Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa

The Sofitel sits on Duke Street in central Queenstown, a short walk from the waterfront at Lake Whakatipu and close to the town's main restaurants, shops, and gondola. The Remarkables range is visible from the upper-floor rooms. Eighty-two rooms and suites are spread across several categories — Superior Rooms, Luxury Rooms, Junior Suites, and three suite grades including two penthouses. Most have Juliet balconies and double spa baths; the Opera Suite and both penthouses add outdoor Jacuzzis and lake views. Guests staying in a Luxury Room or any suite have access to the Club Lounge, where afternoon tea and canapés are served.

Breakfast is at Left Bank Bistro. Afternoon tea — the French-style Le Goûter — runs in Le Salon Rouge, a red-and-velvet bar that also serves cocktails and a grazing menu. Le Petit Salon handles dinner, with a menu built around New Zealand produce.

The spa operates under a partnership with L'Occitane en Provence and offers five treatment rooms, a hammam, a private Jacuzzi, and a discovery bar for post-treatment refreshments. The signature treatment is a one-hundred-and-twenty-minute Greenstone Ritual drawn from Māori healing practices. A twenty-four-hour fitness centre with cardio and strength equipment sits alongside the spa. Indoor valet parking is available on site.