Minaret Station is where you want to be when the apocalypse happens. It’s a super luxury lodge that’s only accessible by helicopter. This really helps keep out the riff raff as it literally costs thousands of dollars just to get there. If you blink at the cost of the helicopter you can’t afford the lodge. Presuming you can afford it this place is another world, frankly a better world. This truly is one of the most secluded luxury lodges anywhere in the world.
Month: May 2021
Azur Lodge
Azur Lodge consists of 9 beautiful individual 1 bedroom villas. Offering privacy and seclusion with magnificent views of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. This is a perfect romantic spot for couples, so leave the kids at home. The king size beds enjoy magnificent views, so do the bath tubs. You will not want to leave.
Blanket Bay
Blanket Bay is one of the finest small luxury hotels anywhere in the world. You come here to relax and get away from it all, so it’s located well away from from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown at the Glenorchy end of Lake Wakatipu. The views are spectacular and nothing you want is a problem. The service here has to be experienced to be appreciated. Blanket Bay is fit for Royalty.
Wyndham Garden Queenstown
Wyndham Garden Queenstown was new in 2018 so it’s still in reasonable condition. It basically exists to provide small cheap rooms near the airport. If that’s what you want it’s great. If you’re a tourist wanting the Queenstown experience then spend a little more and stay closer to town. It has some great views of the Remarkables from some rooms.
The Lindis
The Lindis is a super luxury lodge like no other. It is rated in the top 5 lodges in the world. TA stay at The Lindis is an experience you’ll remember for a lifetime. Come here to relax, fly fish, horse trek, hike, and experience the southern skies without any light pollution. Or just to revel in a level of luxury that has to be seen to be believed. Getting here is an adventure in itself; it’s an incredible 2.5-hour scenic drive from Queenstown. (Or you can take a helicopter). Everything here is world-class, from the food and wine to the architecture and furnishings. The scenery is fucking incredible. You have to see it to believe it.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown
Holiday Inn Express & Suites should be named Queenstown’s Ultimate Family Hotel. It has everything a family needs (even a family of 5). It’s nowhere near luxury and it’s not trying to be. But it is nice. Clean and fairly new (2019), so still in good condition. Only a 5 minute walk to the centre of town.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Queenstown
DoubleTree by Hilton is a 4 star hotel, perfect for couples. It’s got to be one of the nicest 4 star hotels in Queenstown. The rooms are beautiful, generously sized and really well furnished. Interconnecting rooms are available for families, and they all have a kitchenette. It’s incredibly well priced for what you get.
Gibbston Valley Lodge and Spa
Gibbston Valley Lodge and Spa is a luxurious 5 star lodge with a spa and a vineyard. It’s perfect for a romantic couples getaway. The wine is as spectacular as the scenery. The rooms are spacious and luxurious and the food is excellent. Stay here because you love wine, good food and a want to escape from the world for a couple of days.
Mercure Queenstown Resort
Mercure Queenstown Resort is a 4 star hotel, perfect for families. The hotel offers great views from the restaurant, terrace, and lake view rooms. They’ve got hot tubs, and a pool (in summer). It’s a long walk from town (2.5km) so most people will opt to drive.
Reavers Lodge
Reavers Lodge is the perfect spot for groups of friends on a ski or mountain bike trip. It’s a rack em and stack em type of place where most of the rooms have bunks. It’s really a hard core snowboarders haunt. It’s not close to the centre of town, but it’s great for a long stay on a low budget. They have their own ski and board rental which is super handy. This is some of the most affordable accommodation in Queenstown.
Oaks Queenstown Club Suites
Oaks Queenstown Club Suites is hotel rooms, 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments on the lakefront. It’s a really nice 20 minute walk to town or a couple of minutes by car. While it’s a 4 star it really is at the top end of the category. The bathrooms have a more luxurious feel than most others at the price point. Because the offer apartments, it’s great for groups and families but also really good for couples as it’s got a bit of a romantic feel to it.
Copthorne Hotel & Resort Lakefront Queenstown
Copthorne Hotel & Resort Lakefront Queenstown is a lakeside 4 star hotel in Queenstown CBD. It’s a short (5 minute) walk from the centre of town. This is a well maintained property for it’s price, and the rooms are large (about 50% larger than Rydges) It’s a lakeside hotel for less than $200 per couple per night including a buffet breakfast. Perfect for anyone on a budget. Families, couples, groups of friends or conferences.
Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown
Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown is a lakeside 4 star hotel in Queenstown CBD. It’s an easy 10 minute walk from the centre of town. This is a really well located mid price hotel, perfect for families, conferences or couples on a budget. The lake view rooms have fantastic views and there are plenty of them. The furnishing is standard for a 4 star.
