Guesthouses have graced the Marlborough Sounds since the earliest years of settlement. Usually low and set in mature surroundings, they address the seafront with simple gable ends and broad verandahs giving protection from extremes of sun and rain.

Building on this tradition, we have given Raetihi Lodge features evocative of maritime architecture - slatted cedar screens laced with ships cord, copper, capped posts, board timber decks and a tall mast-like finial which announces the Lodge from the seaward approach. The visitor is greeted by a building which seems rooted to local history and has an inherent sense of belonging within the Sounds.