The best hotels in Dunedin range from restored Victorian and Art Deco buildings in the city centre to small properties looking straight out over the Pacific. The hotels in Dunedin below cover heritage suites, adults only boutique rooms, apartment style studios with laundry facilities and oceanfront accommodation, most with dining, parking and meeting space on site. Fable Dunedin on Princes Street and Ebb Dunedin on Filleul Street both sit within an easy walk of the Octagon.
1Fable Dunedin
Fable Dunedin occupies the former Wains Hotel building on Princes Street, a four storey property originally built in 1862 and reopened with 50 guest rooms and two named suites. The Press Club, the hotel’s ground floor bar and restaurant, cooks with locally sourced produce and keeps an extensive whisky list. It suits guests who want heritage architecture, full hotel service and a short walk into the Octagon.
Services
- Classic, Superior and Luxury rooms, Junior Suites and the Wains and Mason Suites
- The Press Club bar and restaurant, with a contemporary high tea Wednesday to Sunday
- 24 hour reception and 24 hour room service
- Meeting and event spaces for up to 250 delegates
- Valet car parking, concierge services and a hotel car
Highlights
- Set in the 1862 Wains Hotel building, one of Princes Street’s Victorian landmarks
- Four flexible meeting rooms, including the Chancellor Room for up to 110 guests
- Marihi Aotearoa bathroom amenities and a guest library on site
- Wheelchair access to reception, lifts, public bathrooms and the restaurant
Location & Contact
Name: Fable Dunedin
Address: 310 Princes Street, Dunedin 9016
Phone: 03 477 1145
Website: fablehotelsandresorts.com/hotels/fable-dunedin
2Ebb Dunedin
Ebb Dunedin is a boutique hotel on Filleul Street in the city centre, with six room types set around atrium lounges that display work by New Zealand artists. It is an adults only property, most rooms sleeping two, with a two bedroom suite for up to four guests. It suits couples and solo travellers who want a quiet central base and a cafe downstairs rather than a large hotel.
Services
- Six room types, from Classic Work and Classic Twin through to Superior and The Suite
- Two Universal rooms set up for accessible stays
- On site cafe and kitchen with its own direct line
- Atrium guest lounges on every level
- 18 on site car parks, some undercover, charged at a nightly rate
Highlights
- Adults only hotel, with no cots or roll away beds
- Complimentary guest access to the neighbouring Les Mills gym
- Partnership with Well and Being for yoga, pilates, sauna, massage and cold baths
- Samsung Art Series televisions with streaming apps in every room
- Reception open 7am to 11pm, with 24 hour check in arranged on request
Location & Contact
Name: Ebb Dunedin
Address: 82 Filleul Street, Dunedin 9016
Phone: 03 260 6800
Website: ebb-dunedin.co.nz
3Distinction Dunedin Hotel
Distinction Dunedin Hotel fills the 1937 former Chief Post Office on Liverpool Street, in the city’s Warehouse Precinct. Its 127 studios and suites are soundproofed and fitted with a microwave, washer and dryer, which works as well for a long stay or a family as for a business trip. Parcels Restaurant, Post Bar and the building’s original vaults handle dining without leaving the premises.
Services
- Studios, studio twins and one to four bedroom suites
- Parcels Restaurant, open daily for breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner
- Post Bar for pre dinner drinks
- The Vaults, private dining rooms converted from the old post office strongrooms
- Function and conference rooms, with a virtual tour on the hotel’s website
Highlights
- Housed in the 1937 former Chief Post Office building in the Warehouse Precinct
- Qualmark 4 Star Plus rating with a Silver Sustainable Tourism Business Award
- Guest gym on level three, open 24 hours a day
- New Zealand owned and operated, with an on site car park charged per day
Location & Contact
Name: Distinction Dunedin Hotel
Address: 6 Liverpool Street, Dunedin 9016
Phone: 03 471 8543
Website: distinctionhotelsdunedin.co.nz
4Hotel St Clair
Hotel St Clair stands on the Esplanade at St Clair Beach, roughly ten minutes drive from the Octagon and half an hour from Dunedin Airport. Completed in 2009, it is a small property of 26 suites, most of them facing the ocean, and includes a luxury apartment among its room types. It suits guests who would rather wake to surf and the salt water pool than to city traffic.
Services
- Executive Studio Rooms
- Executive Ocean View Rooms
- Premier Ocean View Rooms
- Luxury apartment with ocean view
Highlights
- Oceanfront position on the St Clair Esplanade, formerly the St Clair Beach Resort Hotel
- 26 suites, with heated floors in the bathrooms
- Free guest parking in the facility below the hotel
- Free wireless internet throughout and more than 50 Sky channels
- Reservations staff can arrange transport before or during a stay
Location & Contact
Name: Hotel St Clair
Address: 24 Esplanade, St Clair Beach, Dunedin
Phone: 03 456 0555
Website: hotelstclair.com
5Scenic Hotel Southern Cross
Scenic Hotel Southern Cross is a 178 room hotel in a High Street building dating back to 1883, a short walk from the Octagon, the railway station and the University of Otago. Room types run from standards and superiors up to tower, executive and presidential suites, with reception and room service around the clock. The Grand Casino sits within the same building, and the hotel also runs conferences and wedding receptions.
