The location in the main attraction - awesome mountains surrounds and first class skiing nearby, particularly heliskiing - but Whare Kea is also in a class of its own when it comes to comfort and service, particularly the incomparable meals prepared by the Chef.

We (me, my wife, our 12 year old daughter and her friend) stayed in this hotel for three nights from 7 to 10 July, 2011. To be honest, it was an extraordinary experience. We were the only guests at the time and it was as if we were staying in our own home but being waited on hand and foot by a friendly and attentive staff. Perhaps the highlight for us as regards the stay in the hotel was the food. James Stapley, the chef, and Craig (who kind of doubles as a "butler" and sous chef) were absolutely fantastic. My wife is a food fanatic and they were very happy for her to come in to the kitchen whenever she felt the need to watch them prepare our food, exchanging tips and discussing ingredients. The two girls also treated the kitchen as if it was their kitchen at home (and if the guys found it irritating, they didn't say anything!) James spoke to us each evening discussing what we wanted to eat for dinner the next day - he managed to get oysters, venison, crayfish and, for me, made a magnificent rhubarb crumble on the last day (I embarrassed myself by eating (nearly) all of it) as discussed the previous evening, amongst other delights. We cannot speak highly enough of James and Craig. My wife is looking forward to James's Whare Kea cook book which we understand is coming out shortly.

I should also mention the other staff who went out of their way to help with everything including trips notwithstanding the non-stop rain that accompanied our stay. They organised a horse riding trip for us (Timber Lake) one afternoon and we were delighted to see Carol the riding instructress cooking us breakfast the next morning!

We were also privileged to have dinner on the first evening with the owner and his son . We had a very good conversation about skiing, Wanaka and the hotel and chalet, amongst other things.

The views from the hotel across Lake Wanaka are absolutely stunning as has been well documented in other reviews. It is only a few minutes drive from the town of Wanaka and on the road to Treble Cone - say 25 minutes from here - and around 30 minutes or so from Cardrona - if you want to go skiing.

The architecture of the place is interesting in a modernist sort of way. The "living room" was extremely comfortable with a log fire in the centre of the room and spectacular views of the Lake and the mountains.

The rooms themselves did not quite justify the price of the hotel - they were large and comfortable but the fittings could be improved. My wife was unable to have a hot bath one evening because there was only cold water at the time - not sure why this happened given that we were the only people staying.

There is no doubt this place is expensive. For us, the price was justified by the food, the friendliness of the staff and chefs, the views and the fact that we had the place to ourselves. If money is of no object (and subject to some quibbles about the rooms), this is the place to stay in Wanaka. I would definitely return - would love to go to their chalet in the mountains - and would recommend Whare Kea to anyone with means.

During our three weeks vacations this sapcious 6 ****** Hotel was together with the
Split apple retreat simply the best. Charming service angles are always taking care of you. We stayed alone in ths wonderfull lodge, extra for us the cook came in and served us one michelin star quality food.

Gorgeous, unfortunately we have not seen something like this in Europe.

ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!

My s/o and I spent a little over three weeks driving across New Zealand. We stayed at many of the premier lodges in the country, and Whare Kea was one of our favorites. Heck, maybe just our favorite. First, there's the great location. We just adored Wanaka. A beautiful and very charming town on the lake with gorgeous trees and a great atmosphere. The proximity to Mount Aspiring National Park with its great hikes and scenery was awesome.

But the lodge itself! The photos don't do it justice. The architecture is stunning and elegant, and the views of the mountains and the lake are world class. The staff are very competent but not at all stuffy, just friendly and full of information. Our room was spacious and comfortable, and while it didn't have the 'wow' factor of some of the other rooms in some of the lodges we stayed, it was just fine (and I'm picky).

We were only there two night, sadly, and one day we were to do the "Siberian Experience" which involves a small plane flight, hike, and jetboating. We were very much looking forward to it, and when we woke up and saw the lousy weather we knew it was probably going to be a bust. The staff kept us informed, calling the operator every few minutes, before it was finally determined it was cancelled. But they had several other suggestions for us, and even though the weather wasn't the best, we perused the maps and hike descriptions provided to us and decided to drive about an hour to hike to the Rob Roy glacier. What a good choice! The major rain held off until we were back and it was a spectacular day through some of the prettiest scenery I've ever seen. We only got a glimpse of Mt. Aspiring herself because of cloud cover, but the next day was clear and gorgeous and we drove a few minutes from the lodge to a great viewing point and got some good photos. After the hike we returned to the cozy fire and wine in our beautiful lodge. It was really the perfect NZ experience, reflecting the openness of the country, but also the innovation in terms of architecture and furnishings.

Lastly, a word about the food. It was the best we had in NZ. The chef, whose name unfortunately escapes me, is a treasure. My s/o and I still talk about stealing him and opening a restaurant.