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“A gem of a place!”
Review of Arden Street House

Best prices for 05/02 - 06/02/2018
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1 room
2 rooms
1 guest
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Arden Street House
Ranked #31 of 62 Dunedin B&B and Inns
Reviewed 23 January 2016 via mobile

We stayed here partly because it was close to our friend's house in the next street, but also as it had good reviews - we were not disappointed. We were warmly welcomed by Dave and were soon settled in. Tea and coffee can be made in the guest lounge at any time, breakfast is self serve: a large bowl of fresh fruit was always available, muesli, cereals, home made yogurt, toast and jam etc. The whole house is decorated in a very eclectic way, with all sorts of curios in all sorts of places. 20 minutes walk away is the steepest residential street in the world, a must see.

Stayed: January 2016, travelled as a couple
Thank Cholladua
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
joyce l, Owner at Arden Street House, responded to this reviewResponded 23 February 2016

Thanks for staying with us. It was our pleasure to host you! Really pleased you enjoyed your stay and our colourful home!
Joyce and Dave

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22 - 28 of 70 reviews

Reviewed 16 January 2016

I was surprised to be shown to our room in the garage. No mention of this option on the main Arden St website or any pictures even. If I had known I would have asked for a different room. I would not want to stay there in the winter months as the garage floor where painted only was freezing. To use the shower (which is modern) you need to be short not tall. A six foot person would hit their head on the ceiling!!!
We stayed 2 nights & came back to find our bed had been made, clean towels put out, dishes done, which was a nice touch.
It would have been nice to have teaspoons & teabags/coffee/sugar as there was a jug/kettle, we had bought our own milk. The one breakfast we had was fine but on our leaving morning, which happened to be the 1st Jan we went up to find breakfast was to be from 9am not 8am as per the previous morning, so we did not get any. The owners were away and the backpackers were running the place. The two we met were courteous & nice.
Although the Wifi was free, it was very poor to use

Room Tip: There is a photo of the garage room on this site of it and it look great, so ask the owner directly...
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  • Stayed: December 2015, travelled as a couple
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank raro20
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
joyce l, Owner at Arden Street House, responded to this reviewResponded 23 February 2016

Really please you enjoyed the effort our workers we made to make you feel at home and the fresh towels made bed each day. Sorry you missed breakfast on your on new years day , your key actually opens the door to the main house and breakfast room too so you could have helped yourself to breakfast that day.

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Reviewed 21 November 2015 via mobile

We just arrived, but no owner was there. Instead a cat on our bed. Carpets a bit old, ready for renovation. Same for the res troom. Breakfast is developable, but nice hints for potential hiking trips. Location ok, enough space for your car.

Stayed: November 2015, travelled as a couple
Thank Sebastian S
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Reviewed 11 July 2015

We stayed only for one night at Ardens but it was a lovely stay. It was a cold, rainy day and we got a warm bed with an electric blanket! Superb. The interior of the house makes you feel like you're at home. We were setting off early next day so we opted for not having a breakfast what was at reduced price. Very friendly staff. Would definitely go back.

  • Stayed: January 2015, travelled with friends
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Service
1  Thank KarolaRS
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
joyce l, Owner at Arden Street House, responded to this reviewResponded 20 October 2015

So pleased you enjoyed your stay! We love meeting guests from all around the world!

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Reviewed 6 July 2015

My son & I stayed overnight in June. The owners weren't there when we arrived, but had left me a note with directions to my room. The note was addressed to a "Mr" even though the booking was in my name (a female).
Our room was a garage converted into a room with an ensuite. It was clean and warm. There wasn't a TV in the room, but it did say there was when I booked on booking.com.
We didn't stay for the provided breakfast as wanted to get back on the road. I went inside to say goodbye & thank them, but another guest told me they weren't there. When I got home I had an email from the owner requesting my credit card security number, which I found odd as I had already completed the transaction online.
Accommodation was good - but service could have been a whole lot more professional.

  • Stayed: June 2015, travelled with family
    • Location
    • Rooms
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Thank hidez_12
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
joyce l, Owner at Arden Street House, responded to this reviewResponded 23 February 2016

Hello Hidea_12
Sorry you felt you had a bad experience of being left instructions of how to get to your room when we were called away unexpectedly.
Actually it was our worker who told you that we the owners were not home and who asked for payment.
Yes I did email you for your payment as when my worker asked for the payment for your booking you told them that you had already paid (but in fact Booking.com only takes the details and the booking is paid for once the guest arrives at their accommodation).
So by this time you will have seen that there has been no payment taken off your credit card for your accommodation taken for your stay with us so actually you have actually stayed without paying.

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Reviewed 17 May 2015

My husband and I stayed with Joyce and Richard in January. We were tired from a long drive and Joyce suggested we eat there. She had several travelers staying there to help her with cooking and house chores. I was a little apprehensive at first, but the meal was delicious. We ate there the next night also. Several theology students were staying there and the dinner conversation was very interesting. Our room was clean and spacious. Joyce was very helpful with tour suggestions and directions.

  • Stayed: January 2015, travelled as a couple
    • Sleep Quality
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Thank zread725
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
joyce l, Owner at Arden Street House, responded to this reviewResponded 20 October 2015

Really enjoyed meeting you and the great conversations around the dinner table!

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Reviewed 2 April 2015

I stayed here with my family and found it to be exorbitantly priced at NZ$400 per week for a garage modified into a room that was damp. I feel completely cheated. So much so I was just waiting to get out of that place and be back home. The pricing was just for the stay. Though it was a B&B, no food was provided. The carpets were damp and dirty. The en-suite bathroom shower was not working and even the sliding door would not work. Even though it was not winter, it used to get very cold and damp as the floor of this modified garage is at the street level. This place is not suitable for a family to stay. My advice is to totally avoid this place, especially if you are with a family.

  • Stayed: February 2015, travelled with family
    • Value
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3  Thank sgururaj04
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
joyce l, Owner at Arden Street House, responded to this reviewResponded 23 February 2016

Really sorry that you had a bed experience. We did offer a change of rooms when ythis complained about the damp. When this guest left we found out that they had regularly used the shower room as a bath for their child and had put a low tub in the shower room and had plashed so much water around that the (new carpet in the bedroom beside the shower had to be completely replaced). This was what did cause a rather damp and mouldy smell.

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Additional Information about Arden Street House

Address: 36 Arden Street, Dunedin 9010, New Zealand
Phone Number:
Region: New Zealand > South Island > Otago Region > Dunedin
Amenities:
Free Parking Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Hotel Style:
Ranked #31 of 62 B&Bs / Inns in Dunedin
Price Range: £57 - £83 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
Hotel Class:3 star — Arden Street House 3*
Number of rooms: 7
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Arden Street House Home-stay Bed and Breakfast Top Choice 2016/2017 Dunedin Lonely Planet Guides. Arden Street House is a comfortable, warm and affordable 1930s character bed and breakfast / home-stay. Originally built for a sea captain, our home has lovely stained glass windows depicting sea themes. Guests describe our home and hosts as having a wonderful warmth far beyond temperature! Arden Street House has an interesting, arty and quirky decor. Bedrooms are themed with African or art deco character and are warm, large and sunny, with great views of our lovely garden and rolling hillsides. We are centrally located close to town with good free parking in a quiet location. A with a mix of single, double and queen sized combinations and feature TV, heater, electric blankets and hairdryers. Some have ensuite bathrooms. Your hosts Joyce and Dave, Tweety and Cutie (our cheeky cats) host social dinners - a great way to meet 'colourful locals' using produce from our organic garden. ... more   less 
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