Name: Franz Alpine Retreat
Address: 2 Donovan Drive, State Higway 6, Tartare, Franz Josef Glacier, NZ

8/10

Excellent

14 Apr 2026

Niall

It was good

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2026

Dominic

Room was clean and spacious. Great views and quiet location

Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Apr 2026

Michael

Quiet location.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2026

Philip

Great spot.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Mar 2026

Faye

Easy parking, quite location, 5 mins from town.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 Mar 2026

Mark

The 2 bed unit was a good size and reasonably clean and comfortable with the exception of the very hard beds. There is a notice telling you not to cook smelly meals and if you did you would incur a fee. Shame about the smelly bin which had not been cleaned before a new bin bag had been added, so that caused a smell.
The units are on top of each other with large windows all around and no blinds or net curtains, so when in the unit you had to keep the curtains closed otherwise it felt like you were in a goldfish bowl.
There is no ironing board and iron in the unit, you have to request from reception. This was difficult on times as you had to catch the receptionist when she was actually in reception, which was only when new guests arrived.
This is not a retreat, as there is a busy road around it, which woke us up around 7:00am wach morning. This was certainly the idyllic location we envisaged.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Mar 2026

April

We were running late for checking. Left a message and instructions were waiting in the after hours box. No problem.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

19 Feb 2026

Robert

A kitchenette without a sink is a first in our travels.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2026

Steven

Lovely location 2 kilometres from town. A short drive. Lovely views. Quiet and secluded but near Highway. Amenities really good. Comfortable chalet style rooms.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2026

Katia

Very nice location. Nice staff. Quite big we had the 2 bedroom one.
Kitchen had bare minimal stuff however.

8/10

Excellent

03 Feb 2026

Jacques

The room was clean and spacious. However, there was no sink in the kitchenette to wash the dishes. The only sink in the room was a tiny sink in the bathroom where there was no place to put any stuff becsuse thrre was no vanity.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2026

John

Delightful young lady greeted us upon arrival at check in. Room very clean spacious and comfortable would certainly recommend and stay here again

10/10

Exceptional

23 Dec 2025

Joanna

Very clean new cabins, well equipped. Nice location, a little out of town but a short drive to shops. Amazing surroundings.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2025

David

We stayed 1 night here for our glacier flight. Very good and new accomodation. Easy parking at the door. Polite checkin. Comfy bed and warm accomodation. I would highly recommend this place.

8/10

Excellent

20 Nov 2025

Andrew O

The rooms were well kept.

2/10

Poor

12 Nov 2025

jan

Bathroom floor was filthy

2/10

Poor

28 Oct 2025

James

Never made it to the property due to weather/road conditions.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Oct 2025

Nikki

Was ok for our 2 night stay, had to pay extra for a room with a kitchen. Overall not too bad for a couple of nights but definitely wouldnt refer to it as a 'retreat'.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2025

peter

Overnight in glacier country

Just a one night stay on our roadie down the West Coast to the snow, to check out the glacier and have a walk. Unit was as expected, new and warm. Was fine for our needs.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2025

Catherine

Value for money

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2025

Paul

Very quiet, easy driving distance to Franz Josef township

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

06 Aug 2025

imogen

The staff weren’t overly friendly. They wore headphones while giving us our keys and when we needed any assistance they didn’t really talk to us and kept their headphones in. When we booked we were told we would have milk but there was no milk provided. The bed was as hard as a rock. There were towels labelled “make up” but then there was a sign above them saying if we used them to take our make up off and stained the towels we would be fined.
Overall we were there for one night and can’t really find much positive to say about it

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

24 Jun 2025

Dustin

The accommodations were fine, my wife and I booked a 2 bedroom cabin for one night. We had a friend traveling with us as well. When booking a 2 bedroom cabin I think most people would assume that would mean 2-4 people staying in the room. Upon check in we were charged an additional $50 for the third person. So in my mind they made an additional $50 on us for the use of one additional bath towel. A bit ridiculous considering we were the only guests for the entire night. There are plenty of other options around Franz.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2025

Jeff

A good place to stay that is away from the city center but close enough. Great ability to see stars at night.

