I was really impressed with all the positive reviews that Willowbrook had on tripadvisor and understandably I felt that it would provide us with a lovely quiet overnight stay for our wedding anniversary. The photos do not show much of the interior of the house so when we were shown to our room by Tony, I was a little disappointed in the decor. I know that Willowbrook describes itself as having 'a rich sense of character' and the house may well be the original farmhouse but the decor is really tired and pedestrian, daggy rather than charming, so if you are looking for chic, this is not it. This B&B would appeal to a specific demographic and perhaps the cottages would be excellent for families, but this is not the place for a romantic stay.
Tony helpfully showed us around the main house to the communal amenities. This B&B had tea and coffee facilities in the main dining area. Personally i prefer to have those in my room so that i can help myself to tea of coffee at anytime during the night.
The nearby Arrowtown is fantastic for food and shopping but by 5.30 pm we'd had our fill and looked forward to a quiet evening and to drinking the Cloudy Bay Champagne that we had been toting around. Not long afterwards we heard voices coming from the back yard and noticed several people gathered around the BBQ. Perhaps they were other guests we thought.
While we sat watching TV in the communal lounge the noise gradually increased. A whole family seemed to be in the house behind the kitchen and it included crying, yelling children and very loud adults, all socializing. We tried getting away from the noise by escaping to our bedroom but as the walls were quite thin, the noise penetrated. It was clear that the party noise was not going to abate so we called Tony out and discussed the issue with him. He was very apologetic and promised that his guests would soon be leaving. However, rather than put up with it we decided to go into town to get away from the noise. Tony had explained that usually guests are out dining and he and his wife had assumed we would do the same, giving them a window of opportunity in which to entertain. All I really wanted to do was go and stay somewhwere else. We went and had a few drinks in Arrowtown which was unusually quiet so it was quite boring.
The next morning we arrived at the breakfast table to find a typical 'motel' style breakfast complete with those commercial portions of jam and marmalade, commercial tubs of Yoplait yoghurt, single packets of cereal, toast, and a small bowl containing small pieces of pre-cut fruit. I must have been spoiled at other B&B's where a big cooked breakfast or home made produce is one of the attractions of the stay. Not at Willowbrook. Much more could be done to bring this B&B into the 21st century and to make it more appealing by introducing some of the fantastic produce we saw and purchased earlier that day in Arrowtown.
i raised the issue of the noise once again with Tony's wife Trish, who not once seemed to empathize or understand that we felt intruded upon, and that our comfort as paying guests, had been compromised. She seeemd more concerned with justifying her position and on reminding me that they had never before had a complaint. And as i said, that was the reason why we booked at Willowbrook (specifically for oft repeated peace and quiet), and that the excellent record did not invalidate our complaint. It was really hard to get through to her and she continued to debate the issue right up until we were trying to get our luggage out the front door.
It was all very disappointing and the only low point of an otherwise amazing holiday in NZ but I wrote to the owners who were extremely apologetic and very understanding in regard to the noise complaint. They refunded the entire amount for our accomodation which was wonderful of them. It seems that Tony and Trish have provided guests with excellent service for many years but have also managed to do their own entertaining while guests have been out. It didnt work out so well this time but maybe trying to second guess your clients is not a good idea.

Had a great time; main bedroom was great, and hosts Trish and Tony were most friendly and helpful with helping us best spend our time.

Great location and amazing view superb for kids good value for money hosts excellent

We were a group of two couples who stayed in the "Cottage". The amenities were wonderful (spa, tennis court and grounds), the location superb (a stones throw from everywhere yet peaceful and quiet) and the cottage with all you could want. BUT, the real point of difference were our hosts Trish and Tony. Whenever we asked for recommendations be it restaurants, wineries, sightseeing or adventure activities they gave us the benefit of local knowledge and were spot on. Many thanks, we will definitely be back.