From our Guest Book

We’ve had a wonderful treat staying at Laurella Cottage after a long lockdown.  We hope your business returns to normal as quickly as possible and will do our best to spread the word, as it is so deserving …
Cathrine and Nigel – NZ

Thank you for providing such a spectacular, beautiful home away from home, for our wedding weekend.  It was perfect.
Wendy & Guy – NZ

WOW! What you both have created here is so much more than just a nice cottage and garden, it is an absolute slice of heaven, and is an absolute romantics dream…..   it has been so wonderful to truly switch off from the business of every day life and completely ‘get lost’ in the true beauty of this special place.  Thank you for opening up your property for so many to enjoy and you should feel extremely proud of what you have created.  It is a massive legacy to you both.  I will highly recommend to all my family and friends and will look forward to returning in the spring time.
Sarah & Blake – NZ

What a lovely cottage Laurella is. We enjoyed our stay here and the vineyards in the neighbourhood. Thank you for the unforgettable experience.
Annie & Ger, Netherlands

Thank you Sue and Dave for your most generous hospitality. We have truly enjoyed our stay in Laurella Cottage with the beautiful interiors and stunning landscaped gardens. We have also felt well and truly spoilt with all your lovely treats.
Simon and Fiona, UK

If we had a house in New Zealand and it would have to be renovated from outside and inside, we certainly know whom to ask. Andrea fell in love with the house and garden from the first moment. We now want to move from town to a quieter area and took a lot of ideas we found here. If we come back to NZ, Laurella will be part of it.
Andrea & Bernd, Cologne, Germany

We were instantly taken with Laurella Cottage and its gardens. It is beautifully restored and decorated, very comfortable and has everything you need. The gardens are gorgeous – we especially loved being able to watch the doves, visit the chook house and wander through the orchards. So relaxing and inspiring for our own property. Sue and Dave have left no detail untendered , thank you an enchanting stay.
Deb and Gordon, New Zealand

Sue and Dave, thank you so much for everything... it was PERFECT! So quiet and relaxing. Beautiful inside and out. We would love to return one day.
Janet and David, Canada

Thank you so much for such a memorable stay at Laurella Cottage. This is the most beautiful and unique place we have ever stayed! The stunning surroundings, gorgeous interiors and delicious food have made our stay so special. Your commitment and hard work to make Laurella so unique will stay with us. Thank you very much for your hospitality and we hope to be able to come back and visit once again.
Sneh and Vishal, London

Laurella Cottage was the highlight of our honeymoon trip to New Zealand! Sue and Dave were amazing hosts and the cottage is filled with so many beautiful details – from its design and amenities to the delicious breakfast items in the fridge and even the shower (best water pressure). You can’t beat the location in Blenheim, with so many wineries and other activities nearby. We visited over Christmas and Sue and Dave were kind enough to welcome us to their family Christmas luncheon. Truly kind ad thoughtful people. We miss Laurella Cottage already.
Emily & Austin, New York

We are still smiling hours after leaving Laurella. What Sue and Dave have created for their guests is a miracle of vision, determination and execution with care for every detail. The gardens are magnificent and worth the stay, they are extensive, diverse and lovingly cared for. Equally enchanting is the painstakingly restored and immaculate cottage itself, reflecting the hosts talents in both the design and finish aspects. Special touches like a fully stocked fridge for breakfast, homemade preserves, freshly baked treats and ample Nespresso pods set the level of hospitality apart. On top of that, Sue and Dave were charming and available to tell the story of their project despite having family visiting from abroad. We had a perfect stay and can’t wait to come back.
Alain, Canada

Wow, Wow, Wow!!! This place is unbelievable. Lots of hard work has gone into making this place look amazing. Our stay here was like nothing else! Homemade jams, free range eggs all of it was top shelf and an amazing touch to the service. Thank you so much for having us. We did not want to leave this beautiful cottage. Staying here finished off our wedding weekend beautifully. Thanks again Sue & Dave for our unforgettable experience.
Laura-Jean and Daniel, New Zealand

