Croydon Lodge

Croydon Lodge sits on six acres of park-like grounds on the Croydon side of Gore, with the Hokonui Hills as a backdrop and an old oak tree shading the lawn. It started life as the Heartland Hotel and is now run by the Mataura Licensing Trust, a 39 room hotel that doubles as one of eastern Southland's main function venues. Weddings can be small and intimate or scale right up. The function rooms combine behind retractable walls to handle as many as 300 guests, all on the ground floor for easy access, and there is an outdoor ceremony option on the grounds. The in-house team looks after catering, with the head chef building menus to suit, and the Blazing Copper Restaurant and Lodge bar carry the food and drink. The wedding party and guests can stay put, with rooms ranging from superior kings through to family rooms that sleep five. An events team helps plan the day and pull the accommodation, catering and styling together. It is a practical all-under-one-roof choice for a Gore wedding.