Blenheim Bella Vista

Introducing your hosts, Julie and Paul    

We are both New Zealand born and bred and have lived in the Marlborough community for over 30 years and have two daughters who are currently at university.

Julie is a retired army Officer and Nurse, she was the Clinical director for a Whanau Ora program before managing a Resthome and Hospital. Paul maintains his skills as a truck driver working part time for a local firm. We pride ourselves on our local knowledge to ensure our guests have the very best possible experience while staying with us.

Blenheim, Marlborough - Your Destination

We are very proud of our town and the community we live and work in.  Blenheim is often the sunniest town in New Zealand and is well-known for its wine.  Mention Montana Sauvignon Blanc anywhere in the world and people think Marlborough NZ,  Our local Saltworks provide salt to many industries and households around the world. Chances are the salt you use came from the works at Lake Grassmere, seen as a pink beach as you drive past on SH1.  Our Green Lipped Mussels from Havelock are just one of the aquaculture industries that have taken hold in the Marlborough Sounds. Tours of the mussel and Salmon farms are available to book from reception.  

The Blenheim region had long been a large centre of population by Māori and unfortunately with the arrival of settlers, the challenges of the early pioneer lifestyle that was trying to integrate with local Māori created the first serious clash of arms between the two.  The Wairau Incident of 1843, known initially as the ‘Wairau Massacre’ and later as the ‘Wairau Affray’ ,was the most significant instance of violence between Māori and British settlers in the years immediately after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.  The incident came about because Europeans in Nelson sold the Tuamarina area to settlers still in England thinking it uninhabited.  The local European farmers armed with rifles confronted the local Māori, and in the ensuing clash of arms a bloody battle left 22 European settlers dead and anywhere between 4 and 9 Māori killed.  A monument has been erected to honour the European settlers at Tuamarina, 10km north of Blenheim where you can draw your own interpretations of who may have been at fault and learn more about the early life of people who lived in the region.

Our Community Involvement

We welcome work experience students from Marlborough Boys and Girls Colleges and donate rooms for the band for their annual Ball.
We donate old bedding, towels, curtains, appliances (in working order) e.g. hair dryers & fridges  to the local support services and businesses including Salvation Army and Sheets’n’Things, a charity that dresses people for success in Interviews and provides for the less well off. Julie is a community panellist for Restorative Justice.
We support local charities with gift vouchers of night stays at any of our 27 Bella Vista Motels nationwide to add to their raffles. Our Sustainability Practices

We want to ensure that we operate in a manner that reduces environmental risk.  We believe in protecting the beautiful environment of Blenheim and want to ensure that your children and grandchildren can visit and enjoy it to.  To this end we have developed an environmental plan and welcome your support for this initiative.

Our Sustainability Practices

ENERGY - How Bella Vista Blenheim is reducing our demand on energy:

• We offer a towel change agreement which means you are reducing energy and water use.  Hang your towels on the towel rail if you wish to reuse them or place your towels in the shower tray or bathtub if you wish them to be laundered.
• We buy local products and produce where ever possible to reduce transport emissions
• We upgrade appliances to energy efficient models whenever replacements are necessary
• Low energy light bulbs are installed in at least 95% of our establishment
• Our energy supplier buys from renewable generation resources like hydro and wind

WASTE - How Bella Vista Motel Blenheim is reducing waste:

• We give you the opportunity to recycle all waste where possible.
• We reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by separating it for recycling
• We are reducing packaging to a minimum where possible, using dispensers for high quality toiletries, buying quality products in bulk and replacing disposable items with reusable ones.
• We reduce waste by not purchasing products with excessive packaging

WATER - How Bella Vista Motel Blenheim conserves water:

• We have redesigned and replanted our garden landscape with native plants which require less water
• We limit the use of garden watering systems during summer
• We use water efficient washing machines
• We minimise the use of water for car washing

WISE PURCHASING AND CONSERVATION - How Bella Vista Motel Blenheim participates in our wise purchasing programme:

• Planting trees and shrubs which are native to this area in order to encourage bird life and reduce the need for irrigation
• Purchasing locally where possible, which helps reduce carbon emissions from transport and employs local people

COMMUNITY - Bella Vista Motel Blenheim understands that we are part of our local community and participate in it by:

• Donating supplementary or replaced equipment, products or furniture to a local charity
• Participating in restorative justice as a community panellist
• Offering employment opportunities to local residents
• Training our staff to commit to our environmental practices

Bella Vista Blenheim is a 4 star Qualmark rated property and awarded Silver status under the Sustainable Tourism Business criteria which is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Founded in 2007, the GSTC is a United Nations-initiated programme which sets the global baseline standards for sustainable travel and tourism.

We look forward to hosting you!