The Lindis

Style

Natural beauty

Setting

Mountain-framed station

Settled stealthily in the heart of New Zealand’s South Island, luxury lodge The Lindis blends seamlessly into the landscape; its undulating roof echoes the Huxley mountain range backdrop and floor-to-ceiling windows frame dramatic views. You’ll have few neighbours at this off-the-grid eight-room stay, where it’s easy to imagine you’re the only two to have ever explored the area. Trekking trails criss-cross the surrounding station, there’s a stable of ready-to-ride horses on-site and all manner of day-out adventures can be arranged on request (helicopter tours, anyone?). Decadent breakfasts and multi-course dinners are included with each stay and stress-melting spa treatments and private cookery lessons are on offer, too. Now which Otago wine will we toast with first?

Facilities

Rooms

Eight, including five suites.

Checkout

11am. Earliest check-in, 2pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability and on request, and extra charges may apply.

More Details

Rates include daily buffet breakfast, pre-dinner drinks and canapés, light lunches, multi-course dinners, minibar, as well as access to walking trails, the outdoor hot tub and lodge gym. A two-night minimum stay applies.

Also

There are no stairs at the hotel and the dining room has a bathroom that’s accessible for wheelchair users; guest rooms are not wheelchair accessible.

Hotel Closed

The Lindis is closed from 1 June to 5 July every year.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Free WiFi. In rooms: TV with Netflix, Bose speakers, minibar (with included goodies), free bottled water, tea- and coffee-making kit, air-conditioning and Ashley & Co bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

For peak seclusion, go for one of the self-contained Pods; each is covered in mirror-like panels and has a private terrace with an alfresco hot tub – now that’s how we like to do our star-gazing.

Poolside

There’s a communal hot tub every guest can use – just tell the staff so they can heat it up for you four to five hours in advance.

Packing Tips

Bring your hiking boots and your favourite adventuring outerwear – you won’t want to miss an opportunity to explore your surroundings.

Also

In-room spa treatments can be arranged on request – relaxing massages, hydrating facials, beautifying mani-pedis or combinations of the lot.

Children

Over-sevens are welcome (or any age if the entire lodge is booked). Extra beds (NZ$600 a night) can be added to suites on request.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

On pleasant days, claim a table on the terrace. Chilly or wet out? Settle for seats by the floor-to-ceiling windows to soak in the dramatic views.

Dress Code

Go for laid-back luxe in butter-soft merino wool.

Hotel Restaurant

We’d settle in for evenings in the restaurant even if no food was served – the view’s just that good. Interiors are stylish, too: bluestone walls, halo-like hanging lights and floor-to-ceiling windows. Happily though, the food is as good as the spectacular view. The menu is constantly changing, and always showcases the freshest regional ingredients. For lunch, choose from made-in-house pastas, warming soups or hearty fillet steaks. At each multi-course dinner (included with your stay), look forward to the likes of hand-made kumara (that’s sweet potato to non-Kiwis) gnocchi served with Lindis Pass cheese sauce, or Mana lamb rack with chicory and grilled aubergine. Save room for panna cotta drizzled with wild-thyme honey or local cheeses with house-made chutney.
Breakfast (also included with your stay) is a leisurely affair. Fuel your days of adventure with fluffy berry pancakes, fruit-topped açaí bowls, breakfast hash with dukkah or home-made sourdough muffins with Aoraki salmon. Rich coffees and eye-opening teas are on offer, too.

Hotel Bar

The cosy bar is stocked with, you guessed it, the country’s best wines (a whole wall of them and more). Take a tip on which bottle to try next and settle into the sofa – or take up a sporting session of billiards. There’s also an impressive selection of whiskies, gins and cocktails – try the signature Lindis cocktail: a thyme-infused shaken vodka number with Manuka honey syrup and a hit of limoncello.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served from 7am to 11am (timings are flexible, on request) and pre-dinner platters and drinks appear at 6pm.

Planes

Queenstown Airport is two hours away by car; the hotel can arrange transfers in a Mercedes sedan for up to four people for NZ$1,100 each way.

Automobiles

Driving in New Zealand’s a breeze; to get to the hotel from Queenstown, follow State Highway 6 to State Highway 8, then turn left onto Birchwood Road. Your journey will take around two hours, plus a little time to ooooh and ahhhh over the landscape.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Take your pick from the plentiful array of walking trails that wind around the station; there’s a gentle 75-minute loop track that starts from the lodge entrance, then follows the river before looping back into the main gate. Remember to ask for a radio and tell the staff your plans before you go. More comfortable on two wheels? Self-guided e-biking tours can be arranged. The Lindis is also home to 16 horses and a cute-as-a-button miniature pony; beginner equestrians can go for an easy ride by the lagoon and more experienced riders can trek through the beech forest.

Resident guide Andy Clay offers private target-shooting sessions for both beginners and seasoned shooters. For guided fly-fishing, you’ll need to book far in advance (at least nine months before arrival); there’s a desk in the lobby where guests can DIY their own snazzy fly bait.

If your interests are more on the culinary side, join chef Cesare for a tour of the property’s eco-farm or a private pasta-making class. Wanaka’s vineyards and cellar doors are an hour-and-a-half’s drive from the estate, and The Lindis can arrange private helicopter tours to Cloudy Bay Vineyard.

Spend your evening star-gazing – thanks to zero light pollution, the Milky Way is clearly visible to the naked eye – while you polish off your newly acquired bottle of Otago’s finest.

Ahuriri Valley tracks are within the same reserve – ask for a private guide or someone to drop you off and pick you up if you’d prefer a more romantic hike. You can also explore the 49,000-hectare Ahuriri Conservation Park by 4x4 or get a bird’s-eye-view (and a true slice of silence) in a glider with local outfitter Glide Omarama, which operates out of Omarama airport.

Walk in Sir Edmund Hillary’s footsteps with a visit to Aoraki (Mount Cook); Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is an hour away by car. Fancy a speedier journey? Helicopter transfers can be arranged on request.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .