The West Coast
Several steps up from your average motel, friendly well-run Stopforths offers spacious, modern units with kitchenettes and king-sized beds, ranging from…
Must-see hotels in New Zealand
Marlborough Region
This smart motel enjoys an enviable position on the Waikawa foreshore, with views down Queen Charlotte Sound. All units have their own patio and share a…
Bay of Islands & Northland
This upmarket European-styled drive-in motel has tasteful units with stellar kitchens and bathrooms (most with spa baths), private balconies on the…
Bay of Islands
Striking architecture combines with modern decor in this hilltop B&B with expansive bay views. All three suites have their own outdoor spa, perfect for a…
Bay of Islands & Northland
Perched on a hill with views over the harbour back to Whangārei, this airy white timber homestead has two massive suites, each with two bedrooms and a…
Queenstown
The well-named Hidden is literally the last place west in Queenstown. Tucked away in Sunshine Bay, it has enormous rooms, unfettered lake and mountain…
Waiheke Island
These three modern, self-contained studio apartments have stellar vineyard views and are handy to a couple of Waiheke's best vineyard restaurants. Check…
Coromandel Peninsula
A short stroll from the beach, this accommodation features colourful and modern rooms, and a studio apartment with its own kitchenette. Legendary…
Bay of Islands
Enjoy valley views from the spa pool of this slick, gay-friendly establishment. Yorke Rd is off Puketona Rd, just before the falls. Minimum stay of two…
Glenorchy
Just 3km from Glenorchy, but 26km by road, Kinloch Lodge is the perfect escape if getting away from it all to Glenorchy isn't getting away from it all…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
At this Swiss-style chalet, guests stay in rooms where their favourite Lord of the Rings characters set up during filming. Peter Jackson booked out the…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
Three separate options make up this very comfortable accommodation overflowing with rural charm in Raurimu, around 5km north of National Park Village…
Gentle Annie Seaside Accommodation
Buller Region
Family-run since the 1970s, Gentle Annie's campsite and self-contained cottages cluster at the Mokihinui River mouth. The beach isn't so gentle, but the…
Lake Taupo Region
Set in lush gardens, this heavenly hideaway backs onto a fine stretch of the Tongariro River and is as peaceful as a trout pool. Nineteen spacious, self…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
Like most old mountain folk, this iconic 1929 hotel has weathered, though its grandeur – in the style of the original US national park hotels – is…
Buller Region
Rongo's rainbow-coloured exterior draws you in, while its free-spirited vibe lengthens your stay. Formerly a backpacker hostel, Rongo retains a slouchy,…
East Cape
Effervescent new owners have breathed life back into this ol' motel at remote Lottin Point, a wiggly 4km detour off the highway. Two accommodation blocks…
New Plymouth
Sleek and snazzy, Waterfront is the place to stay if the boss is paying. Within walking distance of the major sites, the minimalist studios are pretty…
Buller Region
This place knows what bikers passing through Granity need: serviceable and clean 'pod' rooms (with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities), and adjoining…
Taupo
Our pick of Taupō's hostels, homely Finlay Jacks has turned an ageing motel into a colourful hub. The 12-bed dorms feel spacious, with bunks separated…
Fiordland & Southland
It's hard to imagine a lovelier outlook than the one from these two modern units, gazing from a seaside knoll midway between Kaka Point and Nugget Point…
Christchurch & Canterbury
Idyllically sited on the western shore of remote Lake Ohau, 42km west of Twizel, accommodation includes everything from budget rooms with shared…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
This versatile complex is all things to all people: campsites through to plush, lawn-surrounded wooden chalets with in-your-face volcano views. An on-site…
Lake Taupo Region
This enclave of smart, self-contained apartments sleeping between four and nine people sits high over the lake, surrounded by bird-filled native bush and…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
If you’ve come down from the mountain with tired limbs, this recent motel makeover could be just the ticket. Behind the ochre facade is a medley of small…
Auckland
Across the harbour bridge in Takapuna, the Emerald Inn is arrayed around a leafy courtyard and pool. It's just metres from Takapuna Beach, and there are…
Queenstown & Wanaka
On the lakeshore, this spacious and peaceful old-fashioned holiday park is a favourite of fishing and boating enthusiasts. Units range from a block of…
New Plymouth
A high-class hotel from top to tail – ‘nice’ is the understatement of the decade. In fact it's New Plymouth’s oldest timber building (1870, ask to see the…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
Our pick when tackling the Alpine Crossing, the Park has neat, if small, double, king and family mezzanine rooms with photos of Tongariro by a local…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Out in the Styx is near the southern end of the Maungatautari guided day- and night-walk options. The three stylishly furnished rooms are especially nice,…
The Great Coast Road
Across the highway from the beach, quirky Ti Kouka House has a one-of-a-kind design against a rainforest backdrop. Recycled building materials are…
Marlborough Region
Set in lush surroundings, this arty eco-retreat can either be reached via the Queen Charlotte Track or from Picton aboard the lodge's water taxi ($30 one…
Bay of Plenty
This Tuscan outlier offers a few rays of Italian sunshine with wrought-iron balconies, a summertime guest-only, pop-up pizzeria and wine bar, and little…
Taupo
This slick 8-hectare park, at the edge of town, has all mod cons, including a huge thermally heated lagoon swimming pool with a movie screen and swim-up…
New Plymouth
About 5km west of the town centre and 1km from Paritutu Rock is this charismatic, three-room B&B with friendly owners. Aside from serving one of the best…
Queenstown & Wanaka
Close to the town centre, this small holiday park offers a cul-de-sac of en suite cabins and a gleaming amenities block with coin-operated showers. When…
Dunedin & Otago
Camp in luxury in this scattering of spacious geodesic domes on a working cattle farm 13km from Kurow. Each has a private deck and a huge window…
Taranaki & Whanganui
This remote lodge lies deep in Whanganui National Park, 21km upriver from Pipiriki near the Matemateāonga Track. The only way to get here is by jetboat…
Franz Josef Glacier
Luxurious Te Waonui is filled with design flourishes that evoke the land: twinkly lights suggest glowworms, coal-black walls nod to the mining past, and…
Auckland Region
Inspired by safari tents from Botswana and Māori whare (houses), these very comfortable tents combine quiet rural locations, recycled timber construction…
