City center stay.With a stay at this Stepneyville vacation home, you'll be within half a mile (1 km) of South Pacific Distillery and 2 miles (3 km) of Anzac Park. Nelson I-site Visitor Information Centre and Montgomery Square are also within 2 miles (3 km).
You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.
The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home!
This is the original 1862 Pilot house!
Situated right in front of the 'Cut' - Nelson's gorgeous harbour entrance, this beautiful heritage home has just been fully renovated to an architectural standard, combining character and charm with modern comfort and light!
With a direct view across the harbour entrance, Haulashore Island, Tasman Bay across to the mountains of the Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Parks, you'll love the outlook by day or by night!
The location is spectacular, right amidst the action and the restaurants, great cafes and craft beer pubs of Haven Road and Tahuna Beach Area.
The Pilot House offers two bedrooms upstairs with Queen beds, The downstairs bathroom offers Shower, Toilet and Vanity. The upstairs bathroom offers Bath, Toilet and Vanity. The living and dining areas are cosy and modern, the kitchen beautiful and fully equipped and a small deck provides a lovely place to enjoy the views and sun at the front and side of the house.
Free WiFi, Smart TV with on-demand Apps, small movie collection, guitar.
There is a full laundry with dryer and washing machine.
The Pilot house is really a perfect romantic retreat or small family haven for your Nelson experience!
**Special conditions & notes**:
>Strictly no party, gatherings or venue use. No smoking. No pets.
- Car parking - Single off-street parking & additional on-street parking available.
- Noise in the area - The waterfront road is busy & all properties within this area are subject to some road & port noise. The property is largely double glazed, well insulated & noise isn’t a problem for most guests.
- Note on upstairs bathroom - The ceiling of this bathroom conforms to the heritage listed roof pitch and does not provide full height above the bath or toilet and it may be necessary for taller visitors to use this toilet while seated. The downstairs bathroom provides Shower, Toilet & Vanity with a full-height ceiling :-)
**Payment, Bond/Security Deposit and Cancellation**:
- A 30% deposit secures your stay with the balance due 3 weeks prior to your arrival (full payment will be required if booking within 3 weeks of arrival).
- Three weeks prior to your arrival (or immediately if booking within 3 weeks of arrival), you’ll need to provide a card authority for the bond/security deposit via our secure online check in process.
- Cancel anytime up until 3 weeks prior to arrival for any reason and you’ll pay no more than 30% of the booking total.
- Where compassionate circumstances for cancellation exist, we’ll be happy to look at further flexibility, usually in the form of postponement of your stay, or a credit towards future stay dates.
- A Rental Agreement document is provided as part of the booking process. Please refer to the agreement for full terms and conditions. :-)
Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)
General
Unit size: 1,259 square feet
Policies
Check-in
Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Check-out
Check-out before 10:00 AM
Special check-in instructions
You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Pets
No pets allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome.
Events
No events allowed
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Long-term renters welcome
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited. Long-term renters welcome.
Property is also known as
holiday-nelson-limited-PIL
Frequently asked questions
How close is The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! to the airport?
This vacation home is 4 mi (11-min drive) away from the Nelson (NSN) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.
Does The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! have an airport shuttle?
Airport shuttle services are not available at this vacation home.
How close is The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! to the beach?
This vacation home is 1.4 mi (3-min drive) from Tahunanui Beach Reserve.
Does The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! offer free breakfast?
This vacation home does not offer free breakfast.
Is there a casino at The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home!?
No, there is no casino at this vacation home.
What time is check-in at The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home!?
Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.
Is there free parking at The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home!?
Free parking is not available at this vacation home.
Does The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! have a pool?
This vacation home does not have a pool.
Does The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! have a spa?
There are no spa services available at this vacation home.
How close is The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! to downtown Nelson?
This vacation home is 1 mi away from Nelson.
The Pilot House - Nelson Waterfront Holiday Home! Reviews
Reviews
9.8
Exceptional
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 8 reviews
10 - Excellent
7
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 8 reviews
8 - Good
1
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 8 reviews
6 - Okay
0
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 8 reviews
4 - Poor
0
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 8 reviews
2 - Terrible
0
10/10
Cleanliness
Reviews
10/10 Excellent
Rada
Travelled with group
Mar 13, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness
Gorgeous view
Rada
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2026
10/10 Excellent
Laura A.
Feb 1, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness
Everything was lovely. Information was clear and timely. No problems at all.
Laura A.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2025
10/10 Excellent
Tina P.
Jan 7, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness
Very lovely place and great location!
Tina P.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
10/10 Excellent
Simon D.
Aug 26, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness
Was Nelson for a few days with a friend. The little cottage is a delight, and so handy to everything we wanted to get to. And the view is just amazing…..virtually any time of the day.A few minor issues getting the details of how to access the place, but very quickly and helpfully resolved. Even put the heat pump so that our late at night arrival was to a warm home - great
Simon D.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025
10/10 Excellent
Kathy P.
Feb 21, 2023
Liked: Cleanliness
Clean and comfortable - just a shame about all the trucks on road. Front bedroom very noisy