Location
The Distinction Luxmore Hotel is perfectly located right on the main street of the Te Anau township. The hotel is close to bars, restaurants, a supermarket, post office and a beautiful lake.
It boasts three spacious deluxe one-bedroom accessible rooms. A restaurant called Highlights Restaurant where you can enjoy a great choice of buffet breakfast and dinner options, the Carvery is a particular speciality. There is also the Bailiez Café and Bar for something more casual with a mingling of locals.
Mobility parking is available in the car park which is tar-sealed and on the flat. The hotel has spacious lifts that give access to all the floors, a ground-floor gym and laundry plus unlimited WiFi. Service dogs are also welcome.
The hotel has an older part which was built back in the 1960’s where you will find older-style access rooms. In the newer part, are the three deluxe one-bedroom suites which are of a higher specification and more on the level you will find internationally. Room 318 is the room we stayed in and reviewed. It consists of two bathrooms, one with a bath and the other with a full-wet floor shower. A super-king bed in the living area and one double and one single in the bedroom.
Reception and Lobby
The Hotel welcomes you with large automatic sliding glass doors that open as soon as you wheel or walk in.

You will find lip-free access with plenty of space to manoeuvre around in. The area is well lit with good access all around. I particularly liked the little touches like the comfy reclining massage chairs that are just the ticket after a long drive. The reception staff are welcoming and offer a complete concierge service to the side of the main desk.
Ramps and Lifts
The internal ramp provides an effortless gradient with grab rails either side to access the ground-floor amenities including the lifts. The lifts are a good size both in width and length offering braille on the keypad to indicate which floor level you require.
Other Facilities on Ground Floor Level
On the ground floor you will find the gymnasium, laundry and accessible toilets.
Gymnasium Laundry
They can be found in the drop-off area for guests who arrive by tour coach. In this area, you will also find a hinged double glass door that will take you to further car parking and an easy access marked mobility park. After checking in we found that this area was a great place to leave our Freedom Mobility rental van and access a second ground floor lift to where our room was located.
Accessible Room Carpark Drop off point from the Coaches into the Hotel
The Delux One-bedroom Accessible Room
Now, I have to say I was impressed with the space in these rooms, particularly the bathroom. We stayed in Room 318 which had a view out towards the mountains and a park. It’s not often you find an accessible room of this size which sports a stunning outlook as well.

On entry, you will find a small bathroom to the left.
This has a bath with a grab rail and lever handle to turn the water on and control temperature. There is also a fixed shower head above the bath if you prefer to have a shower. What I liked about this bath is the fact it was low to the ground allowing those with reduced mobility easier access.
All the rooms including the bathrooms have alarms in place for both vision and hearing impaired guests.
The super-king bed is located in the living area with the television set up right in front of it. There is a small kitchenette offering coffee and tea making facilities along with a fridge, kettle, hairdryer and iron. All light switches are located within accessible reach.
The bedroom comprises of one double and one single with its own television directly in front. The gaps under these beds are sufficient enough to place a mobile hoist under. They are 120 mm in height and on caster wheels.
The doors are hinged and measure 830 mm wide. Furniture is all moveable so can be placed where preferred to provide ample space for wheelchair transfers.
The full wet-floor shower bathroom we felt was so practical and spacious. It offered an amazing amount of space for both a carer and a guest in a wheelchair. The soap, shampoo and towels were all at an accessible level. The wet-floor shower itself offered not one but two shower curtains, a great option if using a caregiver. The sink and toilet were all wheelchair accessible along with the mirror. I also noted the added touch of putting another chair in the room to place dry items within easy reach.