Bella Vista Motel Franz Josef Glacier

8/10

Excellent

16 Apr 2026

Francis

The Bella Vista Motel is well located, just a few minutes’ walk from the main street shopping and dining area. Our room was clean, tidy, and well presented, with good bathroom facilities and all amenities as advertised.

The room was configured with a king bed and an additional single bed. As a couple, we did not require the single, and while this made the room feel slightly cramped, it did not detract from our overall comfort.

On-site parking was convenient. Although the car park was mostly full during our stay, we did not experience any difficulty in finding a space.

We stayed for two nights, thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and would be happy to stay at the Bella Vista Motel again when visiting Franz Josef.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2026

Ian

Overall a very enjoyable stay. We were also able to catch up on the laundry using their service.
Parking excellent. Located in the centre of town, easy access to helicopter station for the glacier experience.

6/10

Pleasant

05 Apr 2026

Michael

Convinent location, o.k. for one night but the room would be to small if staying longer.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2026

mukhbinder kaur

Property is old but cleanand has all the convenience.
Location is great.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2026

Alan

Good internet

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2026

Richard

Room was spotless, lovely powerful shower that didn’t temperature change. Milk in the fridge so we could make a cuppa. Very comfortable, good WiFi and easy walking distance for some bars and local walks
Easy check in

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2026

Graeme

Yes and yes

2/10

Poor

20 Jan 2026

Carl

Good location- but staff not willing to check us in any earlier but happy to sit around having tea and leaving us waiting at reception

No where to store bags upon arrival and even at 2pm, we’re made to wait to the second to check in

Room was very small, no aircon and for the price paid, was poor. Thin windows, noisy from outside and you can hear every word of neighbours and people below

Even when we requested our room to be serviced, they replaced the towels but didn’t even make the bed, beyond ridiculous

Have reached out to support

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2026

Joseph

Staff was excellent.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2026

Dan

The reception was outstanding. I loved having a bread knife, butter knife & paring knife in the room. Clean, close to town & efficient.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jan 2026

Sanjay

No air con

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2025

Danielle

We

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2025

Alex

Nice clean room with good facilities. Check in staff were friendly and the location was great to the surrounding area.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2025

Cecilia

Friendly staff, comfortable bed, great location . I enjoyed my stay there

10/10

Exceptional

31 Oct 2025

Donna

Compact studio room. Large bathroom. Good shower. Bed comfortable. Good firm ish pillows. Didn't collapse when u laid on them . Walkable to everything in town. Host lovely. Laundry facilities great. Good heating. Quiet.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

28 Oct 2025

Ng

The motel is conveniently located within walking distance to everything in town. The owner was very nice and helpful, even assisting me with carrying my two 28-inch suitcases up to the room — much appreciated!
I loved waking up to the sound of birds chirping in the morning — so tranquil and serene. It’s a peaceful place to stay and very affordable.
Highly recommended!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2025

Michelle

The place was in a perfect location and our hosts were a wealth of information and knowledge.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

13 Oct 2025

Mai

Spa bath is so good.
Room is clean with wifi.
Recommendation.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2025

Raja

Wonderful property with lovely staff an so close to everything. Property has a small kitchenette too which makes it easy for self cooking during late arrivals . Staff are so helpful with local tips and guidance.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2025

James

Lovely motel, perfect for a few days. Receptionis manager was fantastic, so helpful.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Jul 2025

Steve

Heater didn't work

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2025

Jillian

Great place and staff. Would recommend

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2025

John

Very friendly staff, lovely clean rooms, very close to town centre. good value.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2025

Fiona

Great of the mountains, just a lovely place to stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2025

Michelle

Amazing spot, really clean and convenient and well situated. Views from room were AMAZING, and everything was very convenient and cozy :)

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2025

Danny

Could not have been any nicer! The staff were great and the room was perfect!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 May 2025

Fiona

Clean tidy well cared for establishment. Perfect for an overnight stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2025

Maria

Clean rooms, quiet area, friendly and helpful staff

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2025

Lisa

It suited our needs for a one night stay on our way through. Friendly staff

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 May 2025

Jessica

Customer service was amazing. The place was perfect for the three us of us. The entire unit was very clean and the kitchen was equipped with all of the necessities. Great value for the money!

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

03 May 2025

Pacquitta

Staff was friendly, helpful, and accommodated early check-in when in the midst of an area-wide power outage. His orientation to local attractions was outstanding, giving us guidance that helped us maximize our time experiencing the glaciers.

Spacious room with good heater. The bath towels were small, but adequate.

Kitchenette supplies (pans, hot plate, roster, dishes, and utensils) were plentiful and facilitate making meals in the room.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Apr 2025

Wayne

The staff were excellent. The bed was a bit hard for us.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2025

Jackie

Great place

Great little motel, with very friendly and helpful staff.

