Name: Arden Country House
Address: 712 Waitati Valley Road Dunedin 9085,Waitati Valley Road, Port Chalmers, Port Chalmers, Port Chalmers, 9085, New Zealand
Rating: 8

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Family room

Rooms

Laundry

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Diet menu (on request)

Breakfast

Breakfast in the room

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Sun Deck

Recreation

Parking

Cycling

Sports

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Dunedin International Airport

Arden Country House

Port Chalmers

This is an amazing  place even being 20 minutes  outside of Dunedin well worth having to do that journey. 
Host could not do enough  for  us.
 The property  was clean with lots of character.
Well equipped kitchen and fantastic  breakfast, home made jam.



Well priced, good location, comfortable. 

This place is very comfortable and cosy. There is a lovely lounge with large flat screen TV and tea/coffee making facilities. Three bedrooms upstairs - two of which are very spacious. There is a bathroom and separate shower. There are heat pumps in every room and the lounge. There are a number of beaches, walking areas etc within easy driving distance. There are a couple of cafes/craft beer places close by. The hosts are very warm, attentive, and committed to making your stay as relaxing as possible. 
When booking - be aware that this is a bed and breakfast; so there is not a kitchen to make main meals or a separate dining area. There is no outside space which is spacious if you have children.
The other thing to be aware of is that Arden Country House is under new ownership since 2020. So some photos which give the impression that there are dining rooms, a fire etc being available relate to previous ownership. Also the less that ideal reviews relate to previous owners - not the new ones.

A great base to explore the area

Was looking forward to this one, we loved that it would be old & quaint & didn't have high expectations given the price.
It looked abandoned when we arrived. It was unkempt & up for sale. We drove past a big bag of rubbish next to the drive & weren't greeted for some time. The host was friendly. We had to walk past a trailer full of wet, mouldy stinking carpets & through a shed full of dusty boxes & junk to get to our room door. Upon opening we were hit by a stale, musty smell of damp & mould. The apartment was tidy but the furnishings were stained & musty. There was evident damp damage to the vanity, the shower & a wall behind a daybed. The rafters & sills were dusty, the windows heavily Cobwebbed. The kitchenette had dirty open shelving & appliances. My son's pillow was actually heavy & crunchy, It was very old. The fridge hadn't been turned on, there was no milk & when he brought some it was in an uncovered jug. The water pressure was very low & apparently had to be run for ages until hot water came through. There was a heater that he said we could try but probably wouldn't work- it didn't.
I started to wheeze within minutes so we left. The property is refusing to refund any of our fully prepaid money  despite my offer of a cancellation fee. We went through Booking.com who have offered $40 so we still lose around $160 & had to pay a premium for emergency accommodation. I can't even review it on Booking.com as our booking is cancelled.
I don't mind old or untidy but dirty & air full of mould spores is a no go for me.
We got photos of everything but the Smell

Unbreathable Air

Daytime arrivals would be fine but we arrived at night and it'd be far better to have had lighting from the gate all the way to the front door. Took several attempts to find the house and the front door, had to phone them as the door bell isn't heard.

The owner was pleasant and friendly, as we entered the house is uncomfortably old, warn out and musty but not dirty. Led to the the back kitchen, then outside into a shed area. Cold and exposed so immediately reaction was to turn around and leave. We had no alternative so we stayed. 

Into the back living area, two levels. Main bed felt slightly damp, bedding didn't feel fresh, we covered with towel/blanket and slept on top. All the decor is very old, bathroom ancient, toilet isn't great. Upstairs kitchen is basic, seating really poor. No TV but wifi works. Communal area inside main house is shared with other guests which we didn't use, we were tired so tolerated a quick sleep and up early and gone. Didn't want to try the breakfast, dropped the keys off and left. 

Won't be back, less than a 2 star experience.

Friendly, but below par room

The loveliest couple run this B&B, so welcoming and helpful. It is extremely reasonably priced particularly considering breakfast is included. People need to be aware they are staying in someone’s home. It is like a proper, traditional B&B. If you are expecting motel/hotel standards, you will be disappointed. Take it for what it is and enjoy the genuine hospitality.

Great but know what to expect.

Very dirty! The place has good potencial, but needs a lot of job! For the old couple is impossible to maintain. The dog and cat all arround inside the house, smells awfull. The Roms are dirty! Too dirty! The breakfast was ok, I do not recomend this place.

Poor and dirty, nice Couple, breakfast ok

We were caught out with no accomodation due to  a major Rugby Game in Dunedin and as a last resort we were recommended to call the above . We were so glad we did and could not recommend this House and Hosts enough. There were others staying from other countries and  the interaction was great.

Fantastic Full breakfast served and any thing we wanted we only had to ask. The Hosts were very interactive which we enjoyed. 

Beautiful off the road country setting  only 10 mins North of Dunedin...
Would recommend...and return.

Amazing welcome

Booked at Arden House because of the pictures we saw on-line.... and were not disappointed! A really quaint and extremely comfortable old fashioned English-style country house full of character. Think "Lilliput Lane"... 
The rooms we had were an up and down apartment with a tight staircase to negotiate, so maybe not suitable for older people or folks with walking difficulties. Check the accommodation first.
Owners were delightfully welcoming and breakfast was excellent. We would definitely make this one to return to.

Arden Country House

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