Dear FTers:

I am a long-term fan of this forum (although I am new to posting here) and wanted to seek out your assistance in advance of an upcoming trip.

Mr. CalifornianWanderer and I have always wanted to travel to New Zealand. We are contemplating a trip in late March and early April. We have never been to New Zealand (we have always just flown over it on our way to Australia from the US), and I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or trip reports about the top properties there.

Based on what I have heard from friends and read about the country, I think we will try to divide our time between the North and South Islands (maybe spending a bit more time on the South) and be there for about three weeks. As New Zealand seems to be best known for its lodges (and we are hotel junkies), we would like to stay at several of them.

In particular, we have heard great things about Otahuna, Huka and Blanket Bay. Has anyone been to any of these three? Are there other lodges worth considering? Is there a single lodge that best showcases New Zealand?

Any detailed information on past experiences would be most appreciated. Thanks so much for your help!

Best for golf, best for family, best for food, and wonderfull rooms.
http://www.kauricliffs.com/
Really enjoyed relaxed to the max.
Julian Robertson does nothing by half.

I am just back from two weeks in NZ, and stayed at three of the top-end lodges: Otahuna, the Farm at Cape Kidnappers, and Matakauri Lodge. They were all excellent, with different strengths, so it depends on what you are most wanting. My personal favorite was the Farm at Cape Kidnappers, which is amazing in its scale, activities, staff, accommodation, and overall ambience. Otahuna has an amazing chef and very, very personal service, more like being in your own home than any place I have stayed. And the views at Matakauri are to die for.

Thanks listener2 and Groombridge!

My husband and I are big foodies and really like a bit of history, so I think Otahuna shall definitely stay on the list. Plus, it sounds like a trip to Kauri Cliffs or Cape Kidnappers is in order as well on the North Island. As they are both owned by the same person and are both golf resorts (we aren't big golfers frankly), I think we will only do one of them. Groombridge and listener2, did you do both or just one? Any thoughts on the merits of one versus the other?

And, has anyone experienced the other "superlodges" like Huka or Blanket Bay?

Really appreciate your help!

I've been to most of those mentioned, and my trip report is here. I absolutely loved Blanket Bay - just a gorgeous setting, and Otahuna was my other favorite. But nothing but good choices here!

I had heard others say that Kauri Cliffs and Capri Kidnappers are very similar experiences, so we chose just to do one, and chose Cape Kidnappers because:

A) it is newer, so I assumed the accommodation and facilities would be fresher. (They were impeccable.)
B) the golf course at Cape Kidnappers is higher rated
C) we wanted to see Napier, since I am a fan of Art Deco architecture

All this said, we loved it so much that I am dying to experience Kauri Cliffs, too, so I am sure whichever you pick you won't go wrong.

I wish we could also have tried Blanket Bay and Wharekauhau.

Each of the three we did try were world class hotel experiences, with a warmth and quality of service leagues ahead of most European and American hotels and resorts.

I found Kauri cliffs the better option for us we also tried cape kidnappers ,both were splendid, the rooms and food were superior at Kauri, but in both cases it comes down to personal taste, we are quibbling over fractions of points and menus or colours, you wont go wrong with either.
The views we felt were better at Kauri, and the golf course was rated 14th in the world last year by golf magazine, where as cape kidnappers a mere 40 something, both incredible. Enjoy.

My wife and I had our honeymoon in NZ in Dec 09 and stayed at Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers, Huka, Otahuna and Blanket Bay.

Like listener2, I preferred Kauri Cliffs to Cape Kidnappers. They are very similar, but I am also a hotel junkie and found the interiors at Kauri Cliffs to be richer and the surrounding landscape/attractions more compelling - Maori tourism, sailing, kauri forests etc. I also don't play golf, but really enjoyed just walking the golf course and also exploring other things on the property - trails, beaches, and the spa which was amazing. Just to walk to the spa through the fern forest was somewhat of a spiritual experience. One thing I didn't like about either was that they both required a jacket for dinner. Neither the setting nor the food is formal enough to justify a jacket or tie(albeit the casualness is a strength) and there is nothing else in NZ that would require a jacket.

