Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat, High Country Estate

Absolutely beautiful place to stay, can’t fault it. Luke was an amazing host, and we are so grateful for his compassion and helpfulness especially when mum unfortunately had a medical emergency in the middle of the night during our stay.You will be well looked after here!

Came for the stargazing - a gorgeous, very well stocked cellar with an adjoining observatory. Our star guide was friendly and knowledgeable and our hosts were amazing.

This place is beautiful. I had a wonderful stay with my partner.The grounds are very pretty. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. Each meal was devine and very fresh, Flavours, so tasty!!Loved waking up and peeling back the curtains for sunrise and hot tubing underneath the stars.Thanks for everything!! Really enjoyed having my birthday with you!

We could not have asked for a better stay at Mount Cook Lakeside retreat. My wife and I spent 2 nights to start off our Honeymoon in New Zealand in March 2023. Everything you could need was on site so there was no need to leave! We spent our time relaxing on our villa patio overlooking the mountains and exploring the grounds.From delicious meals delivered to our villa and playing tennis with an incredible view of Mt. Cook to star gazing and dining with our hosts and other guests, we couldn’t have asked for a better start to our honeymoon. Everyone was incredibly helpful and kind. We can’t recommend enough!This might be my favorite hotel/lodge/resort/etc I have ever stayed at. The service and attention to detail was absolutely top-notch. Kaye and Luke have built something special here.

We did the stargazing cellar tour here. A very enjoyable experience with a friendly and knowledgeable guide, with an amazing electrotelescope. Also had a great glass of local Pinot from Gibbston valley on arrival. Cost was $145 for a 1.5hr stargazing session.

Wonderful villa overlooking the valley in the dark sky preserve. Not at light to be seen once the sun went down. Dinner was delivered to the villa for our private dining pleasure. Unfortunately the sky clouded over so we could not partake in the star gazing with the onsite telescope. Sadly we only spent 1 night as we were traveling north to the ferry to Wellington. This would be a great place to spend a couple of nights to relax & unwind.

Our stay was just too short. Luke, Lauren and Rafa were all the best hosts. The location, the food, the bed, the fireplace… it was all so dreamy! If I didn’t live 20,000km away I would return here often❤️ highly recommend.

The mount cook Lakeside retreat is a beautiful place to hear yourself when in the Mackenzie country.The villas a beautifully quiet, the open fire and heated floors kept it warm in the middle of a winter snowy southerly, and the provided meals were excellent.But the real highlight was sitting in the outdoor hot pool under the Milky way.

The photos do not do it justice, this place is a hidden paradise. So secluded, peaceful, and absolutely stunning! We stayed at the Ashley Mackenzie villa, where we also had our elopement ceremony (if you are looking at the elopement package, do consider upgrading to the AMV!!). The villa is impeccable and the staff are so friendly and helpful (a special thank you to Thatianna)! The food was to die for (and the chef, Rafa, was so knowledgeable and friendly!), with all dietary requirements carefully taken care of. And of course, our wedding day was nothing but perfect - Anna was a superstar from our very first email exchange and all through to our special day, being so attentive - she made everything so easy for us! If you are looking for an elopement package around Mackenzie, look no further - this is it! We had the most relaxing time, arriving to a lovely bottle of champagne and massages booked, incredible meals delivered to us, the most incredible local celebrant and flowers... it was everything we expected and beyond. Thank you, team! :)

Superbly located luxury accommodation on the shores of Lake Pukaki. We were lucky enough to stay in the Ashley Mackenzie Villa which had a superb kitchen/lounge area with open fire, master bedroom and bathroom and a sauna/steam room, small gym/exercise room and a hot tub looking out onto the lake. Dinner was served in your own Villa and delivered by the chef fresh every night. Both dinners we had the food was excellent and it was lovely to eat whilst looking out onto the Lake and to Mount Cook in the distance. Would highly recommend