A hotel on Gore Street in the port town of Bluff, The Eagle holds a 4.6 rating from 282 Google reviews and takes bookings through its own online site. A good pub hotel in a small southern town is usually more than a bed: the bar doubles as the local front room, the meals are plain and filling, and the people behind the counter tend to know the tides and the ferry times. Rooms are likely to be simple rather than glossy, so it pays to scan recent reviews for word on bar noise and how flexible check-in is for late arrivals. For travellers waiting on the Stewart Island ferry or in town for the start of oyster season, an early breakfast and honest local advice can matter more than a minibar. Set on Gore Street in the heart of Bluff, The Eagle offers just that kind of stay at the bottom of the South Island.