231 Best Hotels in New Zealand

The region’s only Qualmark-rated five-star hotel offers a mix of suites, apartments, and studios, all luxuriously appointed, some with full kitchens, dining areas, and laundry, and some overlooking the gardens of Seymour Square. Ask for one of the rooms facing the square for a leafy outlook. The hotel, which is locally owned and independent from major chains, also has an excellent restaurant, cozy bar, sheltered pool and courtyard, small but modern gym, and a lovely day spa.

Set amid gardens and native bush and connected by winding paths are these character-filled studios and cottages. Each is decorated with stained glass and arched windows and come with a little porch overlooking the gardens. Some have wood fires, and all are built with recycled timber in keeping with the style of the adjacent Church Bistro restaurant. There's a mix of studios, self-contained cottages with kitchenettes and a separate bedroom, and a three-bedroom house in a separate, private setting. A communal lounge has a television and indoor/outdoor BBQ area.

This one-of-a-kind, loft-style accommodation sitting above the boutique Fiordland Cinema and Black Dog Bar includes a welcome bottle of wine and tickets to a screening of Ata Whenua Fiordland Experience downstairs. The room is well appointed and quiet, and a rare modern find in this sleepy town.

In a quiet rural area just outside the village center, this motel complex has a variety of stylishly modern units to suit a range of budgets. All have decks; apartments have whirlpool baths as well. The studios and one- or two-bedroom apartments are in a garden environment and have ample parking.

Dating from 1903, the Edwardian-style building that now houses this stylish, luxurious hotel was originally the local post office, behind whose grand facade (check out the French antique tiles that line the roof) lie some of the city's most luxurious lodgings. Accommodations include Queen Deluxe, King Executive, and King Premiere rooms, the main differentiating feature being their size. The hotel is just on the edge of town, about a five-minute walk to the shops and restaurants as well as being handy to the waterfront.

Set amid 3 acres of gardens, with native bushwalks to the rear of the property and the Thames coast just across the road, this is a spacious, scenic spot to stay as you enter Coromandel. Accommodations include A-framed chalets, plus fully accessible units, family rooms, and budget cottages. Some units are elevated with sea views, great for watching sunsets and migratory seabirds. There's free Wi-Fi throughout.

These well-appointed loft-style rooms and suites (including some with two bedrooms) in the heart of the city will have you feeling like a true local. Located on Hannah's Laneway, the Cobbler is a stone's throw from the Wellington Chocolate Factory, and it feels more like an upscale apartment block than a hotel. Before your arrival, the owners send you a unique entry code, so you don't have to fuss with check-in times or waiting in line. Don't take the lack of check-in desk as a sign of missing service: the owners are easily contacted should you need anything. Each room also comes with a bespoke, up-to-date guide of local events and eateries that you can take home as a souvenir.

Just minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from central Christchurch, this family-owned, resort-style accommodation includes a heated indoor pool, sauna, spa, fitness center, and tennis court. Rooms are quiet, large, and comfortable, with the latest TVs and generous bathrooms. The stylishly landscaped terrace area, with a big open fireplace, is a great place to relax with a drink just about all year-round. Staff are superfriendly and helpful.

This complex sprawls along a peninsula within walking distance of the Waitangi Treaty House. Most rooms have a terrace or patio, giving them an airier feeling. It's the biggest hotel north of Auckland is a favorite with tour groups. It's especially popular at the beginning of February when the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi is commemorated.

With 24 acres of landscaped grounds and gardens, this spot on the southern outskirts of Masterton is a large hotel for a small town, and the helpful staff and spacious rooms make it especially good if you are traveling with children. Perks like a pool, playground, and special kids’ menus give it added family appeal. The main restaurant showcases local ingredients and wine in a spacious setting with a cozy ambience.

