First, we DID NOT stay at the hotel, although we did eat at its restaurant. The hotel/restaurant/bar is a wonderfully rustic joint surrounded by an old farm setting. We loved the ambiance that it offers to its patrons. Very relaxing. When you enter, it's through the pub area - yes, even if you're checking into the hotel. Sadly, this is where they lose a star for me. It smells of sour beer. I know this is normal for a pub, but this is the entrance for the hotel as well and, in my opinion, it's unacceptable that you're punched in the face with pub smells when you checking in. Later . . . absolutely. We ordered the fries (for our 7 year old twins), nachos and the southern fried chicken. Everything was FANTASTIC. NOTE: the fried chicken is more of the "chicken finger" variety, not what we in the U.S. might think of as Southern Fried Chicken. The nacho chips were topped with heaps of guacamole(ish) and sour cream, as well as some Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce (they seem to like this as we've found it on other items as well, like potato wedges). Yummy though. Service was friendly and relatively attentive - to be expected since this isn't a table service establishment. Order at the bar and they bring your food to your table. Simple. The dining room offers two fireplaces to sit near and enjoy the company and warmth. There's also a large, cozy fireplace and seating outside. Prices are on par with most everything we've experienced here in NZ. There is a dinner menu which offers a number of more sophisticated entrees. I would recommend stopping here if you're in the area.

The lamb ribs here are really good. It's on the to-share menu. I've lived in Queenstown for almost 4 years and never made it over to eat here. Finally have as I work for Cardrona ski resort this winter season. Highly recommend their food. I've see the hotel advertised on the Air New Zealand Koru June magazine as a must stop in and eat location. They weren't wrong! The feel is like an old western cozy vibe. Think of the movie Hateful Eight.

We did not stay here but we came here as a stop with our tour guide. She bought us all ginger beer which was very nice and refreshing. There is a lot of history at this hotel. You just have to take the time to look at the photos and artwork on the walls. Near the bar area, there is a clear plastic window in the floor. It is an old mining shaft (if I remember correctly). The food here looked and smelled great. The portion sizes seem appropriate, with a slight balance towards larger portions. I don't think this place is a must see attraction on your first trip to New Zealand. If you have nothing to do or on your 2nd trip, then you can come here.

This a real landmark country pub in a country which is pretty short of man made (as opposed to natural) ones. Its located up the Cardrona Valley between Queenstown and Wanaka. Bizarrely, one of the breweries even tried to make a kind of franchise out of it and there is a sort of look alike in Mt Eden, central Auckland! It is a favourite hang out after alpine skiing at Cardrona or cross country at Snow Farm, but anytime of the year is a good time to visit. My personal favourite is autumn. Go for a drink and hang around the outdoor fireplace, even in winter. Stay for dinner then the night if going back to Wanaka or Queenstown feels too hard.

If i could give a 6star out of five i would. The Cardrona Hotel is just such a magical place, Awesome staff ,phenomenal atmosphere & fantastic food. You'll be seeing us again, to spend more evenings sitting around the outdoor fire with a drink spinning yarns.

Can't say enough good things about this restaurant, it deserves 5+ stars. To begin with it's located between Wanaka and Queenstown and the drive through there is stunning, once you get to the restaurant it only gets better. There is seating inside and outside with both an indoor and outdoor fireplace both are picture perfect for a chilly night. Now on to the food which was amazing, we ordered the gnocchi and the stuffed lamb and it was hands down the best meal we had in the Queenstown area. If we had more time I'm sure we would have dined there again. Overall the Cardona Hotel is not just a restaurant it's a piece of history, definitely worthy of a stop.

Stopped for late lunch today in a group of 7. We all enjoyed our meals. Mine was a Thai Chicken Salad and that was excellent. Others had the pulled pork burger, nachos and bangers and mash. Good and filling. Washed down by an Emerson's Bookbinder beer.