Azur Lodge

"5* | 9 rooms | From $500pn The whole point of New Zealand, from an outsider’s perspective, is the outdoors — there’s city culture there, of course, but what’s worth going on and on about are the natural gifts of the place. So a hotel like Azur plays to all its location’s strengths; it’s urbane and sophisticated, just a few minutes from the center of Queenstown, but mostly it’s just immersed in natural splendor, with views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkable mountain range, and easy access to all the activities, from water sports to heli-skiing, that both entail. It hardly gets more private than this: nine freestanding villas, practically self-contained residences, just the lack of a kitchen keeping them out of luxury-condo territory. Breakfast is served en-suite or in the lodge, and a variety of canapés and baked goods appear at various times of the day — tea time, cocktail hour, et cetera. Spa tubs sprawl under panoramic windows, and those fireplaces see a bit of use during ski season. It’s almost hard to imagine leaving — luckily Azur provides complimentary transfers to Queenstown’s restaurants. Of course you’ll want to get out at some point. Holing up in your villa pales in comparison to what the South Island setting has to offer — it’s a destination for all seasons, offering literally any outdoor activity imaginable, depending on the time of year. How to get there: Azur is approximately a 15 minute drive from Queenstown Airport."