Self

8/10

Excellent

19 Apr 2025

David

It was a good size property, nice and clean and we could easily walk to the centre of town.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2025

Ruth

Great place to stay. Was very clean, quiet and we could walk to our tour from the hotel and dinner that night too.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Apr 2025

Kimberly

had to pay to use washing machine and dryer. Room was warm and clean. Great location walking distance to everything.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2025

Don

Great location. Everything we expected.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Mar 2025

Theodore J.

Room layout and amenities were very unique and appreciated.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Mar 2025

Lawrence

The room was very large but it seemed like a time warp experience, The unit has not been updated in a good while, which was surprising due to the price. The room was nicely stocked although we did not use the kitchette. The mattress is ready to be replaced.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2025

Antoinette

Great place, comfortable, close to town, helpful staff. Wish we were there for 2 nights instead of just 1

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Mar 2025

Mary

Nice quaint hotel. Walkable to several eateries.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

16 Mar 2025

Kerrelle

Well positioned within walking distance to all restaurants and activities

8/10

Excellent

14 Mar 2025

Anne

Central. Rooms a Little small but ok

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2025

karen

Great accommodation in a great location

Great accommodation in a great location. Not really as price competitive as some we've stayed in, but that must be due to the area.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2025

Nader

Highly recommended. Great location with everything within walking distance. Staff were exceptional.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2025

Verified traveler

Nice, clean accommodation. Expensive.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2025

John

Very central and nice in Franz Josef!

👍 Like my review! We had a 2 night stay at Bella Vista Motel in Franz Josef, New Zealand as part of our journey across the country. We chose this place as it was central to the town, nearby Franz Josef Glacier Tour, had free parking, and was an excellent value. The room was also far from the main street allowing some peace and quiet after a long day. The checkin process was smooth with our assigned room but guests should contact them if their office closes. The room was clean and cozy, TV had limited channels but access to streaming services and connection to a DVD player (with free DVDs for checkout in reception), bed and pillows were comfortable, walkin shower had shampoo and body wash but no conditioner, bathroom ventilation fan and towel warmer were nice, internet was slow at times during peak hours, outlets were provided throughout the room and near the end of the bed for charging or medical devices, and several amenities (e.g. instant coffee, French press coffee grounds, tea, provided fresh milk from reception, kettle, toaster, cutlery, utensils, microwave, fridge, iron and ironing board) were helpful. Please note that there was no provided body lotion and not enough coffee grounds for the French press. They also provided an on-site laundromat and continental breakfast for a fee. The highlight is that the people working in the reception were extremely helpful and welcoming. Overall, we would consider staying here again and would recommend it to our friends and family.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Jan 2025

Anne

Easy walk to restaurants & grocery

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jan 2025

b

Was nice , tv didnt work properly tho

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Dec 2024

Diana

A warm welcome by Jim upon check-in for our 3 night stay. He provided great recommendations for tracks to see the views of the glacier. He was also very attentive during our stay to ensure we were enjoying our stay and to help with any needs. Room was modest but clean and comfortable. Had a small collection of DVDs to check out which was perfect for one of our rainy days during our stay.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Dec 2024

Yucheng

Nice room,

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2024

Julie

Mountain views

Amazing mountain views! Great place to stay for short trip in Franz Joseph.

Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Oct 2024

Cristie

Great location. Friendly staff. Very wsrm room

8/10

Excellent

27 Sep 2024

Jan

Convenient hotel. Enjoyed walking around the town and dining in the restaurant next door. The staff was helpful and friendly.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2024

Ghee Kuan Dianna

Its the ideal location as you can walk into town with all the facilities and services close by.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2024

Damon

Laundry right outside our room

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2024

Jacqueline

Very convenient, comfortable and quiet motel

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jun 2024

Derek

Great place to stay , very clean with everything you need. Shame about the rest of Franz Josef, rip off restaurants over inflated prices, they carry on like this then this great motel will suffer

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2024

Raymond

The property was well located near the glacier. It provided all the required amenities and the staff were very kind and helpful with recommendations. It is not a fancy place, but is clean and well maintained. We would definitely stay here again if in the area.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jun 2024

Chad

Nice area and very friendly staff. Recommend the Monsoon restaurant. Food was awesome. Easy walking distance to everything in town and a short drive to the glacier.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

21 May 2024

Mareena

Great service . Although bed had a spring in my back all night and walls paper thin had people up stairs laughing carrying on until midnight.

