South Island Accommodation Guide: Hotels | Motels | Camping Grounds + More

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South Island accommodation options are as varied as the island’s landscapes. Travel around the South Island for a week or two and you’ll likely stay in a combination of hotels, motels, holiday parks, back country huts, hostels and more. Keep reading if you’re keen to find out what accommodation in New Zealand’s South Island is like.

Hotels

You’ll find hotels in the cities and popular tourist towns of the South Island. They are usually located close to the action and may charge extra for parking (motels won’t do this but tend to be a bit further from the centre of town).

Outside of Christchurch and Queenstown there aren’t many international chains. Scenic Hotels is the most common hotel brand in the South Island. A decent number of hotels have good views so it might be worth splashing out a bit in some locations. 

Motels

Staying in motels is a great option in New Zealand, especially if you’re travelling by car. You’ll always have a free park and motel rooms tend to have basic cooking facilities. They also usually have somewhere to sit outside your room — some hotels don’t even have windows you can open let alone somewhere to sit outside.

Hostels

Hostels appeal to younger travellers and are ideal if you’re keen to keep the costs down, meet people and do your own cooking. You’ll find hostels (also called backpackers) all over the island and some have private rooms as well — a good option if you want the hostel experience but aren’t keen to share a room. 

Holiday Parks

Since having a kid we’ve stayed in holiday parks often. They have amenities other accommodation options don’t, including playgrounds, barbeques, games rooms and plenty of room to wander. Kids love exploring and making friends — it’s like a destination and accommodation all in one!

Holiday Parks are usually situated near beaches or other nature spots and have all kinds of accommodation options including tent spaces, cabins and motel units. Cabins can be great value if you don’t mind sharing a bathroom. Top 10 is the biggest holiday park brand — they tend to be a little more expensive than most but have great amenities.

Camping Grounds

These are more basic than holiday parks — usually just tent spaces (maybe some cabins) and a bathroom / kitchen block. DOC (Department of Conservation) runs lots of camping grounds throughout New Zealand. They are cheap but are pretty much just camping spaces and some bathrooms and kitchens. They are often located in spectacular places though.

Freedom camping in Arthur's Pass National Park, New Zealand

Freedom camping is also an option in New Zealand. You usually need a self-contained vehicle these days but there are still some where you can sleep in your car or tent.

Huts

The South Island is home to heaps of huts, from basic backcountry huts to slightly flasher lodge-style accommodation on the Great Walks and other popular hikes. You’ll be sharing the sleeping quarters with others which can be annoying at night, but chances are you’ll wake up to an incredible view.

READ MORE: Check out our post about the Milford Track (where the photo below was taken)

Airbnb / Holiday Rentals

I don’t use Airbnb but we have stayed in some holiday rentals over the years (almost always booked through Booking.com). Holiday houses (called baches or cribs in New Zealand) can be great value if you stay outside of tourist season or you have lots of people to house.

It can be nice to have a whole house (even if it’s just the two of you) and they usually have far better outdoor areas than you’ll get at a hotel or motel.

Resorts / Lodges

There are some beautiful resorts and lodges in the Marlborough Sounds. We stayed at Lochmara Lodge a few years ago and it was one of our best South Island accommodation experiences. There are also some flash lodges around Queenstown.

Other Accommodation Types in the South Island

Other South Island accommodation options include boats (some overnight boat tours in Fiordland), glamping and farmstays — or maybe meet some local friends and sleep on their couches.

Are you planning a trip to New Zealand? Let us know in the comments below!

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Jon Algie

I'm a South Island local -- born in Timaru and raised in Dunedin. I left the island in 2006 and returned 10 years later. Having seen a good chunk of the world I realised how special this place is -- the most beautiful island in the world! Seven years (and almost 400 posts) later I'm still helping locals and tourists alike plan their trips around the South Island.