I was tasked with planning a small conference in New Zealand for twenty-one people. We chose the Forrester Lodge in Dunedin and are SO GLAD we did!
The folks at the Forrester were very helpful to me, working with me to help simplify our budgeting for the conference. After months of planning, we arrived in Dunedin from the USA and set foot in the Lodge for the first time only two days before the conference was to begin -- and the Lodge met or exceeded our expectations in every way. The bedrooms are comfortable and nicely furnished. Towels, sheets and pillows were fresh and clean. The lodge is well-kept in every respect. Our meetings took place in their ample main meeting room, and the other lounge and rooms provided for private meetings during the conference.
The Forrester Lodge is in a good location. Although the lodge is a few miles from the "octagon", it is located a nice walk from the wonderful beach at South Dunedin where surfers are working the waves. We enjoyed walking up the street for dinner at one of the many local restaurants. Shopping was also an easy walk down the street to any of the area shops or shopping centers. The "Octagon" is also easily reached by bus (one of the many bus stops is right near the Forrester).
Although ours was a "business" trip, I would gladly return to the Forrester Lodge for a personal vacation. I would also heartily recommend Dunedin as a destination for your business meetings. We spent our afternoons "out and about" at Larnach Castle, the Taieri Gorge Railway, Olveston Manor, and the Cadbury Chocolate factory, to name a few of the attractions. We also enjoyed the historical nature of the Scottish city -- where else will you find yourself in the center of town admiring a statue of Robert Burns while a young sidewalk musician serenades you with his bagpipe?