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Queenstown, New Zealand · Lodge
The Rees Hotel Queenstown
Lakeside rooms and apartments facing the Remarkables, with a wine list rich in Bordeaux
Panorama viewOwn transferSustainableWorkation
Rooms155
Opened2008
Price band€€ 200 to 400 €
Insider value8.2 / 10
Best months
The Rees stands on Frankton Road, east of the centre of Queenstown, directly on the shore of Lake Wakatipu. It has 60 hotel rooms, 90 apartments and five villas and residences, all with private balconies; most look across the water to the Remarkables, while the Superior categories have mountain views instead. The hotel took its first guests in 2008 and is named after William Gilbert Rees, the explorer and runholder regarded as the founder of Queenstown, who set up his farm by the lake in 1860.
The hotel rooms suit a short stay and the apartments anything longer: one to three bedrooms, full kitchens, laundry facilities and secure underground parking make them a base for families who come to ski or walk for a week. True South Dining Room, listed in the Michelin Guide 2026, cooks with Central Otago produce and changes its menu every month. Wine Spectator has given its wine list the Best of Award of Excellence since 2018 and counts some 750 selections, strongest in New Zealand, Bordeaux and Burgundy. The Bordeau Lounge, named after Jules Bordeau of Skippers Canyon, is the place for a glass before dinner.
A private jetty serves jet boats and other water activities, a fleet of mountain bikes waits for guests, and a free shuttle runs into town. The hotel also keeps an art gallery of original paintings and a library of rare books. Qualmark has certified it at Gold, the highest level of New Zealand's sustainable tourism award, and it won Skål International's Sustainable Tourism Award in 2018 and 2020.
Why the label holds
Panorama view
Every unit has a balcony; the Lake View categories look across Lake Wakatipu to the Remarkables, the Superior ones to the mountains.
Own transfer
The hotel runs its own Bentley, Land Rover, Audi and Mercedes fleet for transfers and tours, plus a free shuttle into town.
Sustainable
Qualmark Gold, the top level of New Zealand's sustainable tourism award, whose criteria are recognised by the GSTC.
Workation
Ninety apartments with full kitchens and laundry, desks in the hotel rooms, free Wi-Fi, a library and secure underground parking.
Insider notes
Which room to ask for
Book a Lake View category rather than Superior, which faces the mountains. Families can take the Lakeside Three Bedroom Villa, with a Jacuzzi, two terraces and a garage for two cars.
When to come
In the ski season the hotel keeps lockers for guests' skis. True South changes its menu every month and adjusts it daily, so ask what is new that evening.
What regulars know
Book 'Cycle The Rees': staff collect you at the airport and guide you along the Frankton Track on a Merida mountain bike, while your bags go ahead to the room and a glass of bubbles waits.
Getting there
Queenstown Airport is about five kilometres away, roughly ten minutes by car; the hotel's own cars make the transfer on request, and a complimentary shuttle runs between the hotel and the town centre.
Who it suits
Families and small groups staying a week to ski or walk, and wine minded couples who want the lake without the bustle of central Queenstown.
Advantages verified on 2026-09-26 against the hotel’s own information. Policies change; confirm before you book. hotelris earns nothing from bookings. Links lead straight to the hotel.
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