My husband booked Hotel & Spa Du Vin as part of a trip to celebrate my 30th birthday.

The hotel is located well off the beaten track in a tranquil valley and has an immediate air of serenity as you drive in.

Our check in was smooth and we were taken to our room on a golf cart - a nice touch. The rooms are set in 'pods' of about 4 or 6 rooms, placed around one edge of the vineyard, which I think just adds to the peaceful nature of the setting - you feel quite secluded.

You could tell that the room was built some time ago and the windows etc looked a bit tired, but the interior appeared to have been recently redecorated and the linen and furniture was quite modern and of high quality. My only concern with the room was that when we returned to it after dinner the door was open - it was a bit nervewracking, especially as the door to your room leads straight to the outside, but it seemed that there was a knack to closing it which I hadn't quite mastered and it had just blown open - had we not been in a remote area of New Zealand I would have been more concerned.

The only facility we used was the pool and spa - they were old, dirty and had a horrible smell. They are in a beautiful building but in desperate need of refurb/a very thorough clean. The gym is housed in the same building and although we didn't use it we had a look - it wasn't particularly good. We didn't try the spa treatments because they seemed quite expensive, especially once we'd seen the state of the facilities, and as we were going onto another spa hotel we knew we could get better value there.

If we hadn't eaten in the restaurant I wouldn't have given this place such a high review. The meal was excellent, I would even go as far to say one of the best I've had in my life. The food was exquisite, perfectly matched with well suited and equally delicious wines. The setting was spectacular, I think the stormy night just added to the ambience given by the view. The staff were friendly and helpful and answered my husband's favourite question 'what would you choose if you had to choose between xxx and xxx from the menu' with ease.

It was sad to see that the cleanliness and upkeep let down this otherwise magnificent hotel. If they were to put a bit of care and attention into improving these areas I would rate this as a 5 - excellent, and had it not been for the exceptional meal I would have struggled to give it a 3.

Stayed at the hotel for 3 nights, one of which was Valentine's night. It was magical dining under the stars in such a beautiful setting. Food and wines were excellent and the service friendly(some waiting staff can be so standoffish!!!)

We had a suite, large bedroom ,comfortable big bed. Large bathroom with a spa bath, magical for my poor back!!

Hotel is in a beautiful setting in open countryside- there are tennis courts, lots of walks, indoor swimming pool and spa.

One word of warning, the hotel is about 45 minutes south of Auckland. Can be a bit awkward if you want to head north of the city.

My wife and I were only able to stay for one night. The grounds are exceptional, very peaceful and idyllic. The room was spacious, albeit a little dated. Bed was comfortable. Restaurant was great for dinner, although I thought $30/person for continental breakfast was steep (we only paid about $80 between the two of us for a nice french-style dinner). We wish we would have had time to try out the spa. My wife loved Hotel du Vin. The staff was very courteous, even allowing me to quickly check my e-mail for no charge at the front desk. Worth the drive for us.

For the money, you can do a lot better. I agree with the other reviews that the setting is beautiful, but this is the case in most of New Zealand. Truly, this hotel is about 20 years overdue for a renovation. Our furniture in our room was straight out of the 70s and the layout is open space, but a little odd. I wish I had something pleasant to say about the place aside from the location in the vineyard and near farms, but this was extremely overpriced at $300 NZ. We didnt go to the spa, so perhaps that is the draw but this is a hotel I'd recommend skipping.