My guide to the very best hotels and places to stay in Queenstown

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Places I have stayed in Queenstown (and that I would recommend)

$ — Tahuna Pod Hostel is a great budget option or for solo travellers. It attracts an older, calmer crowd, unlike a lot of the other hostels in Queenstown.
$$ — Scenic Suites: Conveniently located a 10 minute walk from the centre of town, I loved the lake view and amenities like a washer and dryer in the suite. The breakfast at the hotel was average at best, but that’s not an issue when cafes are so close by.
$$$ — Millbrook Resort: I loved staying out in Arrowtown, away from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown central. Millbrook has complimentary shuttles to take you to and from town, and Arrowtown itself has nice restaurants and serves as a good base for exploring the area.

When I hiked the Rees Dart track, I booked a shuttle to the trailhead in the Rees valley, and chatted to the driver on the way. I told him I had no shuttle booked back from the remote Dart trailhead, because it wasn’t running on the day I wanted to leave.

He told me if I was lucky, I might be able to hitch a ride out.

I got lucky.

When I tramped into the Dart carpark six days later, who should be there, but that same driver — he also works as a tour driver for Nomad Safaris, and happened to be parked up at the exact same moment I emerged.

He offered me a lift all the way back to Queenstown.

That’s what Queenstown is like; small enough that you’ll bump into the same people everywhere. Even in the weirdest places.

Despite it being such a major tourist hub, Queenstown really is a small town. This means the centre is jam packed with hotels, restaurants, and traffic.

It can be mayhem at times, and locals love to call Queenstown ‘Conestown,’ because of the road cones that seem to line every street in town.

centre of queenstown, new zealand — *The centre of Queenstown is forever littered with roadworks and cones*

It isn’t that surprising that road works are underway in Queenstown. It’s a small town with a huge number of visitors cramming their cars into the streets. Space is at a premium, and that goes for accommodation as well — Queenstown is not a cheap place to rent a room.

That said, there are many places to choose from. This list of places to stay is based on my own experience of visiting Queenstown dozens of times. I haven’t stayed everywhere, but I have tried to give honest reviews of the places I have first hand experience of.

Queenstown Central

The best place place to stay in Queenstown if you want to be walking distance to bars, restaurants, and the lakefront

queenstown lakefront in the early morning light

The very centre of Queenstown is compact — most shops, restaurants, and tour desks are contained within a small grid you can walk around within 15 minutes.

The lakefront in town is a beautiful place for a morning or evening stroll, but if you want somewhere a little apart from the crowds, walk through the Queenstown Gardens over to Park Street, which is part of the Frankton Track along the lake. Following the lakeside along the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu, the trail takes you past quieter waterfront spots to sit and enjoy the views.

A few things to note about the centre of Queenstown – parking is difficult and often expensive. Circling the tight streets of the busy centre trying to locate a parking spot can be stressful. Your best bet is often the large Wilson Parking buildings, or to plan to pick up your rental car when you leave Queenstown.

Central Queenstown’s bars and restaurants very much cater to the tourist market. Largely staffed with international visitors on working holidays, and typically packed with a younger (and just as international) crowd determined to have a good time, these venues are either vibrant or noisy, depending on your perspective. If you prefer quieter environs, consider staying out of the centre.

*The evening view from the living room of my suite at* *Scenic Suites in Queenstown*

Where to stay in Central Queenstown

Scenic Suites Queenstown

MY REVIEW:

After a couple of weeks of being on the road, I was very happy to check into my suite overlooking Lake Wakatipu. The kitchen came with some much-appreciated essentials — coffee machine, washing machine, and dryer.

The separate bedroom opened onto a little balcony, and the spacious living room had floor to ceiling windows to better capture the view.

The biggest catch with the Scenic Suites is that not all of the rooms are looking at the lake — I stayed here as part of a larger group and not everyone had the epic view I had. I’m not totally sure how you would mitigate that, except to maybe contact them after booking.

The breakfast was honestly pretty disappointing and I wouldn’t bother with it — head to odd saint in town instead.

It’s only a 10 minute walk to the very centre of town, but note that you will have to walk uphill to get back to the hotel.

