Where to stay in Queenstown (the best areas and hotels)

HOTEL EDIT

Dec 23

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

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.

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.

If you prefer to be outside the messy chaos of Conestown, stay in Frankton. If you don’t mind dealing with expensive parking, stay in Queenstown Central so you’re a short stumble home from the bars.

There are many places to stay in Queenstown, but a lot are owned by offshore companies and large conglomerates. As much as I can, I have kept this list to independent, locally owned accommodation businesses — because supporting local is an important part of travelling sustainably.

So, this list might look a little different to other round ups of top Queenstown accommodation. I have stayed at some of these places. For others, I know of their reputation from my years in the New Zealand travel industry. For the rest, I have sifted through all the accommodation available to find the places that aren’t owned by investors.

A heads up: This article contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you book through those links (at no extra cost to you!). Thanks for your support.

A guide to the best areas to stay in Queenstown

If you’re struggling to decide where to stay in Queenstown, here is a quick breakdown of the key areas.

Queenstown Central

The centre of Queenstown is a small grid that takes less than an hour to walk around. The lakefront is beautiful any time of day, but especially in the mornings and evenings.

Staying right in the centre means you’ll be conveniently located in the thick of it, walking distance to all the bars and restaurants. A lot of the activity operators have booking offices right in the centre too, so it’s easy to walk around and get information (if you’re a last minute planner like me).

The downside is that parking can be a pain. It’s limited and expensive, and trying to navigate the centre’s streets is stressful — there is almost always traffic.

And, a lot of the bars and restaurants you can walk to are pretty tourist focused. That means they can be quite busy, rowdy in the evenings with stag dos and hens parties, and generally not the kind of chilled out local spots you can find further out.

Stay of Queenstown

Owned and run by former interior designer turned hotelier Ingrid Pritchard, Stay of Queenstown is minutes’ drive from the centre of Queenstown, with seven suites overlooking the lake.

Why I recommend this hotel:

Independent, woman-owned, and delivering a very personal service.

What’s nearby:

Browns Boutique Hotel

Tahuna Pod Hostel

Tahuna Pod Hostel is owned by Trojan Holdings, which is a tourism group owning several businesses in Queenstown and beyond, but I’m including it as a pretty solid budget option.

Why I recommend this hostel:

It’s still New Zealand owned, and as far as Queenstown hostels go, it’s really nice. The crowd is a bit more age diverse than some of the other budget options (I didn’t feel out of place) and it’s small enough that it’s still quiet.

What’s nearby:

Frankton

I really enjoyed staying in Frankton on my most recent visit to Queenstown. Granted, Frankton is mostly strip malls, supermarkets and the airport, but it’s really 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.

Frankton isn’t really a destination in itself, but Frankton beach is a nice place to watch the sunset.

Driftaway Queenstown

Frankton Three Bedroom House

We briefly met the owner when she popped by to sort out the bins, and she was a very down to earth local. It was nice to rent a place from someone who lives in Queenstown, even if renting a whole home is contributing to Queenstown’s housing crisis.

Glenorchy

A village 45 minutes from Queenstown, Glenorchy is an option if you want a tranquil escape. There aren’t many restaurants or shops in Glenorchy, so it’s best for those who love the outdoors and want to be closer to the walks and hikes in the area.

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.