Okarito Beach House
Save
Share
29 The Strand, Okarito New Zealand
Full view
View all photos (43)43
Room & Suite (13)
Pool & Beach (12)
About
#1 of 2 in Okarito
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.5
Service
4.6
Value
4.6
The Okarito Beach House is a real haven, away from the main tourist trail. It is situated within a stone's throw of dramatic West Coast beaches, close to the glacier township of Franz Josef.We have two lodges available, each with three en suite double or twin rooms and one private self contained chalet. Linen and bathroom amenities are included and WIFI internet and laundry is available to all guests for free. There is no shop in the village so be sure to bring food so you can make use of our fully equipped kitchens.
Read more
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Beach
Non-smoking hotel
Self-serve laundry
Room features
Kitchenette
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Location
Full view
40Car recommended
Grade: 40 out of 100
0Restaurantswithin 5 miles
3Attractionswithin 5 miles
Contact
29 The Strand, Okarito New Zealand
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Okarito rental cars
97Reviews1Q+A24Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 68
- 23
- 4
- 2
- 0
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Sort by:
Most Recent
If you are looking for something standing out of the line stay at this place. It is a hidden gem in the heart of Okarito. The owners are super friendly and helpful, you would feel like at home. Rooms were superclean and furnishing felt like new. Definitely better than staying in busy Franz Josef.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Traveled
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Okarito kiwi tour is a must!
See more room tips
Helpful
I loved staying in Okarito, it is such a cute little town with a lovely beach and great walks in the surrounding area. And the Okarito Beach House was the perfect place to the based. I wanted to book the Hutel for my boyfriend and myself, but unfortunately it was already reserved, so I booked a room in the Summit Lodge instead. When we arrived, there were no other guests, so we had the entire lodge to ourselves. The place was huge, with a well-equipped kitchen, a fire place and a big porch. There is a laundry room where you can wash and dry your clothes for free. Will and Mikaela who took care of the house were extremely kind and made us feel right at home. At the end of our trip, they even made it possible for my boyfriend to return and spend another week at the Hutel, although they had already officially closed for the winter season. My only complaint would be the cleanliness, especially of the bathrooms. But I’d still highly recommend staying at the Okarito Beach House and I might be back myself one day.…
Read more
Date of stay: April 2018Trip type: Traveled
Location
Cleanliness
Service
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
My husband and I stayed here for one night for a trip we were taking to Franz Josef Glacier, which is about 30 minutes away. First of all, you should know that there are no locks on the doors. While we knew that the kitchen and living room was shared, we were also expecting a private ensuite room, which we assumed meant we would have the ability to lock our stuff in our room. While there is a hook that you can use on the bedroom door when you are in it, it is impossible to lock it when you leave so all of your stuff is exposed. As well, you also cannot lock the house itself which means absolutely anyone can wander in (and there’s no desk, receptionist, security, etc). Okarito itself is small with only 28 people living there so it is very safe, but this should have been communicated beforehand. Besides that, the stay was lovely. It has a laid back beach vibe - and feels like a little community. Comfortable bed (although the headboard squeaks anytime you roll over), nice warm shower and free laundry. And the people who work there are very friendly and welcoming! …
Read more
Date of stay: February 2018Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
We stayed in nine carefully-chosen motels during our tour of New Zealand so by the end of our trip felt we had a pretty good idea of what standard we could expect. This isn't of course a normal motel, more an upmarket hostel with ensuite rooms, but it serves the same purpose. We stayed two nights so that I could go kayaking on the lagoon and on the kiwi watch (not recommended incidentally unless you are a real kiwi enthusiast!) and ironically we had the unit more or less to ourselves. The rooms in Summit Lodge are nicely decorated although we struggled to get the water in the shower at the right temperature - it was either cold or too hot with only a slight nudge from one to the other. Being a wooden structure noise tended to travel freely through the building, but having an extra WC for communal use was a thoughtful design feature. The kitchen is well equipped with two cookers and lots of crockery and cutlery, although we imagine things could get a little confused in the fridge if the house was fully occupied given that each party might well have brought several days supplies. There is a long refrectory table which looked great but - as is the way with wooden benches - was rather uncomfortable to sit at (although a Karrimat worked wonders). WiFi reception was poor, but then this is a relatively remote location so one cannot reasonably expect it. Okarito is a lovely place to visit; the management were very friendly; and this would probably make a good base for a group of friends to rendezvous. I'm certainly happy to have stayed at the Beach House - which is certainly in tune with the surroundings - although it's fair to say that my wife wasn't quite so enthusiastic, largely because, unlike a motel or apartment, having shared space meant one couldn't 'make oneself at home' by spreading things about.…
Read more
Date of stay: November 2017Trip type: Traveled
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
Internet was really slow ,(if any) no television, fridge and freezer were hardly cold. More like a low budget backpacker place. The common area were nice and the kitchen had what you'd needed. Expected more !
