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Dunedin has a full range of accommodations, from modest hostels to luxury hotels, while Invercargill has more motels than anything else. Local motels generally provide clean rooms with kitchens and TVs. Stewart Island lodging options include camping, hostels, rental houses, hotels, motels, and boutique B&Bs. Throughout the region air-conditioning is a rarity, but given the temperate climate, this isn't a problem. Heating, on the other hand, is standard in most places.
It's a good idea to make reservations, especially in summer. In Dunedin, rooms can be scarce around special events, such as graduation ceremonies and high-profile rugby games.
One block from Dunedin’s main shopping and dining area, these clean and spacious apartments come with full kitchens in one-bedroom units and refrigerators and microwaves in the studios. The separate terrace apartment offers a perfect family home-from-home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. All units offer off-street parking.
Just opposite St. Joseph's Cathedral, this late-1800s former bishop's residence (once called Rockmount) is now a comfortable hostel with a few touches of Harry Potter (fans may want to look for Hedwig in Room 9 3/4) and plenty of nice spaces. Your best options are a double in the main building with en suite facilities; the Stables (with two self-contained studios); and the Coach House (two rooms with private bathrooms—only one en suite—and shared kitchen). The home's original dining room has been transformed into a charming, spacious five-bed dorm, and all other rooms are singles, doubles, and triples that share clean, modern bathrooms and two equally smart kitchens. There's a cozy dining area, reading room, TV/DVD lounge, and laundry, as well as Wi-Fi throughout (for a fee). The clientele is a diverse mix of guests from late-teens to octogenarians.
