Villa of the Month: Hawks Nest

Villa of the Month: Hawks Nest | Luxury Queenstown Accommodation

The kāhu, New Zealand’s harrier hawk, doesn’t nest just anywhere. It finds the high ground, the commanding vantage, the site with the widest possible view. Hawks Nest was named for good reason.

The 700m² home, designed by Mason and Wales Architects, is built from the materials of its landscape: local schist stone, dark timber, and floor-to-ceiling glass that frames the Remarkables like a painting that changes hour by hour. The brief was for a “modern mountain home with a luxury lodge or resort-like feel.” They delivered exactly that, and in doing so, set a new benchmark for luxury accommodation in Queenstown.

Hawks Nest is our Villa of the Month this winter. Book now and save 10% on stays through 30 November 2026.

Inside Hawks Nest

The wow-factor starts on entry: an over-scaled timber front door with steel hardware, flanked by schist stone walls, opening into a vaulted hall with views straight through to the lake below. The main living space is expansive and light-filled, with ceiling windows that give an unobstructed 180-degree panorama. A stone fireplace anchors the room. The kitchen is properly appointed: two ovens in the main area, a third in the scullery, a five-burner gas hob, ice machine, and a breakfast bar long enough for the whole group to gather around over hot coffee and contemplate the day ahead.

Hawks Nest sleeps up to ten guests across five beautifully considered bedrooms. The master suite has a king bed, walk-in wardrobe, and ensuite of serious quality. Other bedrooms are configured thoughtfully for families, including bunk options and rollaways, while adults who need an entirely separate space will find the downstairs bar more than accommodating. Think New York speakeasy: fully stocked, with its own bathroom adjacent.4 bedrooms + loft (sleeping up to 10).

For recovery, the private wellness room has a sauna with mountain views that makes post-ski stiffness a thing of the past. The hot tub sits outside on the deck, where on a clear Queenstown night the sky does what it does here — which is put on a spectacular show.

A detail worth noting: the estate’s beehives produce Hawks Nest’s own branded honey, jarred and left for guests alongside the welcome hamper of artisan cheese, premium wine, and locally made products.

Your Queenstown Accommodation Base This Winter

For those seeking queenstown luxury accommodation with genuine proximity to the mountain, Hawks Nest sits eight minutes by car from Queenstown central - Coronet Peak is roughly 25 minutes away and The Remarkables slightly longer. The villa’s ski storage room, fitted with gear heaters, means boots and jackets dry overnight and you can be out the door without faff.

For those who prefer ski season without the hire shop queue, we’ll happily arrange ski equipment to be delivered and fitted at the villa before you leave. And for days when the conditions align, heli-skiing access puts terrain well beyond the resort boundaries into reach.

Coronet Peak’s Night Ski (Wednesdays and Fridays until 9pm) is one of those Queenstown experiences that sounds gimmicky until you’re on it, looking down at the lights of the town below. Book a table at Ayrburn for after — about 35 minutes from the mountain, the wine list and dining will justify the drive.

Beyond the Slopes

Winter in Queenstown is not only about skiing. One of the more underrated ways to spend a rest day is the Seven Mile Point Track, a 6km return walk along Lake Wakatipu toward Wilson Bay, through native bush regeneration, with Walter Peak and Cecil Peak directly across the water. Less than 10 minutes from the villa.

The Onsen Hot Pools at Arthur’s Point are another worth building into a day: private rock pools above the Shotover River gorge, the kind of thing that turns a Queenstown accommodation stay into a Queenstown experience. Book ahead; they fill up.

For dining, Queenstown’s best tables are eight minutes from Hawks Nest’s front door. Botswana Butchery for a long winter dinner. Rata, from Josh Emett, for something more contemporary. And Ayrburn, the trendy heritage farm complex in the Arrowtown Basin, for afternoon drinks that glide oh-so easily into the evening, plus fun winter activities for the kids, including the spectacular Winter Wonderland Lights and ice skating.

The Details

Guests: Up to 10 | Bedrooms: 5 | Bathrooms: 6 Highlights: Mason and Wales architecture, private sauna, hot tub, New York-style bar, ski storage with heaters, outdoor kitchen with pizza oven, beehives producing Hawks Nest honey, gym, media room, wellness room, gated community By car: 8 minutes to Queenstown central;  less than 25 minutes to Coronet Peak;  less than 30 minutes to The Remarkables Private chef and wellness services available by prior arrangement.

Book now and save 10% on stays through 30 November 2026.