Services
- Standard and Superior Rooms, Tower, Executive and Presidential Suites
- Restaurant and bar with several dining options
- 24 hour room service and 24 hour reception
- Conference and meeting facilities, plus wedding receptions
- Business services, guest laundry and a fitness centre
Highlights
- Central Dunedin building dating back to 1883
- Qualmark 4 star rating and an Enviro-Gold award
- Tesla electric car charging stations on site, with a surcharge
- The Grand Casino is located within the hotel building
Location & Contact
Name: Scenic Hotel Southern Cross
Address: 118 High Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016
Phone: 03 477 0752
Website: scenichotelgroup.co.nz/dunedin/scenic-hotel-southern-cross
Hotels in Dunedin at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Fable Dunedin | Dunedin | Set in the 1862 Wains Hotel building |
| Ebb Dunedin | Dunedin | Adults only hotel, with no cots or roll away beds |
| Distinction Dunedin Hotel | Dunedin | Housed in the 1937 former Chief Post Office building in the Warehouse... |
| Hotel St Clair | St Clair Beach | Oceanfront position on the St Clair Esplanade |
| Scenic Hotel Southern Cross | Central Dunedin | Central Dunedin building dating back to 1883 |
How to Choose the Right Hotel in Dunedin
- Decide between the centre and the coast first: Princes Street, High Street and the Warehouse Precinct put restaurants, theatres and the Octagon within walking distance, while St Clair trades that for the beach and a short drive.
- Check what parking costs and how it works, because central hotels here commonly charge a nightly rate per space, some cap the vehicle height at the entry, and one or two include parking below the building.
- Match the room to the length of the stay: a studio with a microwave, washer and dryer earns its keep over a week, while a classic room is fine for a night.
- Read the guest policy before booking, since properties differ on children, cots, roll away beds and pets, and an adults only hotel will not bend on it.
- Use the Qualmark rating as an independent measure of quality rather than relying on a hotel’s own description of itself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dunedin Hotels
Which part of Dunedin should I stay in?
Most visitors base themselves in the central city, within a few blocks of the Octagon. Princes Street and High Street sit at the southern end of that area, close to the railway station and the University of Otago, while Liverpool Street and Filleul Street are a few minutes’ walk north through the Warehouse Precinct and the George Street shops. If the coast matters more than the restaurants, St Clair Beach is about ten minutes drive from the centre and puts you on the Esplanade.
How much do hotels in Dunedin cost per night?
Rates move with the season, the room type and what is on in the city, so the price for a midweek studio in winter and the same room during a graduation or festival weekend can look nothing alike. Booking direct with the hotel is usually where package rates, breakfast inclusions and parking deals appear, and most properties publish live pricing once you enter your dates.
Do Dunedin hotels have parking?
Most do, though it is rarely free. Central hotels typically offer a limited number of on site or valet spaces at a nightly charge and recommend pre booking, and a few have a height limit at the entry that rules out vans and campervans. Hotels away from the centre are more likely to include parking with the room, and public parking buildings on Moray Place cover the central hotels that run out of space.
What does a Qualmark star rating mean?
Qualmark is New Zealand tourism’s official quality assurance programme. It assesses accommodation providers on the quality of the property and on their environmental and social practices, awarding a star grading alongside a Bronze, Silver or Gold sustainable tourism award. You can check how the system works and look up a specific property on the Qualmark website.
Are there adults only hotels in Dunedin?
Yes. At least one central boutique hotel operates as a grownups only property, which means no cots, no roll away beds and a strict two guest maximum in most rooms. If you are travelling with children, look instead for a hotel offering two bedroom studios or family suites, several of which are available in the city centre.
Can a Dunedin hotel host a conference or a wedding?
Several can. Function capacity in the central city runs from small private dining rooms for a dozen guests up to spaces for a couple of hundred delegates, with audio visual equipment, catering and delegate packages usually arranged through the hotel’s own events team. If you need accommodation for guests as well as the venue, say so at the enquiry stage so rooms can be held.
How far is Dunedin Airport from the city hotels?
Dunedin Airport is at Momona, roughly a 30 minute drive south of the central city, and the drive to St Clair is similar. There is no train or city bus route direct from the terminal, so most guests use a shuttle, a taxi or a rideshare, and several hotels will arrange a pick up if you contact reception before you fly.
What is the difference between a hotel and a motel in Dunedin?
A hotel here generally means staffed reception, room service or an on site restaurant, and shared facilities such as a gym, bar or conference rooms. A motel is usually a self contained unit with its own kitchenette and a car park at the door, and less service around it. Several Dunedin hotels blur the line by fitting studios with a microwave, washer and dryer while keeping the restaurant and 24 hour reception.
How We Chose the Best Hotels in Dunedin
Every business in this guide was found by searching for hotels in Dunedin, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Dunedin, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.