Swiss-Belresort Coronet Peak
Perfect for young snowboarders or skiers looking to have fun. It’s cheap and basic. It has everything you need for a ski trip – a bed, a basic small bathroom, and a bar. They also got a bowling alley and it’s without a doubt the best hotel bowling alley in all of Queenstown. This really close to Coronet Peak, so great if you want to make first tracks in the morning. But no so good if you want to pop into town. It’s also great for mountain bikers in summer.
Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel
Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, offers 5 star hotel rooms and a magnificent apartment a 5 minute walk from the centre of town. Some rooms have mountain views. This is a great hotel for couples who want something really nice but are will to sacrifice proximity to the lake for a lower price. The rooms are exceptionally high quality and really well furnished.
Heartland Hotel Queenstown
Heartland Hotel Queenstown is a well located, reasonably priced 3 star hotel. It’s a bit of a hike up the hill from town, but not to far and most people will be fine walking here from town. It’s also a great advertisement for good photography as the rooms look better online than in person, however it’s a budget hotel in a very expensive town and it’s well located so if you want something nice spend more.
Peppers Beacon Queenstown
Peppers Beacon is a great lakeside 4 star Hotel in Queenstown. It’s perfect for couples, families, or groups of friends. They’ve got some really nice 2 bedroom apartment style rooms with kitchens and plenty of living space, as well as smaller 2 bedroom suites and regular hotel rooms. The views are great so make sure you book a lakeview room. Peppers. Stay here if you want lake views on a reasonable budget, or want a well located room and don’t need a restaurant.
Novotel Queenstown Lakeside
Novotel Queenstown Lakeside sits smack bang in the middle of Queenstown CBDs waterfront. It’s right on Queenstown Bay Beach. Absolute lakefront in the heart of the CBD, it’s easily the best located 4 star hotel in Queenstown. It’s perfect for families, but also great for couples on a budget and conferences. Novotel is targeted at the upper end of the 4 star market.
Nugget Point
Nugget Point Hotel and Spa is in a rapidly growing section of Queenstown. It’s well out of the CBD next to the famous Onsen Hot Pools. Nugget Point is at the very top end of 4 star hotels and pretty reasonably priced. Book a riverview room for the best experience. The balconies on the river view rooms are great. Nugget Point is a good place for couples who want to relax and spend a bit of time in and around their hotel. Nugget Point has a sauna, plunge pool, hot tubs, large gym, and squash court for guests to enjoy.
Crowne Plaza Queenstown
Crowne Plaza Queenstown is a well located 4 star hotel popular with families, but it is also a popular conference venue. It’s located right in town close to the lake. They’ve got everything you need and nothing you don’t. Crowne Plaza is a good quality 4 star hotel and pretty well priced, rooms are 32 square meters a available with a King size bed or two doubles. Lake view rooms are a little more expensive, they are worth the extra if you’re going to spend time in the hotel. But if you’re out and about all day don’t bother.
Heritage Queenstown
Heritage Queenstown is a large older 4 star hotel, perfect for a middle class family holiday or a group of friends on a ski trip. They’ll let you pack up to 8 people into a 2 bedroom suite which is great for a party of snowboarders, or a family (as long as you’re not in the room next to the party of snowboarders). It’s got a great heated indoor outdoor pool so you can swim year round, and a hot tub. Heritage is a little out of town, it’s a 4 minute drive, or pleasant 20 minute walk away from Ferg Burger (The center of Queenstown).
Matakauri Lodge
Matakauri Lodge is located on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, and the views from every room are stunning. There’s no garden view rooms here, everything faces the lake and mountains. Each suite has a private terrace, a stunning bathroom and pretty much every comfort imaginable. Oh and they have a heated infinity pool and hot tub and offer all the spa treatments you’ve come to expect.
Eichardt’s Private Hotel
Eichardt’s Private Hotel is the most luxurious hotel in Queenstown. Hell it’s one of the most luxurious hotels anywhere in the world. Rooms here typically start from around $1500 per night while the Penthouse is closer to $10,000 a night. It does sleep 4 though. This is the best located hotel in Queenstown. It’s on the lake in the centre of town. The views are absolutely stunning, the rooms are as luxurious as it gets and yet most guests think the best thing is the service you get while you are there.
The Spire Hotel
The Spire Hotel is 5 Star Luxury in the very heart of Queenstown. It’s elegant, tasteful, and fun. Perfect for a romantic weekend getaway. But also great for families (wealthy families at least) as you can get up to 3 interconnecting rooms. Each of the 10 suites is a very generous 60 square meters, the beds are HUGE, and best of all every suite has a fireplace. The rooms are available in city view, garden view or mountain view. Your right in the middle of Queenstown’s fun zone here so there’s plenty to see and do as soon as you walk outside.
Kamana Lakehouse
First up Kamana Lakehouse is not actually on the lakefront, however it does have excellent views of the lake from both the restaurant and bar, and the 3 amazing hot tubs. It’s a scenic 30 minute walk to Ferg Burger (the centre of Queenstown) from here or a 5 minute drive. It’s a great romantic spot for couples, but it’s also not bad for a family.