CHECK RATES >>

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Tahuna Pod Hostel

Tahuna Pod Hostel is a solid budget option, especially for solo travellers when bearing the cost of a hotel room on your own is too much.

MY REVIEW:

As far as Queenstown hostels go, Tahuna Pod Hostel is really nice (I have stayed in some of the very grimy hostels which attract a much younger and rowdier crowd).

Guests in Tahuna are a little more diverse in age than some of the other budget options (I didn’t feel out of place) and it’s small enough that it’s still quiet.

The pod setup of the dorms is very comfortable, and the whole place was impeccably clean.

I have stayed there many times, and while it’s expensive for a dorm room, I think it’s worth paying a bit extra for quiet, comfort, and cleanliness. For reference, I also tried a night in the Haka House Queenstown Lakefront and did not enjoy it anywhere near as much. The facilities, location, and staff were all better at Tahuna.

WHAT’S NEARBY

Tahuna Pod Hostel is right in the middle of town, so it’s walking distance to everything the centre has to offer.

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The Sherwood

I haven’t stayed at The Sherwood, but I have visited the restaurant, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The hotel also some great eco-friendly credentials, and has a little more personality than some of the newer properties around town (I might have peeked into some of the rooms).

The location is roughly between central Queenstown and Frankton, so you’ll need transport to get around.

Frankton

Staying in Frankton is more an exercise in practicality than romance.

Frankton is mostly strip malls, supermarkets and the airport, but it’s convenient if most of your planned activities are outside of Queenstown itself.

Parking is much easier to find and usually free, you’re close to amenities if you need to shop for snacks before a hike, and the airport is literally walking distance from some properties.

And it’s not ugly, by any means. Frankton isn’t really a destination in itself, but Frankton beach is a nice place to watch the sunset.

Sudima Queenstown Five Mile

Sudima Queenstown Five Mile is a great option if you’d prefer to stay in Frankton (and avoid having to deal with parking and driving in the centre of Queenstown).

It only opened in 2021, so it’s relatively new, and the design is immaculate (I’m also a fan of the Sudima in Kaikoura). I haven’t stayed in the Sudima Queenstown, but I have been to dinner in the restaurant there. The food was forgettable, but the hotel itself was lovely.

Arrowtown

For a quieter area to stay, Arrowtown is 20km (12 miles) or a 15 minute drive from Queenstown.

Arrowtown is a gold-rush era village that has been so well preserved you half expect to see muddy-booted prospectors trudging down the street amongst the tourists. The main street is a short but sweet parade of original buildings. Although the quaint facades have been kept intact, the buildings now house a range of boutique stores, restaurants and bars. A few minutes walk from the centre is a partially restored Chinese village, dating back to the 1880s. It provides a glimpse into the often overlooked role of Chinese prospectors in the gold rush.

Arrowtown is ideal for a half day out from Queenstown, but it also works well as a base. There are a number of good places to eat and drink in Arrowtown, plus the crowds thin out significantly later in the day.

Glenorchy

Located 45 minutes from Queenstown, it’s worth going to Glenorchy for the drive along the edge of the lake alone; the views are spectacular.

However, most of the activities you can do in Glenorchy offer free transport from Queenstown, so there’s no need to base yourself in the village of 500 odd people, unless you want to be away from the Queenstown crowds.

If you don’t mind the tiny selection of places to eat and stay, and you’re mostly in the area to hike, Glenorchy is a great jumping off point for exploring Mount Aspiring National Park.

The Headwaters Eco Lodge

Although this luxury eco accommodation is located in Glenorchy, a 45 minute drive from Queenstown, I’m including it anyway as it’s a truly exceptional place to stay. Its sustainability credentials are top notch.

Why I recommend this hotel:

This lodge feels perfectly integrated with the landscape. It’s one of the most thoughtfully designed places I have stayed.

I loved all the details, like the heavy wooden beams throughout, recycled materials, and landscaped gardens with stones, native grasses, and even a fire pit.

It did get sold a few years ago to billionaire developers, which I don’t love, but the lodge has stayed committed to sustainability and reinvesting profits into the community, which is good.

What’s nearby:

Glenorchy is just a small village, but you can easily stroll to the lake and check out the famous red shed, or just go for a coffee next door at Mrs Woolleys General Store.