Lake Ohau Lodge
Staying at the Lake Ohau Lodge is an essential part of any Ohau ski experience. It has the room quality, gourmet food, service and hospitality you’d expect of a hotel, yet it has the friendly skiwi social atmosphere and traditional feel of a ski lodge.
Where is the Lake Ohau Lodge?
The lodge is located on the shores of the gorgeous Lake Ohau. Many parts of the lodge overlook the lake and the mountains including the “real” Big Mama, Mt Cook.
The Lake Ohau Lodge is located at the bottom of the access road to the
Ohau ski field, which is 9.6km (15 mins) up the mountain. Lake Ohau Lodge is 35km from the little town of Twizel and 91km from the township of Lake Tekapo.
There are no shuttle buses or public transport options to get to the lodge.
Ohau Lodge Rooms
The Lake Ohau Lodge has various wings that house 72 rooms or suites. There are four standards of accommodation and room configurations include queen rooms, twin rooms, triples, or a double with a bunk. All rooms have ensuite bathrooms.
Upper South Temple Wing:
- Deluxe rooms
- Queen beds with ensuite and central heating
- These upstairs rooms offer the best views from the balcony across Lake Ohau and to Mt Cook
Temple Wing:
- Queen bed and single or bunk bed
- Ground floor rooms with views of Lake Ohau and Mt Cook
Maitland Wing
- Queens, twins and triple rooms with ensuite
- Simple yet very comfortable accommodation
Huxley Wing
- Double/twin rooms or quad rooms with bunks and ensuite
Considering the quality of accommodation, the delightful multi-course meals and attentive hospitality (and no chores!), the rates are very reasonable.
Lodge Facilities & Services
In addition to the dining area and bar (see below), another common area is a delightful lounge room with comfortable couches in which to curl up to read a book or watch tellie. The lodge also has a games room where you can fight it out in a table tennis tournament.
The pièce de résistance of the lodge is the hot tubs. This is where much fun and frivolity occurs and you can take in the views and a beer (or three) simultaneously. The only downside to the hot tubs is that they are just below the dining area in very public view, so you’d want to feel very comfortable with the way you look in togs!
The lodge has wireless internet access for a small charge. Free convenient parking is available and discounted lift passes are on offer for guests.
Dining/Bar
The bar opens at 4pm for a little après activity. It gets livelier when the kids are having dinner and the parents come in for some adults-only time, and the bar then fires up again after dinner. The bar has a jukebox, pool table, and plenty of atmosphere.
Meals are served in the dining area at large communal tables, so it’s a great opportunity to meet new friends. Dinner is a reasonably grand three course affair. Major compliments to the chef! Breakfast is pretty good too with plenty of continental and hot cooked items on offer. You certainly won’t starve at the Lake Ohau Lodge!
Why Stay at the Lake Ohau Lodge?
It’s not surprising that the lodge commonly gets booked out on the weekends during winter. Mike and Louise do a fabulous job of providing a high level of accommodation whilst retaining the traditional soul of a ski lodge. (When you stay there check out the “soap on a rope” concept in the common bathrooms that’s been there for 20 years plus – this will give you a sense of the tradition of the place!).
There are a myriad of other great reasons to stay at the lodge including wonderful hospitality, a very social atmosphere, family friendliness, discounts on lift tickets, yummy food, awesome views and good value for money.