Otahuna I think was our favourite though. It had the best food, partly due to the personality and presentation of the chefs. We particularly like the country house hotels of England and there are a lot of similarities between Otahuna and Gidleigh Park or possibly Le Manoir (though Le Manoir is much more formal) with the history, the style and the garden. Also we found the value to be best at Otahuna - one of the most delightful things was that they don't charge for things that the others do, like wine and laundry. We also took a tour (another thing they didn't charge for) of their gardens with the gardener and the amount of vegetables and fruit they grow onsite was inspirational.

We also would absolutely recommend Blanket Bay as well. It was a good place to finish as the setting offers a big wow factor.

I'll buck the trend and put a vote for Kidnappers. What a splendid location atop the cliffs.

Plus, nearby Napier is something memorable to see. It is one of the best preserved art deco developments in the world. If you like the architecture in places like Miami Beach, you'll love this town.

The good news is as long as you stay within Julian's properties, you won't go wrong either way.

otahuna (7 rooms) >

gidleigh park - 24 rooms and public restaurant
le manoir - 32 rooms and public restaurant

otahuna and paratiho (6 rooms) >

paratiho >

dont see anything in last 2 years, presumably not currently planning to reopen

http://wayback.archive.org/web/*/htt...aratiho.co.nz/
feb 2010
nov 2009
aug > nov 2009 - sold for 15mm nzd
http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/new-ze...xclusive-lodge
http://www.valuersnelson.co.nz/prope...ate=2009-11-18
http://canterbury.cyberplace.org.nz/...#_Toc263540870
http://www.sella.co.nz/property/rural/4sf8d6/

nov 2008 - GM leaves
http://nz.linkedin.com/pub/simon-bru...ler/33/213/336

mar 31 2008 - ceases hotel operations
http://newszealand.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

A comprehensive list of exceptional properties DavidO !~

Another property to consider is Eagles Nest which is comprised of 5 very private luxurious villas. Although technically not a hotel or lodge Eagles Nest offers on-location staff to act on your every whim, from private tours to in-villa personalized dining experiences. The location is amazing and not too far away from Kauri Cliffs, up at the Northernmost part of the North Island.

Perfectly situated for a romantic getaway although I was traveling with my 2 teens on this trip. We thoroughly enjoyed everything the villa and entire property had to offer...tons of space (we stayed in the Sacred Space villa, 3000sf +, huge private pool and jacuzzi overlooking the Bay of Islands, theater, fully stocked kitchen and bar, laundry facilities and ...) THE HELICOPTER PAD on the front lawn. The panoramic views are SO beautiful and romantic! Additionally, a short walk away is the quaint town of Russell, filled with art, wonderful people and great dining options.

The big splurge was the day long helicopter tour that was arranged by Callum, the retreat manager! My kids and I will never forget the experience which included stops all over the north island; Cape Reinga, 90 Mile Beach, TePaki sand dunes and quad bike riding. (Prickles was our wonderful and extremely knowledgeable pilot.)

Will return with husband when USD to NZD is better

http://eaglesnest.co.nz/

It's been a couple of years since we were there, but my husband and I had an amazing stay at Grasmere Lodge. It's a different type of lodge to the others - it's up near the mountains of Arthurs Pass in South Island. The natural landscape is really breathtaking, and we had some great activities there (nature hike, sheep shearing demonstration, etc.). We were upgraded to the Riverview Cottage, and the pictures on the website don't do the views from the cottage justice.

Which lodge if you travel with kids?

Otahuna and Blanket Bay flatly refuse them before age 13.

Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers, Huka and Grasmere tolerate them except in the dining room...

City hotels aren't too clear about it on their web sites (Mollies, Spire) - what is clear is that kids aren't the target market...

Wharekauhau, Matakauri, Treetops and Eagles Nest are OK with kids it seems.

Thanks for any other recommendations for luxury travel with kids in NZ...

When we were at Grasmere, there was a family with 3 kids of varying ages. What they did at dinner was put them in a private room (rather than dining with everyone else). They do seem to have activities for kids as well.