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2025

Liz

Spent a fabulous night here while waiting to go on the helicopter the next morning to visit the glacier. Greeted very wamly at reception and our accommodation was huge!! Two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, dining and lounge areas. Was about a 5 min drive on the edge of town - we went to town to see the kiwis and have dinner. Would stay here again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2025

Haisam

Someonestarted

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2025

James

Nice hotel. Clean and modern.
Fresh milk for coffee was a nice touch.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Feb 2025

Carol

Property was clean and in a good location for Franz Josef activities. It would have been useful to have a sink in the kitchen area, so you didn’t have to wash up in the tiny sink in the bathroom. There was an error when we checked in and we were chased for payment. The maid did not make our bed the next day and forgot to leave milk and a tea towel. When we mentioned these mistakes, they were quickly remedied.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2025

Carrie

Large nice new facility. Loved it!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2025

Jay

Excellent choice. 7 minutes drive from Main Street, but great location. Quiet. Modern and fresh. Multiple choices of unit size, so look for the one that is right for you. I recommend this accommodation.

Parking right at your individual unit, which I prefer.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2025

Katherine

Loved our stay. Very quiet and close to Franz Josef shops although need a car to get there. Parking was excellent (next to the unit). Facilities were excellent - we made use of the washing machine and drying racks. Lots of info available at reception for things to do in the area. Comfortable beds and everything you could need in terms of cooking and entertainment/tv.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jan 2025

Lisa

Clean and spacious

Large 2 bed unit with beautiful views. A few min drive into town so would need a car.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2024

Sung Eun

Great!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

04 Dec 2024

david

A quiet and comfortable getaway

Quiet spot. It rained in the evening; electricity power was cut and restored about an hour. The only sink was inside the toilet and was rather small. TV was a mini 24 inch.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Dec 2024

Louvain

Clean, comfortable, quiet and well-appointed chalets. About 4km from town so no hustle and bustle. Basic but not 'budget' as it felt quite luxurious for what it was.
Stayed in the 2 bed one bath bracken chalet - can't fault it.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Nov 2024

Connie

Beautiful mountain view. No nonsense room with just what you need at a great price.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2024

D. Eliana

Very nice room, clean, comfortable, warm plenty of hot water, convenient for our plans. Although our accommodation was small we love the small details very nice.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Oct 2024

Julie

The accommodation was okay for the time we were there. It's a short drive from Franz Josef. Facilities limited. Only microwave, kettle and toaster. No decent sink to wash up in, only the one in the bathroom and did not like the rules imposed. No strong food smells (although we didn't cook anything strong, not to wipe make-up on the towels, flannels). Heating wasn't on nor was the fridge when we arrived and no note to say the fridge needed to be switched on. Reception not manned either: had to telephone for someone to appear.

All bars, restaurants, food stores 5km away in Franz Josef.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2024

Gladys

Staff lovely

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2024

Ariana

The views from this place were fantastic. It was very calm and relaxing with a nice quiet start to every morning. This is about a 5 minute drive to the main area with cafe and shops so you’ll need a car to get to and from food, but would definitely book here again without a doubt. We did not have a kitchen but the option to have one is good out here.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

24 Mar 2024

Anne Marie

This property is a fair way out of town but it is nice and quiet with great views across the countryside to the hills. There is a small kitchenette with microwave, crockery and cutlery, and detergent, tea towel etc, but no sink for washing dishes. This is has to be done in the bathroom! Did we not learn anything during COVID about clean and dirty workflows! There is a warning about using the shower: if you get the bedroom carpet wet you will be charged a fee. This is because the shower tap is positioned such that the water temperature cannot be regulated with the door open so you have to get under a cold shower, close the door and then regulate the temperature. Poor design and installation become the problem of the guest. Two heaters in the room: one didn't work and the other was ineffective.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2024

Lucy

Clean, spacious room - 5 minutes drive to the town centre.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2024

Shailesh

Perfect stay

The motel is conveniently located and reasonably priced. Even being close to Hwy 6, it was quite. There was separate parking near cottage. It's very well maintained.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2024

Rahul

Great sized rooms, but not in town

Great sized cottage with plenty of space, which we enjoyed a lot. A fair bit of drive out of town so having a car is an absolute must. There was some issue with electricity for a while but probably not the hotel's fault. No one around at reception most of the time.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2024

Verified traveler

Lovely roomy chalet in great condition.
Short drive to the township.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Mar 2024

Vonida

Great place that’s not too far of a drive for food and shops. Franz Josef is small so everything was within 15 min drive. I would say WiFi is spotty so I rarely used it.

