Must-see hotels in New Zealand

  • Top Choice
    Pen-y-bryn Lodge

    Well-travelled foodie owners have thoroughly revitalised this beautiful 1889 residence and continue to upgrade. There are two rooms in the main house but…

  • Top Choice
    Theatre Royal Hotel

    Themed around colourful figures from Kumara's past, rooms at this beautifully restored 1876 pub are reason enough to stay in town. We especially loved the…

  • Top Choice
    XSPOT

    Great Barrier's most spectacular accommodation option is also one of its more remote. A 25-minute drive from Tryphena – rent a 4WD vehicle – XSPOT is a…

  • Top Choice
    Acacia Cliffs Lodge

    Three of the contemporarily and artfully designed suites at this luxurious B&B, high above Acacia Bay, have the best bed views in Taupō – you'll probably…

  • Top Choice
    Prince's Gate Hotel

    This grand building constructed from NZ's most cherished wood, kauri, sits directly outside the Government Gardens’ main Prince’s Gate, and began life in…

  • Top Choice
    Waitahanui Lodge

    Ten kilometres south of Taupō, these five 1920s-style beach shacks are beautifully modern inside and ideally positioned for swimming, fishing and superb…

  • Top Choice
    Mohua Park

    Situated on the edge of a peaceful 14-hectare nature reserve (7km off the highway), these four spacious self-contained cottages offer peace, quiet and…

  • Top Choice
    Koura Lodge

    Secluded on swanky Kawaha Point, this upmarket lodge features spacious rooms and suites, and a two-bedroom apartment. Decks and balconies provide lake…

  • Top Choice
    Ruapehu Country Lodge

    Around 5km west of Ōhakune on the road to Raetihi, this B&B is the perfect combination of country elegance and classy decor. Large bedrooms have beautiful…

  • Top Choice
    Oliver's

    Oliver's fills an 1860s merchant's house and stone stables with luxurious rooms decked out with old maps, heritage furniture and claw-foot baths. Most of…

  • Top Choice
    Poshtel

    Anyone for polo? Crammed with sporty vintage collectables in themed rooms (like the Steeplechase room or the Antarctic Explorer Suite), this plush new…

  • Top Choice
    Vicarage

    Housed in a restored Anglican vicarage, this charming boutique hotel is a very relaxing place to stay. Named after former vicars of Geraldine, the seven…

  • Top Choice
    The Lake

    Step onto the set of Mad Men at this retro-fitted boutique motel crammed with furniture from the era's signature designers. There are four one-bedroom…

  • Top Choice
    Kiwiesque

    Located in rural Eskdale, around 18km north of Napier, superstylish Kiwiesque overlooks apple trees and expansive vineyards. For freewheeling travellers,…

  • Top Choice
    Franklin 38

    Four gloriously sophisticated suites fill this spacious and sunny two-storey villa that was undoubtedly one of Ponsonby's finest homes in earlier times…

  • Top Choice
    Lakestone Lodge

    Daytime views from Lakestone Lodge's spectacular hilltop location include Lake Pukaki and alpine peaks, and there's a guests-only opportunity to survey…

  • Top Choice
    Terminus Hotel

    This late-Victorian building always had great bones, with its high ceilings and arched windows, but owners Steve and Antonia have worked makeover magic…

  • Top Choice
    Warm Earth Cottage

    The ultimate in rustic romance, this rural idyll has two pretty, electricity-free cottages and a lovely lounge-library for guests. Soak in the wood-heated…

  • Top Choice
    Fossil Bay Lodge

    Three cabins face the main building, which houses the communal toilets, kitchen and living area, and a compact self-contained upstairs apartment. …

  • Top Choice
    Camp Glenorchy

    As much a statement about sustainability as it is a fabulous place to stay, this main street 'eco retreat' offers luxurious designer-rustic cottages…