波塔吉酒店(The Portage Resort)

Just had an amazing stay. Lovely to have the portage open again - location is stunning. But - the new staff made the stay so enjoyable. They really went to the extra level. And the food - well clearly they have an extremely good chef. We were hoping for 3* and were stunned and so happy with a 5* stay! Thank you.

Unfortunately not only did we find out there was only boat access less than 24hours of making the booking. The non refundable room couldn't supply a roll away bed for our child. Also the room was dirty. Dusty and mould on the curtains. There wasn't enough towels or toiletries. There wasn't even a bread knife to make a sandwich. The cafe is not a cafe. Coffee and stale muffins. Which we weren't offered a plate, napkin or spoon for coffees. Everything was just underwhelming. If you didn't know the place, which we didn't you had no idea where you could explore or even walk. All in all not what we anticipated for two days.

The staff were pleasant. If you are used to sleeping in a tent or hut, the rooms are fine but not ok for 4 star hotel. Room smelt damp, was likely due to the water and mould in the window sills/frames. Room was cold and the bathrooms, blinds etc were dirty. No cups, one odd champagne glass, two dirty miss matched teaspoons and the smallest fridge in the world. Room could be made much more welcoming with a good clean and some homely touches easily.

We were unsure what to expect after reading some mixed reviews, but come on people...this is paradise!! All the staff from maintenance/grounds to housekeeping,FOH, bar and waiting staff were just lovely. We appreciated having a little fridge and coffee machine in our room (Tui Terraces) and there was heaps of hot water at good pressure in the shower. A nice deep balcony meant you could be in the sun or the shade. The restaurant was fine (mussels in cream sauce were REALLY good). Prices were what you should expect for the location. Did some walks and took a double kayak to The Gap. No problems there either. Even had a float plane come in near us, and that's something you don't see every day. Loved our 2 nights at The Portage thanks!

This was the last night on the queen charlotte walk and I was keen to see what this hotel would be like compared to Furneaux and Punga. The hotel itself was pretty nice , quite big compared to the others but my room was nice. The shower was really hopeless in terms of water pressure but it was clean. Staff were friendly enough - all these hotels are full of backpackers working so friendly but not polished. My walking friends and I all complained about the cost and quality of our walkers lunches - at $29 they were all appalling and so we talked at length at checkin and agreed we did not want salami. The beach is pretty awful here and certainly not somewhere I wanted to swim but there was a pool. Mince on toast for breakfast was lovely and off we went. Sandwiches all had salami and were awful and went in the bin. I actually wrote to the hotel to complain as I was fed up with spending that money and throwing food out. They apologised but no refund. The walkers lunches are a real failure of the walk.

The scenery is exceptional! Reminds me to stop and appreciate the beauty of nature. Portage is nestled beautifully amongst the Queen Charlotte Sound with views that can be enjoyed with a wine or two on the balcony. Thoroughly enjoyed all our dining too. The breakfasts and dinners were absolutely delicious! Yes the rooms might be slightly outdated but one never tires of the view! Also the staff were amazing. A special mention to Ben who helped me greatly with getting our bikes and then helping me with the first hurdle. We really enjoyed our stay!

If you're hiking the Queen Charlotte track, the only other option after a very long Day 3 is a backpacker hostel. The Portage has its issues but it's the better option and is fine for one night. The setting is gorgeous, like pretty much everything on the QC. The restaurant and bar, both in the main building, overlook a beautiful bay and the views are stunning. There's a terrace off the bar which is a great place to have a cold beer or glass of wine. The restaurant's pretty good and even has some decent vegetarian options. The staff were all very friendly. A big plus was the guest laundry. We were able to wash our stinky trail clothes for $4 NZD. Our room, however, was pretty disappointing. We stayed in one of the "budget friendly" Weka rooms. It was pretty bare bones, like a Motel 6 with much nicer towels and a comfy bed but without AC or a TV. There was a really grotty, stained old arm chair in one corner and the bathroom was functional but weird. There were lots of dead bugs around. Overall, it's overpriced for what it is but for one night on the trail with cold beer, a shower and a comfy bed, it delivers.

Such a great location. Staff were all friendly and helpful. Storms in the region from a few years ago has caused some significant issues to the road network in the region and the fact The Portage is still providing a great service is a credit to them.

Last stop on the Queen Charlotte Track for us, and great to cool off in the pool. Lovely big rooms facing the sea. Exceptional mussel entree for dinner but fish and chips were more ordinary. Drinks are expensive. Liked the shuttle up to the track in the morning. Staff were backpacker friendly but not particularly skillful. The packed lunches were part of our package and very good.