New Zealand’s first Sofitel hotel, the five-star Sofitel Queenstown, will launch in New Zealand’s premier resort…
New Zealand’s first Sofitel hotel, the five-star Sofitel Queenstown, will launch in New Zealand’s premier resort destination on September 1, 2005.
The Sofitel Queenstown features 70 opulent and stylish deluxe rooms, ten executive suites, two penthouse suites, and two levels of restaurants, bars and boutique retail, all in the finest location in the heart of Queenstown.
Queenstown is New Zealand’s most popular resort destination, with the town nestled in the southern Alps, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and fronted by Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown is an all-year round resort destination, with skiing in winter months, trekking, soft adventure and sight-seeing in the warmer months.
The surrounding district, Central Otago, is renowned as one of the great wine producing areas of the country, with its pinot noir considered amongst the world’s finest. The vineyards are part of a vibrant wine and food scene, characteristics which are featured prominently in the Sofitel Queenstown.
The large and stylish deluxe hotel rooms, furnished by Auckland-based interior designer Megan Judd with a classic French twist, feature the incomparable Sofitel ‘MyBed’, the first time the award-winning beds have been available in New Zealand.
MyBed ushers in a whole new concept in rest, with a guarantee of plush softness. MyBed marks a return to the past with an eye to the future, resulting in a bed to make grandmothers proud: raised high, immaculate and plumped up with welcoming feathers.
All rooms and suites have ultra-sophisticated sound systems, wide-screen plasma televisions in the bedrooms, bathrooms and lounges, and home theatre systems with a choice of CDs and DVDs.
Keeping in touch has never been easier with high speed broadband, wireless LAN and a separate computer dataport in each room, and when the relaxation mood takes over guests can put on a movie, sip coffee made with their own in-room espresso machine or choose a full size bottle of Central Otago Gibbston Valley pinot noir or chardonnay from the bureau bar.
The vast bathrooms feature extensive walnut wood shelving, individually lit makeup mirrors and natural body and skincare products by celebrated French company L’Occitane.
But the undoubted star of the bathrooms is the astonishingly deep double spa bath created by UK design guru Sir Norman Foster.
The Sofitel Queenstown is the first hotel in New Zealand to feature the unique soak bath that is 1800mm long, 470mm deep and takes up to 190 litres of water.
General Manager Mark Wilkinson said he was delighted to open the doors of the eagerly-awaited property.
Without a doubt this is the most stunning property I have seen in New Zealand or Australia, he said. The attention to detail on fitout is second to none.
Mr Wilkinson said the Sofitel Queenstown would set the benchmark for exceptional luxury and service and would change the way Queenstown was perceived in the national and international visitor market.
Sofitel is a beautiful boutique hotel with a fantastic feeling to it, he said. It’s right in the heart of town, it’s elegant and stylish, and thanks to the restaurants, bars and boutique retail it’s a real meeting place with an exciting buzz of its own.
I think our guests will pick up on the sense of being very much part of the ‘vibe’ and feel of the town, while also having a haven of peace and comfort.
A highlight of the Sofitel Queenstown will be its signature restaurant ‘Vie’, which overlooks a stunning landscaped garden and tranquil waterfall.
‘Vie’ is the domain of renowned Executive Chef Shane Watson, formerly of Palm Cove’s Sea Temple Resort and Spa in Queensland, and TV star of reality show ‘My Restaurant Rules’.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
