Blanket Bay
On Lake Wakatipu's shore, an alpine lodge built from stone and timber
Set against the Southern Alps on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, Blanket Bay is a stone and timber lodge about forty-five minutes from Queenstown by road. Beamed ceilings, rock fireplaces and large picture windows frame views across the water to the Greenstone Valley and the Humboldt range. The property holds twelve rooms across lodge rooms, lodge suites, chalets, a villa and a separate Owner's Residence, each finished in native timber and stone. Lodge Rooms open onto a private balcony or terrace with views over the lake. Lodge Suites add a 400-square-foot balcony and a separate steam shower alongside the stone fireplace. It is a compact stay, never crowded. The Chalets sit a short walk from the main building and draw on colonial New Zealand building traditions, using schist stone and reclaimed wharf timbers. The Villa stands above the lodge and chalets, its four king suites arranged around a shared lounge, bar and kitchen, with a fire pit and hot tubs outside. Guests can reach Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Park by helicopter within minutes, or fish, ride, hike or golf closer to the lodge. Dinner runs as a five-course menu built on Central Otago produce, served in the dining room or, in warm weather, on the terrace above the lake. Check-in runs from 3pm.