Aylstone Boutique Retreat

The location is lovely, on the outskirts of Martinborough amid the vineyards, surrounded by a lush, flowery garden dotted with mature trees. Guests pull up and leave their cars on the gravel, semi-circular drive bordered with decorative vines, statues and sculptures. Check-in was a tad curious as a note on the reception door urged guests to text or ring for attention, but someone showed up in a car a few minutes later and was very welcoming and bubbly and proceeded to show us to our room. Guest accommodation consists of a handful of white semi-detached clapboard houses with covered verandas and porches encircling a gravelled courtyard (shades of new England but with French touches, including a pétanque piste). We had booked Cologne and were glad we did as it is arguably the nicest and most private, abutting the owners' garden, overlooking its own strip of lawn and vineyard beyond. Others, such as Panama and Venice next door consist of two storeys which I imagine might be tight upstairs as well as noisy, while some single storeys (like Regent) overlook the communal courtyard. Inside, Cologne is spotless if a little old fashioned, but very comfortable with a thick carpet, a mix of Chinese dressers and French chairs, wifi and a flat screen TV. In addition to the more traditional coffee/tea/biscuits, unexpected extras included snacks, sweets and a loaf of bread along with butter and spreads. Being disabled-friendly the shower room (no bath) was spacious but somewhat sterile, although supplied with nice bath products. Outside there's a modest but private, covered veranda with a couple of chairs and a table. While the room came with air conditioning we didn’t use it as we slept with the windows open (no bugs). The hotel was fully booked and the walls are thin and we did hear the people next door, including their shower, but not excessively (they were discreet) and we slept well because the large double bed was exceedingly comfortable and the property is set on a side road (Huangarua), a fair distance from the much busier Ponatahi Road and there was virtually no traffic despite being the weekend. Finally, Aylstone’s other great advantage is that it is easy to walk into town as well as to the numerous vineyards located along Huangarua/Puruatanga (including the very popular Margrain and Poppies). An excellent place to stay. Tip: Cologne is arguably the most private, quietest room with the nicest view.