6/10

Pleasant

20 May 2024

Judy

The property was good but nowhere to put bags

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2024

Jocelyn

Our room got the best view overlooking Franz Josef Glacier. Good communication of staff and very helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2024

Carol

The property was easy to find, very clean, and we have a very comfortable sleep.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Mar 2024

Randolph

NZ from SC tour

Clean and centrally located in Franz Josef. A little tight on space but manageable.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Feb 2024

Michael

Not worth $300. Basic room booked out so booked one better room ! I wonder what basic room be like. Got disable room so I suppose everything more user friendly including needed to park at disable spot because that was our spot. Night time special ventilator made noise. Some sort of humidifying fan. Reception said don’t worry, it will stop . Thank god it stopped making noise stopped . And we stuffed tea towel in there so air flow stooped. A friend booked and cancelled the room because they missed the flight and hotel got no vacancy that night so they must have sold out the room. I wonder whether we got better room as such but still very crappy.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2024

D

Small compact room

The room was quite small compared with other accommodation we have had in N Zealand. It is in an ideal location and you can walk to everywhere in Franz Josef

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Feb 2024

Phil

The room was clean, bed comfy, staff friendly and obliging, room was small, parking on-site

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2024

Neil

Close to where we had to go for helicopter flight to glaciers.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2024

Matt

I stayed here for two nights. My room was clean, with a comfortable bed and a good shower. Friendly & helpful manager. I would stay here again.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

28 Jan 2024

Margaret

Very small room but scrupulously clean. Delghtful staff. Really helpful.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2024

Romina

Jim and Cindy were great and made us feel welcomed.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2023

Robert

Well worth staying here

My husband and I were very impressed with the room, location of the hotel and the great staff. The kitchenette had everything and more than you’d expect from a motel, it made preparing or reheating food very easy. The room (#3) was spacious and had a lovely bathroom with a spa bath

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2023

Elizabeth

Very kind staff. Comfy bed.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2023

Michael

Get place to stay. Friendly staff.
Very clean and tidy. So convenient to all Franz Josef has to offer. Will be back.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2023

Paula

Friendly staff. Provided great direction and tips

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2023

Cyndy

Wonderful staff very accommodating and gave a lot of insight on the town and things to do!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2023

Dianne

The owner was very helpful polite and professional. They provided us with a great unit that was well kept, close to excellent dining options and the attractions of the area. The owner was knowledgeable about the area and offered assistance and advice for making booking arrangements. Highly recommended this place to stay

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2023

Timothy

Clean, comfortable, convenient
Good value accommodation

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2023

Lynette

This property is conveniently placed to amenities. The people running the motel were friendly and helpful.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Oct 2023

Chung King

Super friendly check in. Free on-site parking. Clean and comfortable motel. Good that there's heating even in the bathroom, even if it's a little noisy. Stayed in Bella Vista here and elsewhere before. Reliable chain.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2023

Bettina

Clean room and friendly staff

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2023

CHRIS

M

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

10 May 2023

Donna

Room was very mouldy and after making a complaint nothing was done. Apparently manager was aware of smell but had neglected to fix.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

26 Apr 2023

Frank

The TV selection is a joke absolutely terrible

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Apr 2023

Lucie

Great motel, lovely staff.

We had a great 3 night stay at the Bella Vista in Franz Josef. Our upstairs room had a fantastic view of the glacier.
The room was not huge but had a small kitchenette with plunger coffee and cookies. There is a good sized bathroom and a comfortable bed. The laundry room was a great bonus.
The staff are all very helpful and friendly. The motel is just 1 block from the main street with lots of restaurants, cafes and a small supermarket. It’s s ask do a short walk to the Waiho Hot Tubs. There are lots of nice walks to do and of course there is the glacier. Happy to recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Mar 2023

carol

Everything was great

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2023

Margaret

Great views to Franz Josef glacier

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2023

Malcolm

The motel in a quiet street yet very handy to walk to everything. Our room was clean and tidy but rather small.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2023

Kenneth

Host arranged a shuttle to the glacier within 30 minutes of our arrival. Excellent water pressure and spotless room. No air conditioning, but with the window and door ajar, it was not needed. Great instant coffee. Delicious water from the tap. Superb views. Nice 2nd floor table and chairs for wine and cheese cocktail. Lovely bathroom heater lamps for when you get out of the shower. Would definitely recommend without reservation.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Feb 2023

Feliceanna

The property was a good size, had all the ammenadies you need. No air con but provided a fan. Parking on property so easy access if driving. In walking distance of everything in town.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2023

Megan

The staff was so welcoming and provided great recommendations. We are grateful for our stay and will recommend to others!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2022

orsolya

As excepted, overall fine property to sleep at.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2022

Zarina

Great stay and warm welcome!

8/10

Excellent

19 Dec 2022

Royce

Very helpful tourist and eating, shopping information.
Room lacked usb outlet for charging electronic devices

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Dec 2022

Maria

Close to town, nice room

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Oct 2022

Elizabeth

Clean and comfortable and good location for everything.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Aug 2022

Chanisa

👍

8/10

Excellent

18 Jan 2022

Cliff

Clean tidy and great location

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

21 Nov 2021

Verified traveler

Great experience

The host was friendly and shared great advice on local eateries. Also offered to change my room to one with a larger desk when i mentioned i still had work to complete.

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