Set on large grounds with majestic trees and perfectly trimmed green lawns, the Heritage Hanmer Springs was a lovely place to call home for my two days in Hanmer.
The Heritage is perfectly situated in town, so I could walk to virtually everything I had planned for the entire two days. I could stroll to the hot springs and then hurry back dripping wet afterwards so I could take a non-communal shower to rinse off the sulfur. Hanmer Adventure, where I rented a mountain bike, was just across the road. Chantellini’s Restaurant was around the corner and Malabar was two doors down.
All of the people I talked to at reception were friendly and very willing to help, no matter how weird my request was (for instance, “Can I borrow a screwdriver so I can reassemble my knee brace?”). They were especially helpful with computer and internet access, which I seemed to bug them about a lot, and they let me use their public computer to transfer a CD of rafting photos to a USB stick (since my MacBook Air doesn’t have a CD drive).
The room itself was spacious and had everything I needed (and a few things I didn’t, like the temptations from the mini bar). I’m pretty sure the bed was king size; in any case, it felt massive. It was very comfortable to sleep in; I pretty much fell into bed and was asleep, although that could have been more to do with me being tired than with the bed itself!
I was a bit concerned that the shower would be uncomfortable, seeing that the shower head really didn’t extend very far above my head, but it was fine. It was lovely and hot, which was great after a soaked walk through the chilly night.
On Saturday, two weddings took place in the gardens of the Heritage, which meant two things: a lack of parking and a reception in the restaurant. While there are only ten or so parking spots in the front of the Heritage, there is actually an overflow parking lot around the side that didn’t completely fill up while I was there, so I was never left searching for an alternative parking spot. As for the reception, there was music in the restaurant that I could hear the beat of in my room, but it wasn’t all that distracting (and it finished before I went to bed anyway).
That restaurant was also where the breakfast buffet was served each morning. The staff were very accommodating on the first morning and provided me with a takeaway bag and this morning I was given a table at the window looking out across the lawn. The food was standard buffet food and the tea was oh so refreshing after a late night last night.
Finally, as seems to be the norm with the hotels I’m staying in, there was a great view from my window out some of the many mountains that surround Hanmer Springs. Just like in Kaikoura, I enjoyed watching the mountains slowly being lit up by the morning sun.
Overall, I had a thoroughly enjoyable stay at the Heritage Hanmer Springs. Nice views, convenient to everything, friendly staff, and a comfy bed — what more could you want?
The Heritage Hanmer Springs is located at 1 Conical Hill Road, Hanmer Springs. Rooms can be booked on Wotif.com.
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