By the Best Mountain Hotels editorial team ·
The Godley Hotel is a simple, friendly hotel on the main street of Lake Tekapo village, looking out over one of the most beautiful lakes in New Zealand, its water a milky turquoise against the snowy Southern Alps. Its rooms are comfortable rather than luxurious, but the setting, the prices and the night skies, in one of the world's great dark sky reserves, make it a superb base on the road to Aoraki/Mount Cook.
The Godley Hotel is a simple, friendly hotel on the main street of Lake Tekapo village, looking out over one of the most beautiful lakes in New Zealand, its water a milky turquoise against the snowy Southern Alps. Its rooms are comfortable rather than luxurious, but the setting, the prices and the night skies, in one of the world's great dark sky reserves, make it a superb base on the road to Aoraki/Mount Cook.
Location: Lake Tekapo, Mackenzie Country
New Zealand's Southern Alps run the length of the South Island, a chain of glaciated peaks, deep lakes and fiords that ends in the wild, rain-washed mountains of Fiordland. Lake Tekapo lies in the Mackenzie Basin, a high, golden tussock plain east of the Alps, and its glacier-fed water is a startling turquoise. The village is home to the little stone Church of the Good Shepherd on the lakeshore, one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand, and it sits within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
The Godley Hotel stands on the main street of the village, by the lake, on State Highway 8, about three hours by road from Christchurch and around an hour and a quarter from Aoraki/Mount Cook.
Rooms at The Godley Hotel
There are 60 rooms, in standard and lake-view categories, all with private bathrooms, tea and coffee making and TVs. They are clean and comfortable rather than stylish, so book a lake-view room for the turquoise water and the mountains.
Facilities at The Godley Hotel
There is a licensed restaurant, a bar and a lounge with fireside seating. Around the village, guests can join stargazing tours, visit the observatory on Mount John, soak in the hot pools at Tekapo Springs, walk the lakeshore and, in late spring, see the famous lupins in bloom.
The mountain moment
The defining moment is a clear night, when the Milky Way stretches across the sky above the lake, so bright it casts shadows.
By day, walk the lakeshore to the Church of the Good Shepherd, or drive on along Lake Pukaki to Aoraki/Mount Cook.
Why The Godley Hotel is one of the best mountain hotels
The Godley Hotel earns its place for its setting and its value. It is not a luxury hotel, but few places to stay offer such a view and such skies at such a fair price.
For Aoraki/Mount Cook, an easy drive away, see The Hermitage. For Queenstown, see The Rees.
When to go to The Godley Hotel
Lake Tekapo is beautiful all year. Summer, from December to February, brings warm days and long evenings, and the lupins bloom from around late November to December. Autumn and winter bring the longest, darkest nights for stargazing, with snow on the mountains and skiing nearby at Roundhill.
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Questions, answered
- Where is The Godley Hotel?
- The Godley Hotel is on the main street of Lake Tekapo village, by the lake, in New Zealand's Mackenzie Country.
- Is Lake Tekapo good for stargazing?
- Yes. Lake Tekapo lies within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, one of the best places in the world to see the stars.
- How far is Lake Tekapo from Mount Cook?
- Aoraki/Mount Cook Village is about an hour and a quarter by road.
- Does The Godley Hotel have a restaurant?
- Yes. There is a licensed restaurant, a bar and a fireside lounge.
- When is the best time to visit Lake Tekapo?
- Late November to December for the lupins; autumn and winter for the darkest skies.
