What our guests are saying:
Pam & Denys Richardson - 23/03/2004
Alison & Geoff are the friendliest people you could wish to meet. Just had our
second visit with them
and were welcomed
with open arms. A great place to start
a tour of the South Island.
Janet & Don Bishop - 06/03/2001
Get away from it all at this peaceful, friendly homestay in Picton, with Alison
& Geoff. No request to
much trouble.
You will want to return again & again.
14 Sep 2005
We first stayed at the Retreat Inn during our NZ tour in 1994/5. We have had the good fortune to visit
on further
occasions over the
ensuing years, so Alison & Geoff have become true friends. Lovely folk,
& a great place to stay.
We will be there again in March 2006..come & join us; stay a few nights & take home some really happy memories .
Malcolm & Mary Teasdel , Chelmsford , Essex , UK
Jan 2007 Les & Tom Moore, Cornwall, UK
This was the first time we have spent at the Retreat Inn and certainly wont be the last.
We were made so welcome by two lovely people, Breakfast was great, see you on our next trip.
28 Apr 2007
We took a long time choosing where to stay in New Zealand and how right we were to settle on
Geoff and Alison' B&B at the Retreat Inn. Right from the start we were met with genuine warmth
and friendliness into their home - nothing seemed to be too much trouble and being made to feel
part of the family seemed so natural and was certainly fun. We also found Picton to be an
excellent base for exploring/walking on the Queen Charlotte track and seeing the Marlborough
area in general - it should not be missed on a tour of the South Island. Our stay of 6 days was
too short - so we are already planning for more next time and can't wait to get back!
Signed Roger and Catherine Crabb April 2007
28 Jun 2007
Miriam Lindner - 29/01/2006
Alison and Geoff are the nicest people! We had so much fun staying with them!
The house is set quietly in a beautiful garden and the rooms are spacious and comfy.
The breakfast is great, with a lot of fresh fruit. Meeting Alison, Geoff, the cats
and the hen is a wonderful experience. Don´t miss it!
28 Jun 2007
H Karbet - 19/04/2006
Great hospitality, nice people, very helpful, nice breakfast, nice beds.
Great homestay. We enjoyed our stay.
February 2008
Retreat Inn is a pleasant walk from downtown Picton – a lovely and interesting part of the Marlborough
area of New Zealand. Our clean, comfortable room overlooked the beautiful ravine and made for a quiet
and peaceful visit. The warmth and graciousness of the hospitality of Alison and Geoff made us feel
instantly at home. Refreshments were offered as soon as we arrived and we spent the evening in their
living room with some other guests. It really felt more like a get-together with friends.
Breakfast was beautifully presented, delicious and satisfying. Alison went “above and beyond” on two
occasions. We received a parking ticket in Picton that could not be paid by mail. We gave her the
money and she paid it for us in Blenheim. A copy of Reader’s Digest from 2002 had an article in it
about a friend of ours in Canada. When we told our friend about it, on our return, she showed interest
in having it – Alison forwarded it to us very promptly.
We highly recommend Retreat Inn.
Ruth and Harold Margles, Toronto, Canada.
02 Sep 2008
If you are planning to include Picton in your travelling in New Zealand
you could not do better than stay with Alison and Geoff at the “Retreat Inn”.
Their lovely house with its delightful garden provides the ideal place from which to explore Picton and the north end of the South Island.
From our arrival off the ferry from Wellington for a two-day visit,
to our final leave taking after a brief stop in Picton on our return journey,
we could not have been made more welcome or have been better looked after.
As hosts, Alison and Geoff really go the extra mile.
They obviously enjoy the company of their visitors and are ready to make time to get to know them.
We left Picton feeling that we had made friends whom we would hope to meet again, either in New Zealand or in Scotland.
Mary and Evelyn
Edinburgh 2008
This is the nicest B&B in New Zealand!
We had a great time there' Alison and Geoff are so nice!
They helped us very much in planning our stay at Picton,
We really felt at home at their home!!
Irit & Izo Lev
Israel 2010
15 Apr 2010
We said we would come back again,and here we are to see our great hosts Alison & Geoff.
You looked after us again magnificently, and again the breakfast was great. It was also
nice to have shared a bottle of wine together, cannot wait to come again and see our friends, lovely people.
Tom & Lesley Moore, England
06 Jan 2011
Alison & Geoff,
We did so appreciate our stay with everything beautifully done, in such a lovely home and with hosts that are so thoroughly friendly
and interested in their clients. You seem like friends when we've only just met and we were with you less than 24 hours!! Martin
Alison - I wanted to thank you for kick-starting my birthday on
such a lovely note! And the toasted bread worked out just fine.
Trish
Trish & Martin Rossiter
January 2011
Germany, 6. Feb. 2011
Dear Geoff and Alison,
we are back to work in Germany. We had a wonderful time in New Zealand and
enjoyed our time in your homestay very much. You are so friendly.
Thanks a lot for all the good information “what to do”. THANK YOU Geoff for your
knife. We took it home in the suitcase and it will have a own
place in our home and heart. We remember the nice time in Picton and we would
like to stay in contact with you.
Clemens and Claudia
29 Apr 2011
We've enjoyed the hospitality of Alison and Geoff in 2005, 2008 and now 2011.
We can't say enough good things about this B&B and our hosts - wonderfully caring and cheery folks.
It is a peaceful lodging so that you feel as if you are in the country, yet only a short walk to Picton for dining and activities.
Geoff is at the ready to transport any traveler "downtown" if you're without a car or need to leave the car with them.
Makes a great spot for Queen Charlotte Track trampers. Scrupulously clean rooms and very comfortable mattresses,
even an under-sheet blanket if the weather is chilly. Tasty breakfasts, often with fellow guests at the table for sharing travel experiences.
Lucy, the resident hen, obliges with a daily egg.
The area has so many attractions that even our 4 nights in 2011 left us wanting to return again to Picton and to Retreat Inn.
Edith & Ron Reese
21 Oct 2011 January 2011 We hat such a lovely time at your place! Allison and Geoff are such good host, we felt as if we were leaving friends when we had to head north at the end of our stay in Picton. Great breakfast! Doris and Sarah (Germany)
February 2012 Thanks for a delightful stay in your beautiful house. So peaceful and the view from our bedroom was great - loved all the tree ferns and agapanthus. Philip was envious of the boat, radio controlled model planes and helicopters. Only wished we could have stayed longer. Best wishes Jean & Philip, Lymington, Hampshire UK