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We've compiled the best of the best in Wanaka - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
From the peaceful rural setting and exceptionally good food to the warmth of the hospitality and finest linen on your bed, this is a memorable place to stay. Ann and Blyth are wonderful hosts and go to great lengths to ensure their guests enjoy every moment. Predinner drinks and canapes in the evening are just a hint of what's to come. Make sure you take up the dinner option; Blyth is a sought-after chef for good reason.
This classic mid-19th-country hotel and pub, 20 minutes from Wānaka on the Crown Range Road, is the Cardrona après-ski spot for mulled wine in front of the outdoor fireplace. Another fireplace roars inside the spacious bar and restaurant. In the summertime, the outdoor beer garden is a great place to relax after a day spent in Wānaka.
On the lakefront in a quiet area away from town, this property is great for a longer stay in Wānaka. Some rooms are fully self-contained and there's a nice restaurant on-site, where the locals make a point of visiting on weekends for their house-made scones. If you take the walking trail to Wānaka township, you'll pass one of the most photographed trees in New Zealand, a solitary crooked, cracked willow growing out of the lake known as That Wānaka Tree.
These modern apartments provide nice family-size accommodations in a particularly central location. The units have views across the lake to the mountains beyond; the penthouse is particularly spectacular. Each apartment (from one to three bedrooms) has a wide balcony, a full kitchen, and laundry facilities; some have whirlpool baths, and all are very popular in the winter when skiers want to be comfortable for a longer stay.
The owners used local schist and timber from the farm buildings that once stood here to build their fine solar-powered lakeshore lodge. Cottages (two- and three-bedroom) are fully self-contained with extras such as smart TVs and free laundry use. Children are accepted for cottage stays but not in the main lodge. Lodge rooms all have en suite bathrooms and superking beds and there's a lounge with fireplace for guests to mingle.