4/10

Poor

02 Mar 2024

Stephen

Uncomfortable, small, lots of restrictions, limited heating.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2024

Warwick

Rural location. Quiet. We had a two bedroom unit which was very spacious

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2024

Sheila

Great place to stay

Great place to stay,just outside Franz josef.great little place,heater if it’s cold,has microwave for simple stuff. Not keen on washing up in the sink you wash in tho.
Has a fridge and utensils for two people.really nice to have chairs and table outside to sit in the sun

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Feb 2024

Jeryl

The property was very nice as was the staff. My issue with the room was that there was only 1 tiny sink in the bathroom. In the living room / kitchen area there is a fridge, microwave, hot kettle and plates, bowls and silverware but there is no sink there. So if you eat a bowl of cereal or a bowl of yogurt, for example, you have to take those bowls into the bathroom and rinse them in the very tiny sink.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2024

Ron

Located 5 minutes from FJ but a nice drive anyway.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

04 Feb 2024

Laura

Too far out of town

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

22 Jan 2024

Santhana

No great view from our unit. The photos are misleading.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2024

Matthew

Gorgeous view of the Franz Josef glacier from our chalet. Large and spacious, it was an accommodation we will never forget staying at. Conveniently located just outside of town, we were able to get what we needed, visit where we wanted, and finish the day with a beautiful stay.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Dec 2023

Girish

The property seams clean, close to the main highway, not too far from the main town center.
Breakfast options are terrible, its best to go into town and grab a bite. The folks running/managing the place could improve their communication skills/style.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Nov 2023

Wee Ping

Nice place to stay

Business_and_leisure

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2023

Scudder

Very nice

It was hard to find a person who would monitor the front desk. Other than that, it was a very nice stay.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2023

Colin

very clean and staff were very obliging

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2023

Priyanka

Great

10/10

Exceptional

20 Aug 2023

Ong

Beautiful snow Mountain View

Very beautiful and nice place stay, viewing the mountains cover with snow.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

18 May 2023

Sofia

The rooms are not isolated so its very difficult to heat them up. The room has a \"kitchen\" with no sink so its very difficult to clean the dishes. Not what we expected.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2023

Anibal

Excellent.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Apr 2023

Anton

Enjoyed our stay at this resort, clean cabin,comfortable. Could not get a good internet service. Highly recommend this stay.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Apr 2023

Gregory

2 bedroom units very spacious. Quite modern, warm and comfortable.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2023

Eva

Clean, basic. Easy free parking.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Mar 2023

David

We arrived after hours and the reception was closed but they left precise instructions and the room key taped to the office door.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2023

Irwin

Each unit was its own with parking in front. Unit was clean and staff was very friendly. The property is convenient to Franz Josef - about 10 min drive to town center.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2023

Glenn

Really nice & clean .a few Kms out of main town but short drive .

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2023

Sue

Ok budget stay 7kms out of town

Good size rooms, no air con quite stuffy, a fan would have been good. Was probably unusually warm in Franz Josef.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

15 Feb 2023

Jill

The property was alright..but not walking distance to town and the internet was very sporadic.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2023

Shah

Nice clean and tidy, also our unit had a separate lounge from the bedroom which was great. Beautiful place

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2022

Haritha

Comfortable stay but the guidance against cooking spicy foods seems disrespectful against certain cultures - don’t really see the need to restrict what people eat/cook

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

07 Dec 2022

Maryanne

The place was very good, clean and comfortable. The only thing I found odd was that there was no kitchen sink. Very hard to wash crockery and cutlery in the small bathroom sink.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Dec 2022

Judith

Nice spot to stay

We had one night at Franz Josef retreat -the room was clean and comfortable

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2022

Elizabeth

Clean and spacious with a comfortable bed. It’s about 5 mins from town so nice and quiet

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2022

Lisa

Perfect accommodation in paradise

Fantastic clean, comfortable, quiet, spacious accommodation just out of Franz Josef township. Close to everything and in a beautiful setting. Unit had everything we needed for our family or five and was a really lovely comfortable place to stay. Would definitively recommend Jag Escape Franz Alpine Retreat.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2022

Anna

Great place to stay. Quiet, comfortable and clean.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2022

Biyu

Room was clean and well-equipped with bathroom amenities and even came with a microwave oven!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2021

ross

Lovely unIt,very comfortable ,with beautiful view .and was at a very reasonable rate

Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Dec 2021

Marie

Love everything about it the space the staff it was just lovely thank you

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Nov 2021

Michael

Great overnight stop.