A dream come true – my 60th birthday wish was to stay in Laurella Cottage. It has totally lived up to our expectations and more. We really appreciated the little extra touches. Walking around your glorious garden was an added bonus. What a treasure Upton Oaks Garden is. With grateful thanks for a memorable stay in such a beautifully restored and furnished cottage.
Carmel & Bill, Whakatane

Thank you so much for your kind hospitality. We enjoyed our stay at your beautifully decorated cottage. Your gardens complete the whole picture. We wish we had such a beautiful garden at home. We enjoyed our days in the valley tasting wine and excellent food. Fur sure this is one of our highlands in our travels through New Zealand.
Vincent and Nynke, Netherlands

Thank you so much for your very warm welcome to Laurella Cottage and your hospitality. What a glorious corner of paradise you have created here. Laurella Cottage is perfect – beautifully decorated with just the right balance of nostalgia and modern comforts. Your garden is magnificent and is obviously a labour of love. We have loved our couple of days in Laurella and much appreciate the extra touches of home baking, preserves and local fruits. We will definitely be recommending Laurella to any of our friends heading down this way.
Fiona & Peter, Waiheke, Auckland

Thank you very much Sue & Dave, a wonderful stay at an amazing cottage. In one word beautiful! PS You are a great cook Sue, loved the biscuits and preserves.
Nadia Lim & Carlos

Wow! Just Wow!
We are struggling to recall another stay that combines such a lovingly designed cottage, stunning gardens, brilliant location, surprise delights and incredibly warm hospitality. Laurella Cottage is a truly unique proposition. With expectations already high, you guys smashed them out of the ballpark with the detail and sheer beauty of the property. Wishing you and Laurella cottage many successful years ahead.
Angus & Indy, Sydney

Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality. Your pool, garden and cottage are exquisite and we are so lucky to have been able to stay here. We will be back.
Hope & Dick, Seattle, USA

Thank you for the perfect retreat after a busy week of travel. This cottage is so dreamy, and we enjoyed exploring your property. Hope to see you again
Caroline & Tommy, New York

Thank you so much for everything, from your warm welcome to those amazing homemade biscuits! We have loved every minute of our time here and the efforts you have made with the cottage has paid off, as it is perfect in every way. We will be sad to leave but are already planning to be back in the future. I will take inspiration from this place and my husband has a long list of redecorating jobs for when we get home. Thanks again, its been a pleasure meeting you both.
Jess and Rod, Windsor, England

Sue & Dave you don’t have a suggestion box at laurella Cottage to gather useful feedback from your guests – so if it is ok with you I will write ours in this book: DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING!
You have got this right, so right.  I hope that the pages that follow this one continue to be filled with comments that are the same and similar to those that have been written since October 2017.
The form, fabric, function and design are only overshadowed by the welcome and warmth of the hosts.  Thank you.
Adam and Natalie, London UK

Sue & Dave thank you very much for being our hosts for the past couple of days. We have really enjoyed our stay in the beautiful Laurella Cottage, it is such a calm and peaceful setting with immaculate gardens. Thank you for the little touches like the home baking and the chocolate – they were lovely.
Brenda & Martin, Dublin, Ireland

Thank you so much for this stay in your lovingly restored, beautiful cottage with such an amazing garden. In every detail there is love! You must be happy people living here on this place.
Gabriele, Johannes and Gabriel, Austria

What a wonderful location to spend a few days relaxing and tasting the local wines. We loved the cottage, especially after 6 days on the rivers fly fishing. It has been a home away from home with welcoming hospitality. The gardens are beautiful with colourful blooms and the hosts Sue & Dave are thoughtful and upbeat. We will recommend this as a must stay vacy.
Meg & Scott, Denver, Colorado

Dear Sue & Dave,
It’s rare when a place exceeds the already high expectations set by your lovely website….Laurella Cottage has done it!
First off the quality of the design and build of Laurella Cottage is absolutely top notch, and the décor is sunny and sophisticated. The experience is dramatically enhanced by your spectacular gardens, with their unique juxtaposition of wild and well tamed, finally the genuine warmth of your hospitality puts a stay at Laurella Cottage in the unforgettable category. We will return and tell our fellow travellers to do the same. – Judy and John, Boston USA