Lime Tree Lodge

We stayed 2 nights at the Lime tree lodge. The host was very kind and wanted to help us with anything. We did miss an overal introduction to the lodge. What facilities were present and how to use them. The room itself was fine although it felt a bit outdated. The host made us breakfast, this was lovely, nice and had much variety. We think that this place can easily be an amazing lodge. It just needs some more thought.

Most serene setting just outside Wanaka. All the amenities in our very comfortable room plus a pool & hot tub and a bocci court! Manager Sachi was very accommodating; she answered all our questions & requests and was happy to make restaurant reservations for us. Hghly recommend!

This place has a lot going for it - quiet location, nice grounds, good pool and hot tub, helpful friendly staff, and comfortable enough, but it’s somehow lacking: it feels tired and needs a make over, especially the bedrooms. And breakfasts need to be more varied, rather than the same limited fare every day.

After reviewing other reports on Tripadvisor, it seems that Lime Tree Lodge has experienced a rapid decline over the past few months. From the beginning, our arrival was less than ideal. No staff members were present, and we overheard heated arguments in the neighboring room. Even after attempting to get attention by shouting "hello," there was no response, and the doorbell to call reception appeared to be disabled. Only after reaching out to their main phone number did Kris, who identified himself as the duty manager, guided us to a large and attractively decorated suite. The suite included a spacious master bedroom, a separate second bedroom, and a large living- dining area leading to a patio. There was a big bathroom, but stains were visible in the bathtub. Kris provided a brief introduction before leaving for his day off at 5 pm. We tried to make ourselves at home, taking advantage of the complimentary wine and visiting the pool area. However, we encountered challenges, such as removing the cover of the hot tub independently, and a pool robot that made swimming nearly impossible due to its disruptive hose. The pool furniture was visibly dirty, indicating a lack of proper cleaning for an extended period. Shortly after our arrival at the pool, Jacqui approached us and greeted us by shouting, "no glasses by the pool." While the rule makes sense, a more welcoming approach would have been appreciated. As we had an early morning excursion planned, Jacqui kindly offered to serve breakfast on our patio, which we accepted. The breakfast was served on time but was unremarkable. Upon returning in the evening, we discovered that our room had not been cleaned, and the breakfast tray remained on the patio table. No staff members were visible anywhere on the property, and attempts to reach Jacqui were unsuccessful. Eventually, she emerged from the vegetation, claiming she had "fallen asleep" and providing a series of excuses for the lack of service. It was evident that she was intoxicated. After contacting my agent, who escalated the issue to a person named Nick overseeing the property from China (a quite impossible task in my opinion), Kris returned from his day off, and the intoxicated Jacqui was replaced. The description in my itinerary stating, "Lime Tree Lodge is a luxury, boutique-style lodge with a personal touch by the fantastic owners & staff," couldn't be further from the truth. There is no owner on site, and the two staff members present seemed incapable of managing the lodge effectively. In conclusion, I would advise avoiding this place unless you are willing to handle self-catering and manage the lodge independently. If you excel at it, you might even be considered for a role by the mysterious Nick.

Where to start with Lime Tree Lodge, promoted as 5 star. It could be 5 star, but so many things to address. It's almost as if someone has had this in the past, built what could be beautiful accommodation, but has lost interest. Unfortunately the host lacked skills the role of mine host, no warm welcome, friendly chat or engagement, just basic information on a need to know basis and glibly pointed to 2 A4 sheets of information in the room. Scarcely any presence for the remainder of our stay, thankfully only 1 night. On the A4 paper, we were advised that "all in room safes are not functioning for the time being, we are awaiting professional help to reset them". Why and how long does this take, clearly this is not a recent occurrence and why would all rooms be affected as these are individual safes, the photo shows there aren't even batteries in them? Secondly, advised "TVs are Internet ones - smart hub is the button you want to use Netflix etc". Fine if there had even been a TV in the room? Pieces of cut fruit laid put on plate for guests near the drinks station, why leave this uncovered for flies to land on all day? Stain on the carpet in the room, ill fitting grubby looking curtains, worn and chipped furniture, outdoor chairs which need treating, a mismatch of random coat hangers, etc. I could go on. Whoever owns this property really need to decide what they are aiming to offer their customers, but this is never going to be 5 star without some TLC. Needless to say, we would not revisit, just drive on by.