We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
The Azur in Queenstown, New Zealand, has a lot to like about it before we even get into the views: it's the #1 hotel in Queenstown on TripAdvisor, it's luxurious and exclusive with just nine rooms, and you can get a gorgeous lakeside villa (although it'll usually cost you more than $1000 a night).
And then there's the view. Shaolo/Paolo dropped this picture in the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool and we're grateful for it. Who wouldn't want a vacation with a chance of views like this all day? This picture's worth a few hundred words at least, so we won't say anything more.
We've heard some nice things about the collection of Peppers resorts you can find across Australia and New Zealand, so we figured that a good spot to stay in Queenstown--current absolute tourist fave of New Zealand--would be the Peppers Beacon Resort.
The Beacon sounds great from the surface level and has truly outstanding views from many of the rooms--like this one over the lake, and you can also choose from mountain and garden views. It's located a five-minute walk from the middle of Queenstown itself, so you can't get much more convenient.
Wellington's Bolton Hotel has a good reputation amongst travelers to New Zealand, and comes in at #2 on the TripAdvisor reviews, too. Apparently even the New Zealand national cricket team have been known to stay there when they've got a match in Wellington, and since they have national hero status, it's a very good sign.
The Conde Nast Traveller Gold List for 2008 is out, detailing properties that received the highest ratings in the annual Readers' Travel Awards survey (as well as some editors' favorites), and some truly amazing properties made the roll.
For example, in the Best Ambiance/Design category, the Eagles Nest in Bay of Islands, New Zealand comes in at #1. If you just happen to be looking to drop $1,150 to $3,500 per night, the Eagles Nest may be just the place for you. This ultra-posh complex of five villas is situated on a headland above the sea with sweeping views of the bay, and is known for it's stunning location as much as its superior amenities and service.
Along with the Gold List award, the Eagles Nest also holds the distinction of being the most expensive rental accommodation in all of New Zealand. But when one considers the included amenities, it's almost a bargain. Each private villa is outfitted with an extensive wine cellar, a heated Infinity edge lap pool, and chic glass-and-chrome designer furnishings. Guests of the villas also get the services of their own personal chefs, personal trainers, a butler, and a Porsche to use during their stay.
Just don't plan on bringing the kiddies. These villas will make accommodations for pets but come with a warning that children are unwelcome.
It's cute, it's small, and it's luxurious: and it's in one of the most visitable spots on the planet. We're talking the Queenstown, New Zealand Eichardt's Private Hotel, which is the place where all the locals want to stay. Queenstown is the capital of fun in New Zealand, whether you're talking snow in the ski season or other kinds of adventure during the rest of the year, from hot air ballooning through to jet boat riding.
If you hit Queenstown in winter (remember that's the same time as the northern hemisphere summer) then there is basically everything you'll need on offer--Eichardt's can point you towards night skiing, cross country skiing and even heli-skiing. The dedicated concierge can organize things like an in-room massage after a hard day on the slopes, or whatever your whim demands, and with only five suites making up the entire hotel, that makes him practically a personal concierge.
Standard suite rates start at NZ$1,375 (about US$1,050) with an extra NZ$250 ($190) charge for an extra bed for a child. Interestingly, this includes an American breakfast, rather than a New Zealand one, whatever that might entail.
The recent 20th annual Conde Nast Traveler awards threw up some not-too-surprising results in the Australia/Pacific section, with Melbourne's about-to-be-even-bigger Crown Towers complex coming up in the number one position, closely followed by Sydney's Park Hyatt.
But coming in at number three was the less mainstream option of the Treetops Lodge in Rotorua, New Zealand. With just twelve rooms, it certainly has less guests coming through the door than places like the Crown or the Park Hyatt, but those that have checked in have been suitably impressed.
The Treetops Lodge is in the middle of the forest so nature and wildlife are the key impressions you'll get. There are plenty of outdoor activities to be undertaken including horse riding, hiking and fishing. The restaurant focuses on locally produced (or caught) food, and also on offering a good range of New Zealand wines.
It's really quite a special place and offers some interesting packages including an indigenous culture and cuisine package which gives guests the chance to see a Maori cultural performance and learn about their cuisine.
Will they or won't they succeed in building a Hilton Hotel in Wellington, New Zealand? Although plans for the Hilton on Queens Wharf in downtown Wellington were originally approved, an appeal process started today to change that decision.
Local interest groups Waterfront Watch and the Wellington Civic Trust are leading the fight against the Hilton, because they say the proposed area is a special site that:
should be home to an iconic structure like a statue or something similar ... a hotel does not fit that category.
The case is expected to last at least two weeks so don't count on a Hilton stay in Wellington just yet.
In the heart of thermal and mud spring country, Treetops is outside the town of Rotorua on the north island of New Zealand, with forests, streams and lakes surrounding it. You can go fishing, mountain biking, horseriding, hiking or--our personal preference--sit in your luxury villa and enjoy the view.
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by amandak
