If adventure is calling, make your way to Queenstown, a mountainous area known for its high adrenaline sports like bungee jumping, jet boating, paragliding and skiing. The resort is found in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand’s South Island on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, a region known as the Southern Alps. From Queenstown you can explore nearby historic mining towns and tour the wineries for which New Zealand is famous. And it’s well worth following its majestic trails on foot, horseback or two wheels. Here’s where to stay if you plan on spending time in Queenstown.
Sofitel Queenstown – Hotel & Spa
At the centre of town, surrounded by amenities, the Sofitel offers a taste of European elegance. Step inside and you may think you’d arrived on a rue in France; there’s a public area including shops, a cafe, a grand piano and the velvet-curtained access to the in-house speakeasy. The Parisian-style Left Bank Cafe and Restaurant continues this French theme, as does its 1789 Wine & Jazz bar, with frequent live sets. The spa, with a hammam and unique Maori massage treatments, has won awards. The hotel’s six-storeys accommodate bedrooms, suites and penthouses; the latter providing lake views, patios and jacuzzis.