The new Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park. Photo / Supplied
The new Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park. Photo / Supplied
Vera Alves enjoys a quiet, child-free night away at the new Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park in Queenstown.
Getting there: The newest Holiday Inn in Queenstown is in the Remarkables Park, a short drive or even a walk from Queenstown Airport. Not to be confused with the other Holiday Inn suites on Frankton Rd, nearer the centre of Queenstown.
First impressions: The first word that comes to mind is comfort. From the look and feel of the foyer to the layout of the restaurant and bar, the whole space blends together perfectly, like one big living room. As I arrived, some people were playing board games in the lounge by the reception area while a couple enjoyed a quiet afternoon drink at the bar.
Giants Restaurant at the new Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park. Photo / Supplied
Perfect for: The hotel is the perfect location to explore Queenstown, beyond (but as well as) its most adventurous attractions. Situated out of the busy city centre, it is ideal for families who seek a bit of quiet after a day on the slopes or out on the trails. It is surrounded by all the amenities anyone could need, including a supermarket within walking distance.
Check-in experience: The staff were polite and welcoming, and the check-in experience was quick and flawless.
Rooms: My room included a living area, a bedroom and a spacious bathroom, with two basins, a bath and a separate shower. There is attention to detail and care in all things, including the use of environmentally-friendly Soak toiletry dispensers. The design and furnishings are modern yet cosy. There was a big TV, free Wi-Fi and a coffee machine so, all in all, the essentials for a great day and night away from home. The bed was big and comfortable, with crisp linens and pillows you seem to find only in really good hotels. A little side table and chair by the window made the perfect spot to enjoy a morning coffee looking out to the Remarkables.
There is attention to detail and care in all things at the Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park, including the use of environmentally-friendly Soak toiletry dispensers. Photo / Supplied
Food and drink: The hotel's Giants Restaurant is a great spot to relax, enjoy a drink and some good food. I am glad I didn't make the mistake of overlooking the crispy-skinned South Island salmon and pat myself on the back for choosing the mushroom risotto as a side. Giants also features a selection of local beers on tap to truly give guests a taste of Queenstown. Breakfast was a real treat as well, with all the usual suspects cooked to perfection and a coffee sure to get you ready for the day ahead.
Accessibility: The hotel has eight accessible rooms, with features including lowered peepholes, visual emergency alarms, lowered vanity and towel rails, roll-in showers with folding seats and handrails in bathrooms, and more.
Sustainability: The hotel has shown great commitment to sustainability both during- and post-construction. Pre-opening, all cardboard from unpacking and set up was directly recycled (2.74 tonnes), 9 cubic metres of soft plastic wrapping was directly recycled and 28 bags of polystyrene packaging, equating to 84 cubic metres, were collected by Expol for reuse as insulating material in new buildings. Now, 52 per cent of the hotel's waste is diverted from landfill, there is an advanced Building Management System to ensure minimal power use in unoccupied rooms, and guests use wooden key cards to reduce unrecycled plastic waste. There are also no single-use water bottles or paper coffee cups used in the hotel.
A King Room at the new Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park. Photo / Supplied
Overall experience: I visited the hotel at the height of school holiday madness, when the children had been home for more than a month and were getting increasingly harder to entertain. The opportunity to visit came at the perfect time to hand the reins of the house to my husband and give myself 24 hours of absolute "me time". It was a short trip for me, as I am based in Wānaka, which helped with the guilt of indulging while the family stayed home. The location of the hotel made it ideal for me and the things I like to do when I have time on my own. Altitude Brewing is not too far away so I could get a quiet beer from one of my favourite spots, and the hotel is surrounded by great shops to get just the right amount of retail therapy. Most of all, I enjoyed the quiet and the sense of calm of having a quiet space all to myself for the first time in a long time. It made me think of how important it is for parents to have these pockets of quiet time, whenever they can, and I'm determined to give this gift to myself again. Next time you think of gifting a mum a massage or a manicure, may I suggest you give them a night alone in a nearby hotel instead? Honestly, let's make this a thing.
