Rutherford Hotel Nelson

4.0 star property

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Reception
Breakfast and dinner served, seafood
Triple Studio | Living area | 42-inch flat-screen TV with cable channels, TV
Seasonal outdoor pool, open 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM, pool umbrellas
Exterior

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Bar
  • Gym
  • Breakfast available
  • Room service

Explore the area

Map
Trafalgar Square, Nelson, 7010
  • Christ Church Cathedral
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Nelson Market
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Trafalgar Park
    ‪13 min walk‬
  • Nelson (NSN)
    ‪9 min drive‬

Room options

Triple Studio

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 43 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 2 Single Beds

Quadruple Suite

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • 37 sq m
  • Sleeps 5
  • 1 King Bed and 3 Single Beds

Premium Double or Twin Room, Multiple Beds

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(34 reviews)
  • 27 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed

Premium Double Room, 1 King Bed

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(5 reviews)
  • 27 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Premium Double or Twin Room, Multiple Beds, Accessible

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 27 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed

Executive Apartment, Multiple Beds

  • 115 sq m
  • Sleeps 6
  • 1 King Bed, 1 Queen Bed and 2 Single Beds

Deluxe Suite, 1 King Bed

  • 57 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Similar properties

About this property

Rutherford Hotel Nelson

Eco-certified hotel with fitness centre and sauna
A restaurant, a fitness centre and a bar/lounge are available at this hotel. WiFi in public areas is free. Additionally, a sauna, a 24-hour business centre and a conference centre are on-site.
Rutherford Hotel Nelson offers 113 accommodations with minibars and coffee/tea makers. A pillow menu is available. 42-inch flat-screen televisions come with cable channels. Bathrooms include bathrobes, complimentary toiletries and hairdryers.

Guests can surf the web using complimentary wired and wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include telephones along with free local calls (restrictions may apply). Housekeeping is provided on a daily basis.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include a sauna, a fitness centre and a seasonal outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or nearby; fees may apply.

Our customers tell us that they can't get enough of the helpful staff at Rutherford Hotel Nelson. During your stay, you're just a quick walk from Flamedaisy Glass Design. Free WiFi in public areas, a restaurant and a gym are available.
  • Free WiFi and wired Internet
  • Enjoy seafood while dining at Oceano
  • Full breakfast served daily for a fee
  • Valet parking, self-parking and Motorhome/coach/lorry parking available for a fee
  • Take a swim in the seasonal outdoor pool
  • Services include dry cleaning/laundry, a concierge and tour or ticket assistance
  • On-site recreation includes a gym and a sauna
  • Steps from Christ Church Cathedral and 4 minutes on foot from Nelson Provincial Museum
Rutherford Hotel Nelson offers its guests a seasonal outdoor pool, a sauna, and a fitness centre. There's a restaurant on site, as well as a coffee shop/cafe. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. A computer station is on site, and both WiFi and wired Internet are free in public spaces.

Business amenities include a 24-hour business centre and 6 meeting rooms. Event space at this hotel measures 6297 square feet (585 square metres) and includes a conference centre. Multilingual staff, gift shops/newsstands, and tour/ticket assistance are also featured at the eco-certified Rutherford Hotel Nelson. For a fee, parking is available.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this 4-star Nelson hotel.

For a fee, guests can enjoy full breakfast on weekdays from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM and at the weekend from 5:00 AM to 10:30 AM.
Oceano – This restaurant specialises in seafood and serves breakfast and dinner.
Atom Cafe – This café serves breakfast and lunch. Open selected days.
Port O' Call – This bar serves dinner and light fare. Open daily.
24-hour room service is available.

Awards and affiliations

Eco-certified property
This property participates in Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Award – a programme that measures the property's impact on one or more of the following: environment, community, cultural heritage and the local economy.

Languages

Afrikaans, Dutch, English, Filipino, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi and wired internet
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet

Parking and transport

  • Electric car charging station on site
  • Height restrictions apply for on-site parking
  • Secured, uncovered parking on site (NZD 10 per night)
  • Secured, uncovered valet parking on site (NZD 10 per night; includes in/out privileges)
  • RV/bus/lorry parking (surcharge) on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Full breakfast available for a fee 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekdays and 5:00 AM to 10:30 AM on weekends; NZD 34.50 for adults and NZD 17.50 for children
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant

Restaurants on site

  • Atom Cafe
  • Oceano
  • Port O' Call

Things to do

  • Bicycle tours
  • Gym
  • Sauna
  • Seasonal outdoor pool

Family friendly

  • Fenced pool
  • Free cot
  • In-room babysitting
  • Laundry facilities
  • Seasonal outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk
  • Water dispenser

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • 24-hour business centre
  • 6 meeting rooms
  • Computer station
  • Conference centre (6,297 square foot of space)

