The Best Boutique Hotels in Queenstown Worth Your Time
Images: Rosewood Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown
It feels predictable to talk about Queenstown’s scenery, but there’s no way around it, the mirror-still surface of Lake Wakatipu and the jagged rise of The Remarkables floor you the moment you step off the tarmac.
Long known as New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown is still a mecca for thrill-seekers, but these days the pull extends beyond the bungee cord. Luxury shopping, destination dining, and a boutique hotel scene that makes narrowing down where to stay that little bit harder.
To cut through the noise, we’ve created a definitive shortlist of Queenstown’s best boutique hotels, each one chosen for its design, atmosphere, and location.
All hotels featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. We appreciate your support.
Queenstown’s Best Boutique Hotels
Images; Gibbston Valley Lodge and Spa, Courtesy of Expedia
Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa
For wine lovers, it doesn’t get more fitting than staying amoung the vines at Central Otago’s original vineyard. Gibbston Valley Lodge is a luxurious base in the heart of a historic Pinot Noir estate, with villas that open straight onto the rows outside. Recently recognised with a Traveller Review Award, each villa is stylish and private, stocked with a selection of Gibbston Valley wines tailored to your preferences. The spa is another highlight, where the vinotherapy treatment carries the vineyard theme through full-body treatments.
What we love: Dinner in the private wine cave, the largest in the region. Whether it’s a romantic evening or a group celebration, dining among Gibbston Valley’s best vintages is a must-try experience while in town. With dishes like confit duck leg or venison loin and black sesame sponge, matched course by course with wine stored just meters away.
Images: Eichardts Private Hotel
Eichardt’s Private Hotel
An institution. Eichardt’s is Queenstown’s original boutique hotel, and still one of its most appealing. Set directly on Marine Parade with uninterrupted lakefront views, this stately 1860s building has hosted gold rush traders, royalty, and well-heeled travellers since day one.
Of the two accommodation options, the heritage suites in the main building and the newer lakefront residences, it’s the former that truly captures the hotel’s soul. With velvet wingbacks, coffered ceilings, deep leather armchairs, and in-suite open fireplaces. Downstairs, the lounge is dotted with antique mirrors and low lighting, the bar does a crisp Champagne with house-smoked salmon, and the restaurant leans classic European brasserie.
What we love: The location is unbeatable, right on the waterfront and steps from Queenstown’s best shopping, dining, and lakefront trails. Service is discreet, personal, and impossibly efficient, this is the kind of place where your flat white arrives just how you like it, before you’ve asked.
Images: Kamana Lakehouse, Queenstown
Kamana Lakehouse
High on the Fernhill slopes, Kamana Lakehouse is a modern alpine lodge that leans into its setting, with sharp A-frame lines and sweeping views over Lake Wakatipu to the Remarkables. Rooms are simple but smartly appointed. Mnimalist style with thoughtful touches like Maraca body care products and Bluetooth speakers. Kamana Soak is the highlight, the hotel’s three outdoor hillside tubs made for long soaks, with snowy peaks and the still of the lake laid out infront of you.
What we love: Nest, the hotel’s restaurant helmed by Chef of the Year finalist Jonathan Williams, serves local dishes like Bluff octopus and Lumina lamb loin. Early evening is the perfect time to settle in with a Manuka honey–smoked Old Fashioned while the sky softens to pastel over the peaks.
Images: Rosewood Matakauri Lodge
Rosewood Matakauri Lodge
After a nip-tuck by Virginia Fischer, Rosewood Matakauri Lodge is pure, unadulterated luxury. A multi-accoladed spot if your looking for a worthwhile splurge. Light-filled shared spaces are punctuated with original Picasso artwork, there’s a character-filled library with a Corten steel fireplace, and 11 spacious rooms balance exposed stone, brushed gold, and sage tones.
The infinity-edge pool feels like it stretches into Lake Wakatipu, framed by the Remarkables. The spa, hot and cold plunge pools, cedar sauna, and fitness centre make it easy to prioritise rejuvenation and relaxation.
What we love: The lakefront dining room, led by Jonathan Rogers, draws on the lodge’s garden. On-site bee hives, and local producers to create seasonal dishes, like their standout, Southern Station 6 Score Wagyu fillet. Matched with regional wines and served against floor-to-ceiling glass for a mind-blowing view over Queenstown in all her glory.
Images: ROKI Queenstown
ROKI Queenstown
Newly opened ROKI injects a jolt of cool into Queenstown’s boutique hotel scene, right on Lake Wakatipu. The 15 suites, designed by acclaimed interior designer Virginia Fisher (of Huka Lodge fame), are understated, and calming. Suites feature soft sage walls, blonde timber floors, and cozy lounging chairs.
Chef of the Year Paul Froggatt oversees three dining spaces. Essence, The Terrace, and The Library Bar, with menus celebrating local ingredients, from Fiordland venison to fresh-caught Hapuku with brown butter. A nice touch, daily in-suite canapés from 5–6 pm.
