Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa

The Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa is a stylish, contemporary hotel with a cozy, upscale Alpine feel. The decor includes dark, earthy tones with red and purple accents, lots of rich wood, and several stone fireplaces. The views are exceptional, particularly from the lakeside terraces. Other than its size, there's not much that screams “chain” about this Hilton outpost. The lobby is huge, with comfortable velvet sofas and armchairs, black marble floors, interesting artwork, plants, and flowers. The signature restaurant, the Wakatipu Grill, has an open kitchen and spectacular lake vistas. The restaurant’s lovely outdoor terrace has a stone fire pit ringed by a huge circular couch, with blankets nearby. Stacks Pub has a fun, more casual dining room where the walls are hung with colorful skis. The sexy, red-walled Cru Wine Bar and Lounge has black leather bucket chairs and low lighting, plus a wooden terrace with views across the lake. The hotel is frequented by both locals and tourists, plus business travelers thanks to the many conventions and meetings held here. The atmosphere remains high-end and high-style, and there's plenty of space to relax after a long day on the slopes.

The Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa is conveniently located a fiveminute drive from the Queenstown Airport, making it an excellent location for conventions and business meetings. The resort sits on the eastern shore of scenic Lake Wakatipu, in Kawarau Village, which is essentially a Hilton-built complex of two hotels, several shops, and some restaurants. Access from Queenstown by car is via a one-way bridge, which can involve a wait during rush hour. There's a free water taxi from the Hilton’s wharf, which transports guests to downtown Queenstown in 10 minutes. Guests interested in the Queenstown party scene may want to stay closer to the center, where there are many hotels crowded into a smaller area. Guests interested in spending time on the area ski slopes will save 15 to 20 minutes in the car by staying at the Hilton instead of at hotels in the city center. The resort is within a 20-minute drive of golfing at Jacks Point, Millbrook Resort, and The Hills Golf Course, plus there's a walking and biking path just off the grounds.

The 178 rooms come in a variety of configurations, including lower-tier King Rooms, one- and two-bedroom apartments, and high-end Suites. Some rooms are split-level, with separate bedrooms and living rooms. The decor is similar in all rooms, elegant and contemporary, including chocolate-brown walls, handsome wall-to-wall carpeting, and comfortable seating areas often facing the floor-to-ceiling windows with village, mountain, or lake views. Every room has a king-size bed, gas fireplace, and furnished terrace or balcony. Bathrooms are a highlight, with large soaking tubs and separate glassed-in showers, as well as hairdryers and Peter Thomas Roth toiletries. 

One- and two-bedroom Residences have full kitchens that include stainless-steel ovens, dishwashers, full-size stoves and refrigerators, microwaves, and washer/dryers. Decadent Relaxation Rooms come with private decks and outdoor hot tubs overlooking the lake. Standard amenities include air-conditioning, 32-inch flat-screen TVs, coffee/tea facilities, ironing facilities, safes, and robes and slippers; minibars and Mp3 clock radios are in some. Connecting rooms are available upon request.

A standout feature at the hotel is eforea, a full-service spa with 10 treatment rooms, including three couples' suites, and an extensive treatment menu that includes massage, aromatherapy, facials, body wraps, salt scrubs, mani-pedis, and more. The spa also has a heated indoor lap pool in a relaxing solarium designed with wood and stone; additionally, a spacious deck is lined with luxe sunbeds for lounging. The hotel fitness center is stocked with a variety of cardio equipment, medicine balls, and free weights, and there are a sauna and steam room as well. Bicycles can be rented on-site, and storage for skis is available.

The hotel runs a free shuttle to popular local attractions and a free water taxi to the center of Queenstown. The Hilton has extensive, fully equipped conference facilities that consist of seven meeting rooms for up to 240 people, and both wedding and event-planning services are available. The 24-hour Connectivity Centre on the fourth floor offers free Wi-Fi and two guest computers, plus faxing, scanning, and copying services. The Executive Cinema screens family movies and can be booked for private events. 

Wakatipu Grill serves New Zealand cuisine in an attractive dining room with stunning lake views, an open kitchen, and a pair of stone fireplaces. Stacks Pub is a more casual dinner spot with its own pizza oven. Me and Mee is an Asian restaurant with quick service and takeout, specializing in noodle bowls. There's a huge grocery and convenience store for picking something up on the fly. Wine lovers will appreciate Cru Wine Bar and Lounge, which specializes in regional wines, complemented by a tapas menu. The hotel offers several comfortable spots for apres ski drinks, including outdoor terraces with fire pits.