Outdoors

  • In a nature reserve
  • Pool loungers
  • Pool umbrellas

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 3 accessible parking spaces
  • Handrails in stairways (90 centimetre high)
  • Lift (100 centimetre wide door)
  • Stair-free path to entrance
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible bathroom vanity (70 centimetre high)
  • Wheelchair-accessible business centre
  • Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible gym
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to lift
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk (100 centimetre high)
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • At least 80% lighting from LEDs
  • Ballroom
  • Designated smoking areas (fines apply)
  • Eco-friendly cleaning products used
  • Local artist showcase
  • Locally-owned and organised tours and activities
  • Vegan dining options
  • Vegetarian breakfast available
  • Vegetarian dining options

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Free cot
  • Pillow menu

Bathroom

  • Dressing gowns
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 42-inch flat-screen TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • 24-hour room service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Meal delivery service
  • Minibar
  • Restaurant dining guides

More

  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Energy-saving switches in guestrooms
  • Free local calls
  • Heating (climate-controlled)
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laptop workspace
  • Phone
  • Recycling

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; check-in end time: midnight
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
At check-in, guests must provide a record of full COVID-19 vaccination

Renovations and closures

The following facilities will be closed during October, May, June, July, August and September:
  • Swimming pool
The property will be renovating from 10 June 2024 to 31 December 2025 (completion date subject to change). The following areas are affected:
  • Dining venue
  • Exterior
  • Fitness facilities
  • Front desk
  • Guestrooms
  • Lobby
  • Meeting facilities
  • Parking area
Renovation work will only be conducted during working hours on weekdays. Every effort will be made to minimise noise and disturbance.

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Kids stay free! One child 13 years old or younger stays free when using existing bedding.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Free cots (infant beds)!

Payment types at the property

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Fee for full breakfast: from approximately NZD 34.50 for adults and from NZD 17.50 for children
  • Uncovered self-parking fee: NZD 10.00 per night
  • Valet parking fee: NZD 10 per night (in/out privileges)

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
This property reserves the right to pre-authorise the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Cashless transactions are available
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property.
If you cancel your booking, you'll be subject to the host's cancellation policy. In accordance with EU regulations about consumer rights, property booking services are not subject to the right of withdrawal.

We should mention

  • The seasonal pool will open on 01 October and close on 31 March.
  • Pool access available from 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM
  • One child aged 13 years old or younger stays free in the same room as the parent or guardian when using existing bedding.

National rating

Rating provided by Qualmark®, source of official star ratings for accommodation in New Zealand.

Property is also known as

Rutherford Hotel Heritage Hotel
Rutherford Hotel Nelson Heritage Hotel
Rutherford Nelson
Rutherford Nelson Heritage
Rutherford Hotel Nelson
Rutherford Hotel
Nelson Rutherford Hotel
Rutherford Hotel Nelson Hotel
Rutherford Hotel Nelson Nelson
Rutherford Hotel Nelson Hotel Nelson

Rutherford Hotel Nelson Reviews

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 291 out of 571 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 214 out of 571 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 55 out of 571 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 571 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 571 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Cyrus

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place to stay, good gym and sauna and a beautiful building. Great coffee in cafe downstairs would definitely stay here again
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

6/10 Okay

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

John

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Close to town. Worked well for us.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Annaliese, Auckland

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great room, bed and pillows very comfy, lovely foyer, great location, walkable to shops and eateries, friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Linda

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
A bit dated but overall was central and staff were very helpful and friendly
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Carey

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean and comfortable stay
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Frank

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Rutherford Nelson

Great location. Grand hotel in middle of Nelson. Have stayed there a few times over the years, usually to trest ourselves after hiking or cycling trips. Always a pleasure.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Stephen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Helen

Liked: Staff & service
Mattress on bed substandard, minimal support.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Debbie

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A very central Hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Corralie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location & nice & quiet
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Corralie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely quiet stay right in the middle of town
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Helen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Solid option in Nelson, helpful staff
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

2/10 Terrible

Matthew

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Janelle

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location and friendly and helpful staff. Some of the building is old and needing a revamp - which I think they are in the process of.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beautiful hotel

Rutherford Hotel was better than our expectations. Beautiful foyer, great staff and great staff. Our room was on the 8th floor with a lovely view. Would highly recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

SUSAN

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great Manager and staff

The Customer Service was great. The staff knew what they were doing and were very helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great hotel. Ok town.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Victoria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Spacious room in excellent location

Well appointed comfortable room close to the heart of Nelson. There's limited free on street parking for guests, but cheap alternative paid parking is also available nearby.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Rachel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
So easy to get to, right in town. Fantastic staff. Just a bit dated.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Good location and comfortable room

Great location and friendly staff. The room was very comfortable and had good facilities.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ingrid

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place to stay
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Timi Te

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Norikazu, CAMAS

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room was clean and nice. Room furniture and bathroom show sign of aging. AC worked really well. I can see this was such a nice hotel in 40-50 years ago. Supermarket was walking distance.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025