Te Koi the Lodge at Bronte

An amazing experience​ in a combination of tradition and thoroughly modern hospitality. T​e​ Koi is a beautiful ​and truly unique property​. The owners, ​Ali and Ian are very friendly, considerate and thoughtful hosts. Attentive and always available, they give you the feeling of being a special guest, almost a family member. Te Koi exudes refinement and attention to detail. The interior is decorated with great taste and breathes harmony. The garden is incredibly well-kept. ​Rooms are spacious with their own terrace and blend heritage features with contemporary flourishes and boutique beds. Icing on the cake, Ali is a talented chef. ​As French people we are particularly sensitive to the quality of meals. Ali served us the best ​food of our entire stay in New Zealand and Australia. The food and wine pairing concocted by Ian was simply exceptional. I​f perfection is not of this world, Te Koi is not far from it...

Te Koi is a truly spectacular place to stay, from the comfy cottage with its stunning low-tide water view to its redwoods and flowering gardens to Ali's extraordinary cooking--and Ali and Ian's wonderful hospitality. Everything about our stay was perfect, except that we never wanted to leave to do any of the things we'd planned to do! Thank you, Ian and Ali, for anticipating all our needs, for the care you take with your beautiful property and with your guests. I hope we'll have a chance to make it back some day.

Our group of 6 adult siblings spent 3 nights here in February and it was a highlight of our 2 1/2 weeks in New Zealand. The rooms are lovely and have gorgeous views of the estuary. The gardens are amazing. But it is the hospitality of Ali and Ian that make this place sing. Ali is an amazing chef. After active days out in the beautiful Tasman area we so enjoyed returning to Te Koi for evening cocktails and dinner. I’ve never eaten so well. Just exquisite! Thank you Ali, Ian and team for taking such good care of us!

Stayed here for 2 nights on our trip to New Zealand. One word sums it up - amazing. Ali and Ian are tremendous hosts; Ali’s cooking is sublime and Ian’s choice of wines to accompany the meal superb. Breakfast was also extensive with lovely fruit as well as cooked options. The location of the lodge, on the shores of the estuary provides amazing views of the surrounding countryside and the room was extremely comfortable offering a lounge, bedroom, bathroom and outdoor seating. The grounds are extensive and very well kept with an outdoor pool and a tennis court. This is luxury at its best and somewhere I would definitely recommend to stay if in the area. Thank you Ali and Ian for making our whole trip extra special.

Our wildest dreams come true. My husband and I were celebrating my belated 60th birthday with two weeks in New Zealand. Our stay at Te Koi was spectacular. Ali and Ian were the consummate hosts, welcoming us like old friends, and even upgrading us to a villa. The property overlooking the estuary has been lovingly tended by the Metcalfes, whose attention to detail means that each gorgeous garden plant, each luxurious towel and sheet, and each paint color has been chosen with care. Breakfast and dinner were elegant affairs complete with wide-ranging conversation about travel, food, cooking, and art. Ali is a fabulous cook and was attentive to our dietary restrictions while introducing us to some local treasures. We enjoyed a day at Abel Tasman NP that included a kayaking excursion, so Ali provided us with towels that were less fancy than those in our villa just in case! (We didn’t go overboard, so the towels came back with us!) We would highly recommend Te Koi and hope to return some day.

Two nights at Te Koi Lodge was just the prescription we needed to unwind from our trip down from Auckland. The lodge is right at the end of a spit of land reaching out into the estuary with fantastic views over the water to the mountains in the distance with birds flitting and prancing hither and thither. It really is impossible to put into words how magical the scenery is, which is matched by the sensational gardens and grounds. The superlatives only continue when it comes to describing Ali’s food and Ian’s wine pairings and their great warmth and genuine enthusiasm for hosting guests. We loved every moment and mouthful and were very sad to leave.