The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in South Island

Where to Stay if You've Never Been to South Island

If it's your first trip to South Island for the activities and sightseeing, then you're in for a treat. But the biggest question is often where to stay for a first time visitor to South Island. With so many amazing hotels to choose from, it can be tough to make a decision to make the most of your first trip here. That's where we come in! In this comprehensive guide, we'll help you find the best hotels for first-timers in South Island. After analyzing all of the hotels based on price, location, amenities, ratings, and more, we have come up with our list of the best hotels in South Island for first time visitors. We'll cover everything you need to know about these hotels, including the amenities, location, prices and ratings. So, whether you're traveling solo, with family, or as a couple on a romantic getaway, you'll find the perfect hotel if you've never visited South Island beofre. So check out these terrific hotels, many of which have sparkling swimming pools, delicious restaurants, and top-notch amenities, along with the perfect balance of comfort, location, and affordability. So, let's get to it and discover the best hotels in South Island for your first trip!

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

The Hermitage Hotel Mt Cook

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $185 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to South Island

Located at Terrace Road, The Hermitage Hotel Mt Cook has great rooms from $185 (before taxes). It offers a restaurant, a bar, a kid-friendly buffet, outdoor tennis, and hiking. It has a terrific 8.40 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 110.2 km from the city center, first time visitors will especially love mountain views, child care, laundry services, free parking, and laundry facilities at this relaxing hotel. The restaurant serves delicious food, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground
  • Luxury


Mt Cook Lodge and Motel

Motel with prices starting at $148 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

A great place to stay is Mt Cook Lodge and Motel which has nice rooms starting at $148. Offering a restaurant, a bar, a kid-friendly buffet, hiking, and rooms with kitchenettes, it also has a great guest rating of 8.20 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at Bowen Road. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, free parking, a pool table, kids meals, and laundry facilities which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 109.8 km from the city center. We find the kitchenette here to be a great way to get a good breakfast and save time and money.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Aoraki Court Motel

Motel with prices starting at $183 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

We found Aoraki Court Motel to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $183. We loved that is has mountain views, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, and a hot tub, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 9.30 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 26 Bowen Drive. You'll also find free parking, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, family rooms, and a microwave which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 109.7 km from the center of town. That hot tub is terrific after a long day of sightseeing.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Kitchen
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Theatre Royal Hotel

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $78 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to South Island
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

With terrific rooms from $78, Theatre Royal Hotel, at 81 Seddon Street provides a restaurant, a bar, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, and free parking. Its terrific guest rating is 9.10 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers kids meals, laundry facilities, air-conditioning, a microwave, and a refrigerator. It's located just 93.5 km from the city center, too. The kitchen in the room is great, because you can cook your own meals to save time and money. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Kitchen
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Free parking
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Lochmara Lodge Wildlife Recovery And Arts Centre

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $97 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

Lochmara Lodge Wildlife Recovery And Arts Centre has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10, and offers a restaurant, snorkeling, a bar, hiking, and mountain views. The great rooms here start at $97 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at Lochmara Bay. Furthermore, it also offers rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, a hot tub, a spa and wellness center, and a spa, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 326.4 km from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Snorkeling
  • Spa
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Ashburton, Hokitika, and Methven.

For more terrific hotel ideas in South Island, make sure you also see Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in South Island, Best Hotels for One Week in South Island, or Best Hotels for One Night in South Island.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in South Island?

South Island Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$138

After analyzing 5 first time trip hotels in South Island, we found the average first time trip hotel price to be a remarkably economical $138. Naturally, this destination has many fantastic first time trip accommodation options with a variety of prices. The price will vary by the hotel's amenities, available dates, and the general location. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in South Island.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 4-star hotels: $120
  • 3-star hotels: $166


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Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. On this website you can also find travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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