KEY POINTS:
Waiheke Island is to get a five-star boutique resort and spa.
The Vineyard Resort & Spa, which is due to open in 2010, will be situated on an 8.9ha site off Onetangi Rd between Stonyridge and Te Motu vineyards.
It will be managed by Langham Hotels International under sister brand Langham Place.
The agreement with Isola Estate marks the sixth Langham Place branded property in the world, and the first outside Asia.
Designed by New Zealand hotel architects CDA Architecture, the resort is situated among 26 vineyards including its own.
It will feature modern Tuscan-style characteristics with 78 condominium-style rooms and suites, a spa, gym, tennis courts, restaurant and meeting facilities for up to 300 people.
Brent Gibson, managing director of Isola Estate, expects the resort will add a new level to New Zealand's luxury wine tourism market, likening it to "the Martha's Vineyard of the South Pacific".
Construction is expected to begin in October.
