Review: The Distinction Luxmore Hotel, Lake Te Anau NZ

The Distinction Luxmore Hotel is right on the main street of the Te Anau township, close to bars, restaurants, a supermarket, a post office and a beautiful lake.

The hotel has three spacious deluxe one-bedroom accessible rooms. The hotel has mobility parking in the car park. It is tar-sealed and flat. Spacious lifts give access to all the floors, a ground-floor gym and laundry plus unlimited WiFi. Service dogs are also welcome.

At Highlights Restaurant you can enjoy a buffet breakfast or dinner – the carvery is a particular speciality. Or mingle with the locals at Bailiez Café and Bar for something more casual.

The hotel has an older part, built in the 1960s, where you will find older-style access rooms. In the newer part, the hotel has the three deluxe one-bedroom suites which are of a higher specification and more on the level you will find internationally.

Room 318 is the room we stayed in and reviewed. It consists of two bathrooms, one with a bath and the other with a full-wet floor shower. A super-king bed in the living area and one double and one single in the bedroom.

Reception and Lobby

The Distinction Luxmore Hotel, welcomes you with large automatic sliding glass doors that open as soon as you wheel or walk in. You will find lip-free access with plenty of space to manoeuvre. The area is well lit with good access all around. I particularly liked the little touches like the comfy reclining massage chairs that are just the ticket after a long drive. The reception staff are welcoming and offer a complete concierge service to the side of the main desk.

Ramp and Lifts

The internal ramp at the Distinction Luxmore Hotel provides an effortless gradient with grab rails either side to access the ground-floor amenities including the lifts. The lifts are a good size both in width and length offering braille on the keypad to indicate which floor level you require.

Other Facilities on Ground Floor Level

On the ground floor, you will find the gymnasium, laundry and accessible toilets.

If you arrive at Distinction Luxmore Hotel, by coach – you will find these in the drop off area. The hinged double glass door leads to further car parking and easy access marked mobility park. After check-in we found this area was a great place to leave our Freedom Mobility rental van and access a second ground floor lift to where our room was located.

The Deluxe One-bedroom Accessible Room

I was impressed with the space in these rooms, particularly the bathroom. We stayed in Room 318 which had a view out towards the mountains and a park. It’s not often you find an accessible room of this size which sports a stunning outlook as well.

On entry, you will find a small bathroom to the left. This has a bath with a grab rail and lever handle to turn the water on and control temperature. There is also a fixed shower head above the bath if you prefer to have a shower. What I liked about this bath is the fact it was low to the ground allowing those with reduced mobility easier access.

All the rooms including the bathrooms at the Distinction Luxmore Hotel had alarms in place for both vision and hearing impaired guests.

The super-king bed in the living area has a television set up right in front of it. Room 318 had a small kitchenette with coffee and tea making facilities along with a fridge, kettle, hairdryer and iron. All light switches are within accessible reach.

The bedroom has one double and one single (with its own television directly in front). The gaps under these beds are sufficient enough to place a mobile hoist under. They are 120mm in height and on caster wheels. The doors are hinged and measure 830mm wide. Furniture is all moveable so can be placed where preferred to provide ample space for wheelchair transfers.

The full wet-floor shower bathroom at the Distinction Luxmore Hotel is practical and spacious. It offered an amazing amount of space for both a carer and a guest in a wheelchair. The soap, shampoo and towels were all at an accessible level. The wet-floor shower itself offered not one but two shower curtains, a great option if using a caregiver. The sink and toilet were all wheelchair accessible along with the mirror. I also noted the added touch of putting another chair in the room to place dry items within easy reach.

Things to do in the area

• Te Anau Glow-worm caves
• Milford Sound Scenic Cruises
• Scenic Flights – floatplane and helicopter located on the lake
• Doubtful Sound – Scenic Cruises and Kayaking
• Fiordland Department of Conservation
• Other Accessible Accommodation options to choose from.