The Foveaux Hotel is a charming eight-room bed and breakfast hotel housed in an art deco building on Gore Street, in the middle of Bluff. Built in 1937 and renovated in 1984, it still carries the furnishings and decor of its era — guests describe it as 'like stepping back in time.' Hosts Pam and Mike, along with Oliver the cat, stayed here in February 2018, fell in love with the building and the town's charm, and proudly took ownership a year later, running it with a warm, home-away-from-home feel.
Inside, The Captain's Table licensed restaurant serves continental breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week — breakfast 8:00–9:30am daily, lunch noon–2pm Friday to Sunday, and dinner 6:00–8:00pm every night, with reservations taken by phone. There's a wine list, a separate bar area, complimentary tea and coffee, and a lounge with TV. Guests regularly praise the cooking and the hosts' willingness to go the extra mile — one couple was cooked dinner when they found everything else in town had closed early.
Rooms range from a cosy single to queen, queen-and-single and ensuite configurations, all with Wi-Fi, TV, shower and towels. Check-in is anytime after 2pm and check-out is 10am. Off-street parking behind the hotel, laundry service and airport pickups add to the ease.
The location is hard to beat: the Stewart Island ferry terminal is a two-minute walk, Stirling Point and the Foveaux Walkway are close by, and Bluff's famed oyster season runs March to August. Even non-guests are invited to pop in for a cup of tea, a wee dram and a chat.
On Gore Street, in the middle of Bluff, a 1937 art deco building has been putting travellers up for generations. The Foveaux Hotel is an eight-room bed and breakfast hotel with a licensed restaurant, a separate bar, and hosts Pam and Mike — plus Oliver the cat — who greet arrivals the way small-town New Zealand does best. Perched directly across from the Stewart Island ferry terminal, it is a natural base for ferry passengers, oyster-season pilgrims and road-trippers ticking off the bottom of the map.
The hotel was built in 1937 and renovated in 1984, and its art deco furnishings and decor remain very much the point. As some guests have said, it is like stepping back in time to that era. Pam and Mike understand the spell — they stayed here in February 2018, fell in love with the town's charm and the building's interior, and became proud owners a year later. Reviews read like thank-you letters: "lovely hosts very welcoming, top cook," "cosy and my bed was super comfy," owners who "went the extra mile to get to know us." Their stated aim is a stay with a genuine home-away-from-home feel.
Downstairs, The Captain's Table licensed restaurant serves continental breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Breakfast runs 8:00 to 9:30am daily; lunch is served noon to 2:00pm Friday through Sunday; and dinner is on the table 6:00 to 8:00pm every evening, with reservations taken on +64 (03) 212 7196. A wine list covers the drinks side, alongside the separate bar area where the hosts' standing invitation applies — even if you're not staying, pop in for a cup of tea, a wee dram and a chat. Complimentary tea and coffee flow all day, and the lounge has a TV for evening wind-downs. One couple's review captures the spirit: caught out when everything in Bluff had closed early, the owners simply cooked them dinner.
The eight rooms come in five layouts. Solo travellers have the Single Bed Room; couples can choose between two Queen Rooms or the Queen Bed Ensuite with private toilet and shower; parties of three take the Queen & Single Bed Room; and the Twin Ensuite pairs two singles with private facilities. Shared-facility rooms keep things simple, while every room — shared or ensuite — comes with Wi-Fi, TV, shower and towels. Check-in is anytime after 2pm and check-out is 10am. Practical touches add up: free Wi-Fi throughout, laundry service, off-street parking behind the hotel, and an airport shuttle — the hotel will collect guests from Invercargill Airport and the Invercargill bus terminal in its own car.
Bluff rewards the curious. Stirling Point, marking the southern end of State Highway 1 with its famous distance signpost, is 1.9km away — about a 25-minute walk — and the Foveaux Walkway threads two connected trails across the Bluff Hill peninsula through native birds and vegetation. Climb to the top of Bluff Hill for a panoramic view over Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island. In town, the Maritime Museum explores Bluff's whaling, oystering and shipwreck past from its days as Campbelltown — one of New Zealand's oldest European settlements. Then there are the oysters, reputedly the world's finest, in season from March to August and celebrated each May at the iconic Bluff Oyster and Food Festival. And when the ferry to Stewart Island is calling, the terminal is a two-minute stroll away.
Whether you're overnighting before an early sailing, basing yourself for the coastal walks, or simply passing through New Zealand's southernmost town, the Foveaux Hotel pairs heritage character with honest cooking and hosts who treat the place as a home first and a hotel second. Don't be surprised if you leave knowing Pam, Mike — and Oliver — by name.