Great overnight stop. Very clean and tidy. A wee way out of the town. Friendly host.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

A really beautiful apartment with amazing facilities. Made us feel so comfortable and homely

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Place was clean and tidy. We did wander why when were one of 3 only visitors they didn’t upgrade our room to get a better review.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 May 2021

Verified traveler

it was very clean and a great place to stay

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2021

Ann

Clean and modern- perfect!

Easy- breezy check in by email. Key in room. Spotless and quiet

Self

8/10

Excellent

11 Apr 2021

Michael

Value for money

Very clean and as new condition. All I needed for an overnight stay. Only thing missing was a sink in kitchen area. Would definitely stay again. Excellent value money.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

30 Mar 2021

Megan

Perfect Stay

We really enjoyed our stay in the chalet. It had a nice sized living room and well equipped kitchen, the bed was also extremely comfy. We especially enjoyed when the weather was bad being able to borrow some DVDs from reception to watch as the tv in the living room had a DVD player. The staff were very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. The location was only a few minutes drive to the town. I would definitely stay here again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Feb 2021

Verified traveler

Didnt like the fact there was self checkin not on to greet n meet. Layout of rooms could have been slightly better

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2021

Carolyn

This property is a bit outside of the township, it claims to be quiet are a bit overrated as it is right by the main highway so traffic all night. I was a bit disappointed as the chalet we were in had a locked door which was another bedroom which if I knew about on the website would have happily paid for. The chalet itself was very nice had everything you might need if cookin for yourself.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2021

Scott

Great stay

Great stay, modern room, out of town

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Jan 2021

Verified traveler

Very Nice place but remember no Curry in the room

The place itself was sparkling clean and well kept, however I felt a bit of selective racism only because a note was kept that we shouldn’t be heating curry or other smelling food ( liable to credit card charges if they have to clean). I do understand that certain types of foods will leave some after smell in the room but such things should be explicitly told whilst booking. Nor that I was going to heat up curry or eat in the accomodation itself but for some communities curry’s are the usual food and I can’t see them going outside in the cold to have their food.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Dec 2020

Alberto

Wonderful but...

We had an amazing stay! Everything was perfect. Price, location, unit, services. Highly recommended!! We had an awesome Christmas.
Only thing: there are plenty of messages in the unit like don't do this which is completely fine but at the end of all of them they write, otherwise we'll charge an extra fee. This is really unpleasant and not elegant at all for a property like this one.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2020

Verified traveler

A comfortable room in a nice quiet spot. Perfect for a nights stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2020

Aaron

Very clean and value for money

Orsum place, very clean and relaxing. Lady in office very nice and nothing a problem. Good value

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2020

Sarah

A beautiful, well presented property in a quiet location.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Sep 2020

Francis

Spacious and modern,quiet and all the facilities of a 4 star motel.The surrounding area and setting is great

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Jul 2020

Amu

Very stylish and clean! Great location. Would definitely stay again :)

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Jul 2020

Anonymous

Our two bedroom apartment was very clean and tidy. The extra heaters left for us in the room left us cozy and warm during the cold winter night. Just out of town it was an easy 5 minute drive to get to the local restaurants. The wifi was poor with very patchy coverage.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2020

Verified traveler

Place felt very new, was double glazed and insulated. Very clean inside and plenty of heaters were provided, including electric blankets!

Good range of appliances, utensils and kitchen tools in the chalets.

Had to make a last minute booking change to include more people,and they made it happen & with the preferred bed setups in each room.

Would definitely stay here again

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

Located a couple of kilometers out of town meant that it was very quiet, room was spacious and comfortable. Whilst the surrounding views weren't as good as we expected they were still there. Laundry facilities were available for a cost. Kitchenette facilities were adequate for preparing light breakfast and reheating take away leftovers.

Leisure Partner