The Best Hotel in Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park, The Southern Alps and Fiordland

Famed for its stupendous mountain vistas from most rooms (there are floor-to-ceiling windows), the Hermitage is also home to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, a tribute to one of the most famous New Zealanders. There's a planetarium, the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Museum and theatre—perfect for when the clouds roll over. As the only hotel in the area, tours groups stay en masse over summer, so it pays to book well in advance.