I was very pleased with this hotel and would definitely stay there again if I was staying in Nelson. Location is really central - right by town but just away from the main roads so that it is very quiet. There a large open air carpark which is free. Service was perfect - understated and efficient and when we came... more

This was my favourite hotel, and favourite town on my 3 week tour of NZ. If you get a chance, go for a walk along the river bank. Very peaceful. The hotel was excellent. Reception staff very helpful when I tried to send photos by e-mail - me not being a computer wiz! The room was lovely - on a... more

We stayed here for 2 nights as part of a 3 week tour of New Zealand. We found Nelson to be a really relaxing town with nice parks and good shops. There is a beach area within a short taxi ride which is also good for lunch or dinner. The hotel is located at one end of town adjacent to... more

We were in Nelson as part of our self-drive honeymoon around NZ. We had nothing booked, and as we were driving round happened across the Rutherford, as it looked to be the only big 4 star hotel in central Nelson. We were offered a good price on a room for 2 nights (approx 70 UK£ per night) although we didn't... more

This is supposed to be a four star hotel but beware if you have booked with a travel agent. We booked with Qantas through Thomas Cook. This hotel has a floor of rooms which are very overdue to be refurbished and these are the ones they give to Travel Agent bookings. They have no air conditioning and our rooms faced... more

Nelson is certainly not blessed with many hotels of this standard so if you want about a 4* hotel you probably don't have much choice although I found the hotel to be entirely satisfactory in all respects. It is at one end of the city centre near to the main and imposing church. It is one of only two high... more

Comfortable room which had been newly and tastefully refurbished. Good location as it was near to everything but not in a noisy location. Breakfast and dinner were quite good. more

The Rutherford is a big modern boring hotel in a great charming town. It seems the tallest building around and therefore out of place. The new rooms are very nice and its location to the center of town is great. In the middle of summer season, the hotel felt empty, even with people around. We would have enjoyed our 3... more

The Rutherford is the only highrise building in the city, and it is worth it for the higher level floors which have a wonderful view across the cathedral and city. The room seemed to have been updated recently, which was emphasised by the sound of building work and banging during the day. We did wonder what we had done to... more