Read more
Date of stay: January 2018Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from OkaritoBeachHouse, Manager at Okarito Beach House
Responded Mar 23, 2018
Hi there Lars, Thank you for taking the time to review your stay with us at the Okarito Beach House. Sorry to hear that you didn't get what you expected with us. We like to market ourselves as a simple, homely haven away from the main tourist trail. Being situated in a beautiful, quaint, "off the beaten track" area does have some drawbacks- one being- not great internet and little to no cellphone service. While I know that now days we rely on things like the internet and television more so- we dont base our lovely haven around having them. Our little community is starting to work towards having such luxuries- but it is a work in progress. There is so much to do and explore outside here in Okarito which is why we dont feel the need to have televisions in the rooms. We appreciate your feed back very much and always endeavour to make our guests stay a wonderful time. Im sorry to hear that we were not able to deliver for you. kindest regards, Mikaela and Will Johnson
Read more
Really good advertising and website with some good photos, pity the real thing didn't measure up. Firstly, this is not a 'beach house', in fact you can't even see the beach from the house. It has the feeling of a hostel with shared kitchen which I'm sure is fine for young / single travelers but not what we expected, in fact I felt quite ashamed for booking it. Rooms and bathrooms need a good clean, we found human nails, hair and dirt on our room carpet; hair, dust and dead bugs in the bathroom. Grim.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Traveled
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Drive on to Franz Joseph
See more room tips
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from OkaritoBeachHouse, Manager at Okarito Beach House
Responded Mar 23, 2018
Thank you for sharing your experience here at the Okarito Beach House. We are very sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with your stay with us. We do mention through out our website exactly where we are situated in relation to the local beach- we are sorry that perhaps it was not made clear enough- perhaps we can look at editing that for future reference. The name "Okarito Beach House" is charming, and fitting, in that- we are in a small beach town community- but again, sorry for the miss understanding here. We indeed do have communal kitchens in both of our lodges, and we mention this very thoroughly through out our website and on our booking site- AA. We understand this type of accommodation is not for everyone and I'm very sorry to hear that you felt "ashamed" for booking with us. Had you mentioned your concerns to us whilst you were here we could have sorted some accommodation more suited for you in the village- but alas, all we can do now is apologise. We will take all your concerns on board. We always strive for the best here at the Okarito Beach House and are sorry that this time we seemed to have missed the mark. Thank you for taking the time to write your review! Best Regards, Mikaela and Will Johnson
Read more
We stayed in the Rimu house which is 3 onsuite bedrooms and a shared kitchen/dining space. The bedroom was spacious and comfortable and the ensuite was very clean. The kitchen/dining area is well equipped although if there were 6 people staying it could get very crowded if all cooking/eating at the same time. The location is good and the price is reasonable for the area although you are paying for an ensuite shared accommodation.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from OkaritoBeachHouse, Manager at Okarito Beach House
Responded Dec 6, 2017
Thank you so much for taking the time to review our little slice of paradise! Im glad to hear you enjoyed you stay here at the Okarito Beach House. We appreciate your positive feed back on the spaciousness and cleanliness of the room, we are a small team here so the nice words mean a lot to us. We understand the kitchen in the Rimu House can be intimate at times. When the house is full and six people are needing to cook and eat at the same time, but it does encourage guests to interact and share travel stories which is something we like to encourage- sometimes you meet the best people travelling. Thank you again for staying with us here at the Okarito Beach House and we would love you see you again in the future. Best regards, Mikaela and Will Johnson
Read more
We came here for peace and nature. The house was well equipped, spacious, light and very clean. We loved sitting in front of the wood heater. Aaron was helpful and discreet. The hot tub under the stars was an added bonus! Bring all your food ( no shops) and enjoy kayaking on the lagoon or a walk up to the fabulous view at Trig Point. Highly recommended.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2017Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
We absolutely loved our stay. Booked Queen Bed Room but due to a small problem we had to change rooms. The owner managed everything professionally in a calm manner. He is a very kind guy. Felt homely. Shared kitchen was great to meet fellow travellers! Would send all my friends there and return if I can!
Read more
Date of stay: March 2017Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Stayed in the rimu house which has had a reno in the kitchen since we were last there so it looks better. We had the bedroom off the kitchen with ensuite. The bed was really comfortable and while the ensuite was small it had the necessary things in it. If you stay in this room beware the sliding door to the patio does not lock. We used our luggage to obstruct it when we werent there, and I guess theres not a lot of opportunist thieves around, but it would be good if they fixed it. You share kitchen and living facilities with other people which is great. You get to meet people from other countries and swap stories. Very friendly manager. Yes it has free wifi, but honestly its rubbish. The signal is so weak and intermittant that you lose it frequently so its not worth using. The beach is easy to walk to with fantastic sunsets.…
Read more
Date of stay: March 2017Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandWest Coast RegionOkarito
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Okarito Beach House
Which popular attractions are close to Okarito Beach House?
Nearby attractions include Okarito Trig Walk and Three Mile Lagoon (0.09 miles), Okarito Lagoon (0.1 miles), and Andris Apse Okarito Gallery (0.4 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Okarito Beach House?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and self serve laundry.
Is Okarito Beach House located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.1 miles away from the center of Okarito.
Are there any historical sites close to Okarito Beach House?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Church of St. James (5.8 miles).