Best Luxury Lodges, South Island, New Zealand

The Lindis

Ahuriri Valley

Hidden within the Ahuriri Valley, The Lindis is an architectural statement shaped entirely by its surroundings. Its low, curved form mirrors the natural contours of the landscape, while the interiors draw on stone, timber, and soft earth tones to create a sense of quiet luxury.

Five suites and three glass-walled pods offer privacy and panoramic views of the valley’s sculptural terrain. Days can be spent horse riding from the lodge’s stables, exploring by e-bike or 4WD, fly fishing, or simply enjoying the expansive skies, some of the clearest in the country for stargazing. Remote, refined, and deeply atmospheric, The Lindis is one of New Zealand’s most remarkable alpine stays.

Flockhill Villas

Craigieburn Valley

Set across 36,000 acres of high-country wilderness, Flockhill Villas offers exclusivity on an extraordinary scale. Its architecture is minimalist and sculptural, designed to frame uninterrupted mountain views. Each villa serves as a private retreat, complete with outdoor firepits and deep-soaking baths overlooking the landscape.

Dining at Sugarloaf, the lodge’s celebrated restaurant, showcases foraged ingredients, seasonal produce, and refined high-country cuisine. Guests can explore the property’s river valleys, limestone formations, and alpine routes on foot, bike, or with expert local guides. One of the most sophisticated new lodge experiences in the South Island.

Matakauri Lodge

Queenstown

Perched on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Matakauri Lodge offers a front-row seat to Queenstown’s most iconic panorama, the Remarkables, Cecil Peak, and Walter Peak rising sharply across the water. The lodge’s interiors are warm, contemporary, and elegantly restrained, designed to draw the eye outward.

A spa, infinity pool, sauna, fitness centre, and library complement the guest suites, while the Owner’s Cottage provides a private four-suite residence ideal for families or groups. With Queenstown just minutes away yet entirely out of sight, Matakauri balances convenience with complete lakeside tranquillity.

Minaret Station

Wanaka

Accessible only by helicopter, Minaret Station offers one of New Zealand’s most exclusive alpine experiences. Set in a remote glacial valley, the property comprises four luxurious chalet suites, each with a private deck, outdoor hot tub, and expansive mountain views.

Guests can enjoy heli-hiking, heli-skiing (in winter), fly fishing, guided alpine exploration, and bespoke wilderness picnics in extraordinary locations. In the evenings, the central lodge becomes the gathering place, a warm, cozy lodge setting where cuisine highlights regional ingredients and refined alpine dining.

Hapuku Lodge

Kaikoura

Situated at the base of the Kaikoura Seaward Mountain Range, Hapuku Treehouse and Lodge rewards you views of the Kaikoura coast, Mangamaunu Bay and the surrounding fields where wild deer roam. As a destination, Kaikoura has long been heralded as a marine paradise and one of the world’s premier eco-marine tourism destinations. 

The origins of Hapuku Lodge stemmed from a deer farm owned by the Wilson family in the mid 1990s; when they first purchased the land, it was simply to be farmed and the location was prime for surfing, a keen interest of the family. Today, the farm is nearly 500 acres and they run 800 deer. 

The Wilson family wanted to share the beautiful produce of the region with people, so in 2003, they decided to open a roadside cafe and shortly after realised the potential it had to become so much more than that. The inspiration for the treehouses came from imagining the perspective birds overflying the region would have, and so, they decided to build houses in the sky. 

The Treehouses, located 10 metres above the ground and nestled in the native tree canopy, feature large spa baths and wood-burning fireplaces, while the Lodge Room and Suites have Japanese style soaking tubs. All boast breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains and Pacific Coast. 

It doesn't stop there, in addition there is also a small pool, hot tub and sauna as well as an opportunity to revive tired limbs with a pre-ordered massage.  Native tuis, fantails and bellbirds flit through the air, while just offshore the deep ocean trench is home to orcas, seals and humpback whales. 

Other activities on offer include learning to surf at Mangamaunu break, explore the local trails either by foot or mountain bike, help pick olives during the winter months, or simply sit by the fire whilst enjoying a glass of wine. 

At mealtimes, swap sky-high living for the main lodge. Olive oil, eggs, pork, bacon and venison are all produced on-site, there's a small Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, and an organic vegetable garden that supplies the restaurant.  After your scrumptious dinner climb back up the stairs through the treetops to your bed among the stars.

Hapuku Lodges are eco-centric in all that they do as they do their best to source only fresh, local produce. All of their own products are organic and their goal is to become a zero-waste community. The fireplaces are some of the most efficient in the world and all tree houses are insulated and double glazed. For the eco-conscious traveller, Hapuku Lodge is an absolute must. 

Bay of Many Coves

Marlborough

Accessible only by water taxi, Bay of Many Coves rests in a secluded arm of Queen Charlotte Sound, surrounded by native bush and still waters. Days unfold at a gentle rhythm: kayaking across calm bays, relaxing in the outdoor hot tub overlooking the sound, or joining guided trips in search of dolphins, birdlife, and hidden coves.

The Queen Charlotte Track is just moments away, offering one of New Zealand’s most scenic multi-day walks. Suites are refined, warm, and contemporary, echoing the understated elegance of a modern coastal bach. A peaceful retreat in every season, it’s the ideal introduction to the South Island’s sheltered waterways.

Otahuna Lodge

Christchurch

Set in one of the country's most significant gardens against the fluted cone of an ancient volcano, Otahuna Lodge, New Zealand's largest private historic residence, has been revitalised with luxury accommodation, glorious gardens and sophisticated cuisine.

Otahuna combines the romance of the past with the cosmopolitan pleasures of the present - the very best of both worlds. Each of the seven suites is configured differently with spacious bathrooms and toe-claw baths and views of the century old manicured garden, daffodil field, lawn and lake.

The menu at Otahuna Lodge is a celebration of fresh, seasonal flavours inspired by the 120 varieties of fruits and vegetables grown organically in the Lodge’s own potager garden and orchard. Entirely organic, each evening at the lodge sees the property's esteemed chefs orchestrate a bespoke five-course degustation menu paired with the finest New Zealand wines.

Blanket Bay

Glenorchy

Set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu amidst the rugged snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps. Blanket Bay is where relaxation and adventure meets luxury accommodation, unparalleled service and five star facilities. 

Days are for exploring the Southern Alps; a helicopter flight over jaw-dropping Milford Sound; a thrilling jet-boat ride on the beautiful Dart River; fly-fishing or hiking, not to mention the Hot Tub with magnificent lake and mountain views.

Nights are spent eating dinner on the outdoor terrace under a star-filled sky (there are blankets if it gets chilly) or in the intimate Wine Cave, while enjoying world-class cuisine, focusing on locally sourced seasonal produce.

Sir Ian McKellen described it as “paradise on Earth”. Who are we to argue with Gandalf?

Fiordland Lodge

Te Anau

Located on the road to Milford Sound just outside Te Anau and overlooking the lake, Fiordland Lodge really is the ‘gateway to the Fiords’. 

Set in a World Heritage Area, Fiordland Lodge in Te Anau offers the discerning traveller style, comfort and privacy.  The perfect base from where to explore Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, and the surrounding Fiordland National Park.

Fiordland Lodge is your exclusive retreat while you get the opportunity to discover one of the world's most beautiful areas. It is a place where snow-capped mountains, rivers of ice, deep lakes, unbroken forests and tussock grasslands produce a landscape of exceptional beauty.