Kamana Lakehouse review, Queenstown, New Zealand: One of the best views of one of NZ's most spectacular locales

This slick 75-room establishment delivers awesome views of The Remarkables mountain range and the mighty Lake Wakatipu below it.

CHECK-IN

The Kiwis, with their magnificent fjords only a few hours drive from Queenstown, do more than a sound, as it were, Nordic impersonation. Kamana Lakehouse, itself a welcome touch of Scandinavia on the South Island, is perched so high above the all-seasons resort town that you can almost see Fiordland's Milford, Doubtful and Dusky sounds from it. Well, not quite, but this slick 75-room establishment does deliver awesome views of The Remarkables mountain range and the mighty Lake Wakatipu below it and is eager to boast that it represents the highest altitude accommodation in all of Queenstown.

THE LOOK

Smartly-decorated and well-equipped rooms.Credit: Simon Larkin

Kamana Lakehouse's Scandi overtones begin right inside the fabulously timber-clad main building with Nest Kitchen & Bar, straight out of a Norwegian fjord lodge, set well forward from the reception, providing perhaps the most spectacular panorama of any hotel or resort within Queenstown. Lofty floor to ceiling, near cathedral-like, windows enclose this expansive dining space, where good contemporary New Zealand dishes are served, with the design of which is inspired by the kamana bird (or Australasian crested grebe), native to the local southern lakes region. There's the option of al fresco tables on the opposite side with a snazzy suspended open fireplace dominating the set-back and inviting lounge area. To complete this niftily Nordic picture, below the restaurant terrace is Kamana Soak, a private fee-based hot tubs amenity, exclusive to in-house guests, overlooking the lake. (Like the Scandinavians, and the Japanese, the Kiwis have wholeheartedly embraced this form of immersive relaxation with an onsen-style complex on the outskirts in Queenstown, one of its most popular and hard to book attractions).

THE ROOM

Unless you're here from some R&R, you probably won't be spending too much in your room at Kamana Lakehouse, though the attractive suites here certainly don't disappoint. I've been allocated a smartly-decorated and well-equipped lakeview room with a balcony, an asset in Queenstown's warmer months. The room is set within the desirable main building with unobstructed views of Wakatipu and its surrounding towering peaks, as opposed to the more walk-up, motel-style rooms facing the open-air carpark.

FOOD + DRINK

Once you get beyond the tiresome adrenalin capital hype, Queenstown reveals itself as quite the town for foodies and, of course, oenophiles being adjacent to the Central Otago wine region and its world-famous pinot noirs. Good luck snaring a table at the acclaimed Amisfield Restaurant & Cellar Door - named 2022 restaurant of the year by the Kiwi Cuisine magazine - though it's worth giving it a go well before departing the other side of the ditch. At the other end of the dining scale, two recommended casual and affordable eats are, for dinner, Tanoshi, a lively Japanese izakaya tucked inside a laneway in Queenstown's CBD and for breakfast or lunch, The Boat Shed Cafe & Bistro, a lakeside cafe set inside a former 19th century New Zealand railways shipping office.

OUT + ABOUT

Where to begin? This is action-packed Queenstown, after all. Aside from all of the usual bungee gliding and para jumping-type pursuits, Kamana Lakehouse's position outside of town means the staggeringly scenic drive to Glenorchy - Lord of the Rings heartland is that little bit quicker, not that you'd want to rush it. One other highly-recommended detour from Queenstown is historic Arrowtown, a quaint and quieter former gold mining outpost that's home to some of the region's leading restaurants. These include the upscale Northern Italian-themed Aosta and its casual offshoot, Little Aosta and The Dishery, a newer bistro open for breakfast and headed up by former Amisfield chefs.

THE VERDICT

Kamana Lakehouse with its contemporary design and sublime position perched above Queenstown makes for a memorably salubrious stay in a breathtaking corner of New Zealand that never, ever, fails to impress and inspire.

ESSENTIALS

Rates start from $NZ317 ($285) a night (minimum night stay conditions can apply). Kamana Lakehouse, 39 Fernhill Road, Fernhill, Queenstown, New Zealand; ph: [phone] See kamana.co.nz; queenstownnz.co.nz

Anthony Dennis stayed a guest of Kamana Lakehouse, Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand. See newzealand.com; airnewzealand.com.au

OUR SCORE OUT OF FIVE

★★★★

HIGHLIGHT

We'd hate to have to mention those stupendous views again but they sure do make a persuasive case for a reservation here.

LOWLIGHT

Queenstown's oft traffic-choked, parking-challenged CBD is a bit of a distance away but it's no problem if you have your own vehicle. If not, there's a bus stop on the street outside.