Distinction Fox Glacier - Te Weheka Boutique Hotel

I highly recommend staying in Fox Glacier and don't know whether this is your best option. Our room was comfortable and very well located within an easy walk of everything but the overall feel of the hotel is stale and it is understaffed. No one was there when we checked in late afternoon and when she showed up, she did not speak English very well. After 6pm - there is NO ONE to help. We were initially given a handicap access room on the first floor facing the road even though we had walked past multiple open doors of unoccupied rooms and the hotel had a vacancy sign. When I requested a switch, she initially said no but then made it work. It turned out that all she needed to do was merge two twins in one of the many empty rooms.... The parking lot is small and it's hard to maneuver. Breakfast is included but it's very basic. The same desk person was now in the kitchen cooking eggs while her one other colleague was running back and forth trying to refill coffee, clean tables etc....Our last night, a bus arrived in the cramped parking lots and, the next morning, it was so loud very early as they left. There is a large comfy sitting area but why would you need it with the outdoors your objective for coming? :-)

Fox Glacier is a tiny town with barely a handful of eateries and a lot of tired and old accommodation so aesthetically, Distinction FG stands out. the rooms are a good size and the overall look is like a 3.5 star motel with basic furniture and decor. The included breakfast is pedestrian: hot food selection, condiments and toast, Cornflakes and Vitabrits with milk and bottled juices. throughout NZ, a lot of the customer service roles seem to be filled by travellers on 1-year working holiday visas so who you get and their level of service and ability is all very patchy. The current crew at Distinction FG seem competent and eager but when we checked in, the front desk was unattended at 3pm. We could hear someone out the back swearing and yelling but no one came forward. then we noticed a small sign mentioning that if the desk is unattended, ring the bell. So we did. and we were met with someone who whipped around the corner to look, without making eye contact with us, yell, "Where the f*&k is she??!!!??" We assumed "she" was the person who was supposed to be manning the desk. then a young girl appeared from behind us to check us in. Needless to say, her boss/owner disappeared and left the girl to do the menial check-in task. Of course this may have been a one-off incident and and there may be some explanation but I not sure if it's ever appropriate to use that kind of language when guests are standing in front of you, let alone within ear shot.

The WiFi might as well not be there as it was constantly lagging, the bathtub was not clean and had bug carcasses in it, as well as the surface of the tub itself being rough and dirty. The TV is outdated and there are also no locks in place for the toilet doors. All outlets near the bed are placed in an inconvenient location relative to the bed, maybe as to purposefully and distastefully spite the people who use it. I took 15 minutes to finish this review, half of which was used for the buffering of the website and the uploading of the review. Yes, the WiFi was so bad I had to edit my post to note it.

We really enjoyed our stay. Rooms are adequate size cozy and clean, bathrooms are nice. We were welcomed with a drink on the house and a great dinner afterwards. Scallops for appetizers, pig (wife sheep) for main and it was delicious. We even got the waiter to chill our red wine in advance. It’s not a 5 star hotel in a big city but a very comfortable hotel in the countryside and that’s what you get and pay for. So I give it 5 stars for giving us all we could wish for, for the price.

A smaller hotel with beautiful views. Very accommodating when we had to have an early start - provided breakfast outside their normal hours. Bathroom spacious, shower hot with strong pressure. Laundry facilities on site. Walking distance to pubs.

Let's start by saying the staff at this hotel are wonderful. Full of cheer, smiles and a fabulous rapport with their guests. The hotel itself; well the photo's aren't perhaps a true representation! We thought, it a bit like the weather, dour and overcast! Typical box shaped room, with a view over some other properties who also have a view of you! Inside it was a little tired; the furniture and decor were well used! Not quite what we'd expect of a boutique hotel. That said, we were warm, the bed was comfortable and it was quiet. (everything was quiet in Fox Glacier midweek in August). We had a very basic breakfast in the morning, but it was food and it kept us going for our morning hike on the trails. Overall, just a bit dull.............but the staff were great!

Very helpful staff, we really enjoyed our stay. Common area has a fireplace and games provided which was a nice touch…20 minute drive to the spectacular Fox Glacier. A must do at sunset the changing colours as the sun set was spectacular. No restaurant onsite but plenty of places within walking distance.