What we love: The wellness program here is elite. Alongside a thermal zone and indoor pool, ROKI Pure offers next-level health rituals. Treatments range from sleep-focused magnesium massages with tuning forks, to a helicopter-led ‘rewilds’ journey into the landscape.
Images: The Cottages at Kinross
The Cottages at Kinross
For a slower, wine-soaked pace (Oui, s’il vous plaît), the cottages at Kinross are ideal. Set on a working vineyard in Gibbston Valley, this cluster of rustic-chic cottages offers relaxed stays with serious wine credentials. Each self-contained cottage is warm, and cozy, ideal for Queenstown’s Winter evenings.
With wool throws, timber floors, and views across the vines. Kinross is the official cellar door for five boutique Central Otago wine labels (including Valli and Coal Pit), and the onsite bistro does reliable, generous fare with seasonal produce.
What we love: The daily hosted tastings are relaxed, yet educational, with winemakers often dropping by. It’s a genuine introduction to the region’s best Pinot Noir, without the fuss.
Images: The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp
The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp
Back-to-basics here means simple but considered. Timber huts are warm and inviting, showers are lined with Timaru bluestone (with endless hot water, campers will know), and there’s even a private sauna, hardly your average alpine camp.
The communal kitchen is a highlight, with pre-dinner drinks by the fire, hearty chef’s-choice meals that shift with the seasons, and thoughtful local touches like clover honey stirred into your morning coffee.
The real magic, though, is the setting, a UNESCO South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, with rivers, mountains, snow, and the infamous Routeburn Track as your playground.
What we love: Zero light pollution makes this one of the best stargazing spots in the region, the Southern night sky is unforgettable.
Images: QT Hotel Queenstown
QT Queenstown
True to its playful persona, QT Queenstown is an unapologetic injection of fun into the city’s boutique hotel scene. Rooms are modern and clean, but it’s the lakefront location and solid dining scene that make it special.
Bazaar offers an excellent world-cuisine breakfast menu with unobstructed lake views, while Red Bar radiates late-night energy under disco balls, with inventive cocktails like the Winter Fling (Bumbu Rum, fig liqueur, pistachio & hazelnut orgeat) and shareable bites including Wagyu Beef Ginger Gyoza and truffle mascarpone woodfire pizza.
Perfect for city-lovers and business travellers alike, it’s design-forward, contemporary, and full of vibrant energy.
What we love: The hotel champions the arts with pop-up galleries on level six showcase local artists. Room takeovers like Evie Kemp’s champagne-themed suite keep regulars coming back for more.
Images: Sherwood Queenstown
The Sherwood, Queenstown
Ask for a local pick in Queenstown and Sherwood almost always comes up. Eco-sanctuary, cult-favourite community hub, and one of the savviest bases in town.
Set on 1.5 hectares of hillside with alpine views, it feels more like a friend’s creative hideaway than a hotel, with eclectic artwork, mismatched cushions, and handmade macramé.
The restaurant, named to Denizen’s 2025 Best Restaurants list, is a destination in itself, serving seasonal plates like Blackfoot pāua with mafaldine and karengo butter or Wagyu bavette with cipollini and salsa verde, with much produce drawn from the hotel’s own garden and paired with regional wines.
Wellness is part of the ethos here. Enjoy yoga and pilates classes alongside locals, a post-workout sauna, and decadent massage treatments.
What we love: Sustainability runs deep, from recycled-fishing-net carpet tiles to a 100% renewable energy system powered by 248 solar panels.
Images: The Cottages at Lake Hayes
The Cottages at Lake Hayes
A cluster of private cottages beside Lake Hayes, The Cottages are a contemporary countryside escape. Black-stained exteriors give way to warm, character-filled interiors layered with shaggy fur rugs, caramel leather sofas, crackling fireplaces, and splashes of brightly coloured artwork.
Each cottage comes with its own outdoor soaking tub and fire pit, perfect for winding down after a day on the trails. Settle in, breathe deep, and let the quiet of Queenstown’s countryside do the rest.
What we love: The location is hard to beat. Perfectly placed to explore both Queenstown and Arrowtown, with direct access to the 8 km Lake Hayes Loop. Stop by award-winning Amisfield for a long lunch, a private tasting, and a stroll through the vines.
Images: Azure Luxury Lodge, Queenstown
Azure Lodge
Nine villas sit above Lake Wakatipu with, yes, incredible views. Hard to believe you’re just five minutes from Queenstown’s downtown, it truly feels a world apart. The lodge offers the calm of a nature retreat without losing proximity to restaurants, bars, and nightlife. It’s the kind of place where you could stay in a robe all day and not feel like you’re missing anything.
Sizeable rooms, deep soaking tubs angled toward the lake, gas fireplaces, and underfloor heating make the villas quietly luxurious. Breakfast can be delivered to your door. Sunset drinks and canapés are served nightly in the main lodge, which offers a front-row seat to the dusky pink skyline.
What we love: Romantic and private, ideal for honeymoons or couples getaways. Book an in-villa massage, order room service, and stargaze from the deck. There’s really no reason to leave.