Hotel Of The Week: Mountvista Boutique Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand
You've bungee-jumped and paraglided your way round New Zealand's South Island. Now lose yourself in the discreet five-star luxury of the Mountvista Boutique Hotel in Queenstown. The quiet goes on for ever...
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Your support makes all the difference.If your idea of heaven is hurtling off the side of a mountain, pitching head first into a ravine or catapulting through icy waters, Queenstown is the place to go. There on South Island you can try everything from white-water rafting, paragliding and helicopter rides to the obligatory bungee jump. But at the end of such an arduous day where do you stay? How about an intimate 14-room hotel where a glass of wine awaits and the baths are supplied with cushions? The Mountvista Boutique Hotel offers just such serene pleasures. Set in an unassuming modern building, it is just a two-minute stroll through wooded gardens to the centre of Queenstown, an old goldmining settlement on the shores of Lake Wakatipu surrounded by mountains. What makes it special? The standard of service.
The comfort factor
The five-star hotel achieves its claims of pure luxury, with spacious suites and deluxe rooms decorated in fresh neutrals and furnished with super-king beds dressed with fine linen and two large water-hyacinth armchairs. Every detail has been thought through - from the cafetières and fresh milk provided in the rooms to seals on the doors to ensure they close quietly.
The bathroom
Goat's-milk soap, handmade lavender products, an aromatherapy candelabra and a huge bath with cushions at both ends - you need never argue over who gets the taps again. In winter, the underfloor heating keeps things cosy.
The food and drink
You can eat breakfast either indoors or in the private courtyard on sunny days. The gourmet menu offers plenty to choose from, including American and continental spreads. The hotel doesn't serve dinner, but each evening, between 6pm and 7pm, all the guests are invited to gather around the library fireplace and enjoy some wine-tasting and canapés.
The people
Adrenalin junkies of the well-heeled variety.
The area
Go bungee jumping with AJ Hackett (00 64 3 442 4007; ajhackett.com), or take a speedboat ride with Queenstown Combos (00 64 3 442 7318; combos.co.nz). Take a tour of the local vineyards with Queenstown Wine Trail (00 64 3 442 3799) or visit the gold-mining hamlet of Arrowtown, 25 minutes away. It's a little kitsch but it offers an insight into the lives of the original settlers. Back at the hotel watch a DVD in the theatre alcove in the lounge or relax your tired muscles in the sauna.
The access
Two suites have been specially converted for people with disabilities. Children under 12 admitted only on request.
The damage
Deluxe rooms cost NZ$550 (£224) and suites NZ$596 (£242) per night, including breakfast.
The address
4 Sydney Street, Queenstown (00 64 3 442 8832; mountvista.com).
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* The Outpost (00 27 11 341 0282; theoutpost.co.za), an eco-retreat in South Africa's Kruger National Park, offers game viewing from your room. Doubles from R2,300 (£205) per person.
* Stay on Australia's largest island national park. Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge (00 61 740 668 270; hinchinbrook resort.com.au) from A$355 (£152) per person.
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