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Ski New Zealand

Coronet Peak Resort Reviews

Ski New Zealand

Coronet Peak Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Coronet Peak Ski Resort

Coronet Peak Ratings

Overall: 3.9. Based on 13 votes and 23 reviews. Vote

Access: 5.0

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Coronet Peak.

Public Transport: 4.8

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Coronet Peak, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Scenery: 4.8

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Accommodation: 4.6

(1) No places to stay in/near Coronet Peak, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 4.2

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.6

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Coronet Peak.

Ski in/Ski out: 2.4

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 4.6

(1) There are no child care facilities at Coronet Peak, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowsure: 3.9

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Coronet Peak is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Snowmaking: 4.8

(1) Coronet Peak relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 4.7

(1) There are no snow groomers at Coronet Peak, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Coronet Peak are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.2

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Coronet Peak is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 3.5

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Coronet Peak, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 3.7

(1) Coronet Peak usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 4.3

(1) The staff at Coronet Peak are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Coronet Peak are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 3.8

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.8

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.8

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Variety of pistes: 4.2

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Coronet Peak has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Beginners: 4.5

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.3

(1) No intermediate terrain at Coronet Peak, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.1

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 2.7

(1) Not even a kicker at Coronet Peak, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Off-piste: 3.5

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Cross-country: 2.7

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Coronet Peak, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 2.3

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Coronet Peak has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 3.8

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.0

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 3.8

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 3.2

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 4.0

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 4.4

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 3.3

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 3.6

(1) Overall, Coronet Peak is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 3.4

(1) Overall, Coronet Peak is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

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July 15, 2015
Mia from Ski New Zealand New Zealand
A great resort for beginners, intermediates and experts. It would be even better if the T-bar was replaced with a chair lift to spread people out on the mountain! The only other down side is the steps up to the snow from the base building. It is difficult for children to carry skis up and down stairs.
December 12, 2013
Mike from Ski New Zealand New Zealand
Glad that NZ Ski has put in a lot of snowmaking machines, pretty much wouldn't have had a season without them. Fingers crossed for next year. Have had some unusual lift closures this year, the local word is it is due to lack of staff and lack of training, ie. starting lifts without de-icing first! Way too expensive for what you get. A tiny field compared to overseas, generally poor snow but can be good for a few hours after a dump. Staff generally friendly this season. Food way too dear and they closed the café side early this year due to lack of people/staff. Probably won't buy a seasons pass this year. Will just pick the good days.
September 09, 2013
RosieO from Ski Australia Australia
Loved everything, service, friendly staff, great snow :)
July 23, 2013
Howie from Ski New Zealand New Zealand
For the first time in many years skiing at Coronet I injured myself in a crash (my fault) on Friday last. I couldn't fault the mountain staff I encountered later. Thanks Jess and nurse at first aid hut. Mending well now. H
July 14, 2013
Marian from Ski New Zealand New Zealand
For many years I have been skiing at Coronet Peak and for many years have been visiting Heidi's Hut. This year I am appalled at the shocking service from the staff. A 45 minute wait for two coffees and the following day a 30 minute wait for two coffees ( we thought we would give them a second chance). Coronet Peak have had our season pass money for many months therefore they should have been able to train their staff months ago. I have spoken to many regular skiers this week and they are all of the same opinion. Coronet Peak management need to smarten up their act when it comes to their staff and service.
July 26, 2012
John from Ski New Zealand New Zealand
Another reviewer's problem with the staff ethics is (as in most situations like this) is a result of Coronet Peak managements own unwavering handling of any unusual cases. The hard line. They will keep a moving carpet lift running when all other lifts are closed due to windy conditions, then refuse to refund you because a "lift is still running". This short shortsightedness is endemic to Coronet Peak, and filters down through the ranks. Shame. The mountain itself has many varied runs and it is possible to ski from the top of any lift to the bottom of any lift which means no double queuing. If there are queues. Apart from the busiest days there is normally no more that 5 minutes wait for the very fast lifts. Shame about the shocking management.
July 02, 2012
Teresa from Ski New Zealand New Zealand
The place was awesome! But I'd like to comment about the work ethics of the staff whom we dealt with at the front counter. We were there close to 11 am and we asked for the best deal for our group. Resort staff didn't suggest for us to get the half day pass (our group was able to go out to the snow close to 12noon since there were long queues. 2nd we weren't told that we would have to queue again if we wanted an upgrade to the next level so we bought it right there and then to avoid wasting time (I learnt after that we could have done this in the self service kiosks when needed). So we ended up paying for lift upgrades and not using them because of lack of time. So disappointed! [Note from the editor: review edited for sake of relevance]
September 16, 2010
Anton from Ski Australia Australia
Great place! It may not have the snow quality of the US, Europe or Japan but Coronet Peak definitely isn't put to shame. Great base with decent food, good coffee and good staff. Good instructors, especially for kids. Good beginner areas. Good, modern, quick lifts. And the best thing, no crowds (did go out of holiday times so probably need to consider this). Never, ever waited for a lift. And managed to go straight from top to bottom, fast, on some pretty good runs without having to dodge a bunch of gapers! Would recommend it completely but drop expectations if you've travelled to the above-mentioned places. For Australasia, this is an excellent resort!
August 05, 2010
Scott from Ski Australia Australia
What a fantastic part of the world !!! Absolutely blown away by the surroundings, the services, the friendliness of all of the staff and more importantly the quality of the slopes. Coronet Peak is a great place for all age groups and families along with the uber enthusiast and smart arse professionals. Snowboarded most of the trails last week with a solid packed base and fresh powder on top. As a beginner to the sport, who could ask for better? And the icing on the cake - had blue skies and bright sunshine. Coronet Peak is a place to come back to in my book. See ya next year NZ.....
July 29, 2010
john from Ski New Zealand New Zealand
The lifts at Coronet Peak are not slower than lifts in other parts of the world. Greengates Express and Coronet Express, (hence the name express) are both detachable express lifts. The lifts at Remarkables, yes they are, because they are not detachable express lifts. These are the other resorts that I have skied around the world and the lifts run at pretty much the same pace, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Alpine Meadows USA. Whistler, Grouse, Big White, Revelstoke, Fernie, Kicking Horse, Sunshine, Panorama, in Canada. I'm pretty sure that at none of those resorts all of their lifts were high speed detachable express lifts, now that Coronet spent 5 million bucks replacing their meadows learners chair all of the chairs at Coronet are high speed detachable expresses. In the last 5 years probably about 50million dollars has been invested back into Coronet Peak. This season they introduced the rdf ticket system which is the most high tech ticket system in the world.