With just a lot more...

Liked: The view from the patio/bedroom window is awesome. The bed was supremely comfortable. The bathroom was superb. Breakfast was pretty good.
Disliked: It’s pretty remote, there was no welcome and the outside is very scruffy - so you’re starting to feel a bit concerned given it’s at the expensive end of the spectrum for B&B accommodation. Plus, little things are missing - no tissues, no comfy chairs in the large room, just a couple of tea and coffee bags. And $7 for a small beer and over $40 for a bottle of local wine! Most places at this price would throw a bottle in.

Very good

This sanctuary was exactly what...

Liked: The temporary hosts, Tim and Lorna, were very accommodating and helpful.The huge wooden deck was a great place to relax and dry laundry.The views were spectacular!Loved the big sit down dining table at breakfast time.Breakfasts were yummy - Tim even fried some tomatoes to go with my eggs one morning.Outstanding privacy - I barely bumped into other guests.The spa tub was awesome - I needed that after all my mountaineering aches and pains.
Disliked: Nothing really - it was lovely. However, there were two things out of the control of the hosts that I will mention. One night the rain set in, and with it came very low cloud cover that was so thick I had a lot of difficulty navigating up the very narrow and winding road to their hilltoplocation. It was actually very frightening in the dark as it was a dirt road with no lights.The second issue was the gigantic ditch in front of their driveway. It was extremely deep as I drove off the main road up into their driveway. I was afraid of scraping the underbelly of my rental vehicle.

I really would not recommend...

Disliked: We booked for three days at the Parautane Lodge following the very positive comments on Tripadvisor. We were however very disappointed with our stay. The Lodge has undoubtedly beautiful views on the bay but this is its only asset. Access to the place is not easy: the last section of the road to the lodge is bumpy, unsealed and quite difficult, making the 10 minutes drive from Nelson problematic. Considering the price, the rooms and the breakfast are average. More importantly, our room was never serviced during the three days we stayed there. Before leaving, we asked the manager whether this was the lodge normal policy. He told us that we should have asked for service by putting out a notice which was supposed to be in our room. We indicated that nobody had informed us of this policy. We also checked with him and could not find any notice in our room. His apologies were not very convincing and only concerned the lack of the notice in the room. I find it unacceptable that, in a lodge that calls itself a "Luxury” Lodge, rooms are not automatically cleaned. In conclusion, I do not recommend the place. Its price is totally unjustified considering its level (lack of) of service, difficulty of access, average level of rooms and breakfast.

Superb

Good, but I wouldn't call...

Liked: Great view, quiet and good size room
Disliked: No bathrobes as described, no milk and we couldn't see any smoke alarmsI knew it was going to be 1.5km on a gravel road but it wasn't enjoyable and the car was struggling

Exceptional

Had a great time

Liked: Great breakfast and location
Disliked: Outdoor couches, New bbq

Exceptional