The pros: extraordinary views of the lake at all times of day, very walk-able to town from as little as 15 mins to 45 minutes if you want the scenic lakeside route, lots of maps and guidebooks to help plan our day trips, overall price value compared to other Queenstown options.

The downside: the beds are old and soft and the shower pressure is very low. But the biggest deterrent was the tone of the house rules. There is a very long list of do's and dont's - that frankly made us feel unwelcomed and nervous about any small thing being left out of place. We felt we were being punished for previous tenants mishaps.

Overall a very good value but don't expect warm and fuzzy.