Whether you choose a luxury villa, cottage, self-catering motel room, cabin, or powered campervan site, you can enjoy the amazing facilities at this park, which include a large swimming pool, barbecues with indoor/outdoor dining, laundry, and fish- and boat-cleaning facilities for fishers. Holiday programs like peninsula bike tours and a summer kids' club are also offered by the friendly hosts. Camping rates begin at NZ$22 for basic tent sites without electricity.

While this three-level apartment-style accommodation bears little resemblance to a ship's lookout, it does provide a handy and comfortable base from which to explore the area. Apartments have decks (balconies) and large windows facing out to the ocean, and the furnishings are modern but fairly standard (the color white dominates). However, this is ideal if you are spending a few days in town, due to each unit having its own kitchen, microwave, and dishwasher. There are also larger units for families. If you're not preparing your own dinner, Whitianga's restaurants are a short stroll away.

As Christchurch's tallest central city building (once an office tower), this is a prime location with spectacular views overlooking historic Victoria Square and the Avon River. Comfortable beds and quiet zones guarantee a good night's sleep. There's a chic restaurant, café, and bar, plus a well equipped gym. The Crowne Plaza is in walking distance to nearly everything in the city, and just around the corner from historic New Regent Street and Isaac Theatre Royal.

These spacious and stylish studio apartments have plenty of conveniences, including washer-dryers and very comfy leather lounger chairs. Outside is a heated pool and there's also handy off-street parking. Guests can charge meals at the lovely Tides Restaurant, at nearby Trailways Hotel, to their room.

Located only blocks from the central city, rooms here have more character than a standard motel thanks to art deco-inspired interiors and colorful furnishings throughout. The lower units open onto small patios, although the only views are of the tall fence bordering the property. Off-street parking is available to guests, as is Netflix in the rooms. Check-in is via a text message and lockbox system. 

The only tourist lodging in the park to give a panoramic view of three active volcanoes is this friendly complex, close to the ski slopes. Most accommodations are in self-contained apartments and chalets. One-bedroom units sleep up to five people. There's also a pair of double rooms priced for backpackers, as well as powered campsites. The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner; packed lunches are available on request. On-site amenities include a fully licensed bar and a guest lounge with sundeck. The lodge also runs its own shuttle to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, arriving just before 6 am.

This simple hotel offers low key accommodation without fancy add-ons—each room has en suite bathrooms, satellite TV, and tea/coffeemaking facilities and Wi-Fi. 

This 11-floor, upscale, New Zealand--owned and -operated hotel is a postearthquake renovation with a contemporary design. It's an easy walk to all the main shopping and dining areas, with the acclaimed O.G.B. Bar next door. Expect the latest technology and top-quality bedding and room comfort.

The city's largest hotel occupies a 1927 heritage building (check out the cage-style elevator, one of the country's oldest). In addition to comfortable queen-bed rooms, the hotel has an on-site restaurant serving modern New Zealand cuisine, a cozy house bar, and a larger bar with big-screen television for sports viewing. It also has major conference and function facilities, so a stay may be shared with wedding guests or meeting delegates.

A place for travelers rather than party animals, Ducks and Drakes offers character, color, and modern accommodations within walking distance of shops, cafés, and Pukekura Park. Rooms come in all shapes and sizes, each scrupulously clean. Those in the main building (singles, twins, doubles, and dorms for up to six people) share bathrooms, but there are plenty to go around. Guests also share an outdoor veranda, communal kitchen, cool dining area, sun porch, two cozy, warm lounges, and full laundry facilities. Five self-contained motel units with kitchenettes open to gardens and have off-street parking.

This waterfront hotel is a favorite with the yachting fraternity, for whom ready access to the harbor and the bar downstairs are the most important considerations. That means staying here will place in you the thick of the noisy action during the busy summer breaks. Antiques add character and the rooms are bright and cheerful. The hotel has a history with fire---the previous three incarnations were burned down (the first by the legendary Māori chief Hone Heke). For more space, opt for one of the waterfront suites with large whirlpool baths, or there's a one-bedroom bungalow right on the waterfront. It gets very busy in the holiday periods so you must book ahead.

