This was published 12 years ago
Hilton Queenstown, review: Come on over, the warmth's fine
Lake and light ... the newly opened Hilton Queenstown.
Right site, right size, right vibe - laid-back Queenstown's new 'ski village' is a light-filled hit with visitors and locals, writes Julie Miller.
IN THE hotel world, location is king. But for the Hilton Queenstown, being on what's widely considered the "wrong" side of Lake Wakatipu is a blessing in disguise.
While the South Island town of Queenstown, nestled in a cove on the northern shores of the lake, shivers in the shadow of the surrounding sawtooth mountains, the new Hilton basks in sunshine on the opposite bank, a trap for winter rays from sun-up to sundown.
The Wakatipu Grill's "pinot pit".
With the twinkling lake at its front door and views to Coronet Peak and beyond, New Zealand's newest and biggest hotel complex celebrates its isolation from the rest of the town with literal warmth, inviting guests and visitors to "come on over" to see what the sunny side has to offer.
Inconvenience is certainly not on the agenda. While it might take 20 minutes to drive around the lake into town, an exclusive water taxi service costing $NZ5 ($4) each way will scoot you across in 10 minutes. And being the closest hotel to the Remarkables ski-fields, as well as just two kilometres from the airport, the Hilton and its sister property, Kawarau Hotel, are positioned perfectly for the global market. The lakefront location, well away from other developments, also ensures a quiet night's sleep in what is mostly considered a party destination. For locals and frequent visitors to New Zealand's adventure capital, last month's opening of the Queenstown Hilton could not come soon enough. Four years in the making, the region's largest building project was plagued by controversy from the outset, its problems compounded by the collapse of the original developer in 2009.
For many months before Hilton Hotels took over, the building site lay idle, a blight on the landscape that left residents of exclusive Kelvin Heights extremely nervous.
"We hated it, I can't tell you how much," one local, who has cycled to breakfast at the hotel's Wakatipu Grill, tells me. "We were so grateful when Hilton finally came in because they immediately asked us what we wanted, how they could soften the blow. Most of us were reluctant but we've been won over and we love coming here now."
Designed as a quintessential ski "village", the precinct features the twin hotels - the five-star Hilton and the four-star apartment-style Kawarau Hotel, managed by Hilton - retail outlets, Queenstown's largest spa, several restaurants, a deli-convenience store and a pub.
For Kelvin Heights residents, it's already a social hub. Stacks Pub has become their "local" where they can drink, eat gourmet pizzas and watch the game on a big screen; young mums sip pinot on the deck of Wakatipu Grill, keeping one eye on their toddlers chasing ducks on the lake shore.
Bicycle racks and dog "parking areas" offer encouragement for locals to drop by during their daily constitutionals, with The Lake Counter offering gourmet pastries and coffee alongside staples such as milk and bread.
"In a resort town like Queenstown, a hotel lives and dies through community support," says the general manager of Hilton Queenstown, Marlene Poynder.
"Without their patronage during the off season, we wouldn't survive. And international guests also love to interact with locals. It creates a friendly, laid-back atmosphere that's appropriate in a ski destination."
The global chain's first South Island entry, the Queenstown Hilton is set apart by this local flavour, with the region of Central Otago dominating - from building materials such as locally hewn schist to artworks and Maori artefacts adorning its walls.
The executive chef of Wakatipu Grill, Peter Thornley, sources regional produce and has a wine list featuring local boutique drops. He's also starting a program with the nearby primary school, encouraging them to grow organic vegetables to supply his restaurant. While its relationship with the community was a challenge at first, the facilities and hospitality on offer at the Kawarau Village have immediate appeal to Australians.
The two hotels are vastly different in ambience; Kawarau Hotel is pitched as the "funky" one, with the Hilton the "swanky" one. The inclusion of kitchenette facilities in each of the Kawarau Hotel's 98 rooms is a bonus for those on a budget, while the minimalist lobby and stylish bar will appeal to the cool ski set.
From its plush, plum-hued lobby, with soaring five-metre picture windows framing the lake and snow-capped mountains, to its spacious split-level guestrooms, the Hilton offers quality without ostentation. It's more like the boutique lodges NZ does so well than a bland international hotel. All its 140 standard rooms feature lake views, balconies, massive freestanding bathtubs in spacious basalt-tiled bathrooms, tactile leather and lacquer desks and a cosy lounge area; 12 "Relaxation Rooms" have direct lake frontage and hot tubs on a deck. There are also 18 one-bedroom interconnecting suites suitable for families.
The Hilton's three-level eforea spa, the largest in Queenstown, offers its global spa experience in 10 treatment rooms. There is an indoor 25-metre lap pool and hot tub, and well-equipped fitness room, though the absence of guests using the latter during my brief visit indicates that any indoor exercise space pales in comparison with nature's gymnasium surrounding the hotel. Outdoor adventure, after all, is what Queenstown is all about.
The writer was a guest of Hilton Worldwide and Air New Zealand.
Trip notes
Where Hilton Queenstown and Kawarau Hotel, managed by Hilton, Kawarau Village, Peninsula Road, Queenstown, New Zealand. +64 3 450 9400, queenstown.hilton.com.
Getting there To coincide with the winter season, Air New Zealand introduced direct daily flights from Sydney, with a flying time of just three hours. airnewzealand.com.au, 13 24 76.
How much Rates at the Kawarau Hotel, for a room sleeping up to two adults and one child, start from $NZ210 ($166) and at the Hilton Queenstown rooms start from $NZ295.
Top marks The fresh juice bar at the Wakatipu Grill is a breakfast delight — make your own or enjoy pre-bottled freshly squeezed combos such as watermelon, beetroot and ginger.
Black mark Outrageously high Wi-Fi prices for in-room internet — why do international hotel chains keep insisting on this surcharge? Free internet is available in the business centre, however I just wish I'd been told before I signed up for 24-hour Wi-Fi access for $NZ29.
Don't miss The Wakatipu Grill's outdoor circular fire pit — or "pinot pit", as it has been dubbed — which has become the social hub of the restaurant.
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