This boutique hotel is visionary in its modernist architecture, which comprises concrete, steel, and glass, and its big focus on modern New Zealand art. Each level has its own central atrium lounge exhibiting works by contemporary New Zealand artists. A large mural on the hotel's exterior tells a story from the site's history: the reclaimed Otago Harbour tidal flats are where the first settlers arrived on their wakas (Māori seagoing vessels) from Polynesia. The impressive glass curtain wall showcases 30 digitally printed glass panels. There's a café on-site.

On the lakefront in a quiet area away from town, this property is great for a longer stay in Wānaka. Some rooms are fully self-contained and there's a nice restaurant on-site, where the locals make a point of visiting on weekends for their house-made scones. If you take the walking trail to Wānaka township, you'll pass one of the most photographed trees in New Zealand, a solitary crooked, cracked willow growing out of the lake known as That Wānaka Tree.

Commanding the corner opposite the pier, this turn-of-the-20th-century Edwardian baroque-revival hotel is the first thing you see when approaching Devonport by ferry. (And it's advisable to get here by ferry, as the traffic into Devonport can be bumper-to-bumper, especially when the trendy suburb is hosting a music or food festival.) Upstairs, a wide corridor lighted by chandeliers leads to generous rooms with period furnishings and long drapes hanging from the tall windows. Harbor views come at a slightly higher rate. The elegant two-bedroom, two-bathroom Penthouse Suite is ideal for families (at around twice the standard rate).

A few kilometers out of Te Anau on the road to Milford Sound, glass, stone, and timber blend together to make a stylish place to spend a few days. Each room has a wide-ranging lake view, and there are log cabins that are especially well-suited for families. They have guides that specialize in fly-fishing, and offer packages that include Fiordland tours or Great Walks.

Even just arriving here is an exceptional experience—whether by boat or the namesake Flying Fox, a cable car that carries you across to the remote, west bank of the Whanganui Rive; once here, you can choose between two-bedroom cottages, an off-grid tiny house, Treetops studio, or a glamping tent. The cottages were hand-built using salvaged materials; inside, rug-covered floors, tie-dye throws, carved screens, and wood-burning stoves create a warm, cozy ambience. Distinctly eco-friendly, facilities here include wood- and gas-fired showers and solar lighting; moreover, the entire property is certified organic. Both self-catering and bed-and-breakfast options are available, and other meals can be provided (ask in advance). Glamping and camping facilities are available in the summer months. A little store carries a few products as well as home-grown produce. You can get to the Flying Fox from Whanganui on the Whanganui River Road Mail Tour; if you're driving, there's secure parking on the road side of the river.

One block from Dunedin’s main shopping and dining area, these clean and spacious apartments come with full kitchens in one-bedroom units and refrigerators and microwaves in the studios. The separate terrace apartment offers a perfect family home-from-home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. All units offer off-street parking.

At this beautiful B&B a short walk from town, you can have private views over Paterson Inlet from two double rooms and a cozy wee single. Kakas (parrots) are frequent visitors to the deck, and the gorgeous garden is nice for strolling. Continental or cooked breakfasts are available.

A short drive north of Franz Josef village, these stylish, well-equipped one- and two-bedroom villas are in a quiet rural location away from the tourist bustle and helicopters. Each has a spacious lounge, dining area, and kitchen, and opens to private decks with mountain views. Kids can run off energy on the trampoline, or the little farm with its sheep. Gas barbecues are available for guests. 

These six independent units set amid a hillside garden overlooking the sea offer a relaxing ambience and great sunsets. All units are fully self-contained and individually designed, ranging from doubles (some with an upstairs bedroom) to sleeping four (one double and two singles). Guest treats include a swimming pool, hot tub, barbecue, garden dell, and children's play area, plus energetic, friendly hosts.