The Location

Blanket Bay Lodge sits at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, on land forming part of a 60,000-acre high country station bordered by Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks. The drive from Queenstown follows the lake’s edge for around forty minutes, with the Southern Alps building steadily ahead; a helicopter transfer from Queenstown Airport covers the same ground in minutes, while Glenorchy Air offers an alternative landing just two minutes from the Lodge itself. From this position, guests can reach three of New Zealand’s classic walking tracks — the Routeburn, the Greenstone-Caples and the Rees-Dart — along with the Dart River, whose jet boat and kayak routes gave this stretch of country a starring role in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a rare position for a lodge: genuinely remote, bordered on two sides by national park, yet close enough to Queenstown for an easy transfer at either end of the stay.

The Lodge

Blanket Bay Lodge Glenorchy NZ takes its architectural cues from the great alpine lodges, built from native New Zealand timber and local stone with open log fireplaces and beamed ceilings throughout. Within the Main Lodge, guests choose between naturally-inspired 400-square-foot Lodge Rooms with private balconies, generous 700-square-foot Lodge Suites finished in polished wood and fine fabrics, and the newer Premium Lodge Suites, which add a separate living room and kitchenette to a king bedroom and a master ensuite with steam shower and bathtub. A short walk from the main building, the Chalets offer a quieter register again: Chalet Suites built from schist stone and timber reclaimed from old steamer wharves, each with its own open fireplace, and Chalet Staterooms that pair a Chalet Suite with an additional living room for 1,400 square feet of private space, complete with two courtyards and two fireplaces. Every room and chalet shares access to the Lodge’s central spaces, the Great Room, the Den, the Grand Terrace and the Dining Room, along with the wine cave and tasting room for more intimate occasions.

The Experience

Dinner at Blanket Bay changes nightly, a five-course degustation menu led by chef Dan Reynolds, who returned to the Lodge after a decade cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe. The style is loosely Euro Pacific — tamarind, sumac and lemongrass alongside classical European technique — served in the Dining Room by the fire in cooler months or out on the Grand Terrace through the long summer evenings, with cocktails and canapés in the Den to open each night. By day, the surrounding wilderness sets the pace: heli-skiing across untracked Southern Alps powder, heli-fishing to the South Island’s most remote rivers, guided walks along the Routeburn, horse riding, Dart River jet boat safaris, and scenic flights to Milford Sound. Back at the Lodge, the Blanket Bay Spa offers treatment suites, steam rooms, a gym and a recently renovated hot tub with lake and mountain views, alongside an 18-metre heated outdoor lap pool open through the summer months. It is a lodge built for both registers — a full day in the mountains, and an evening spent entirely still.

Property Details

Location: Blanket Bay Lodge, Glenorchy, on Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand — approximately 40 minutes by road or minutes by helicopter from Queenstown

Accommodation: Lodge Room (400 sq ft, private balcony), Lodge Suite (700 sq ft), Premium Lodge Suite (700 sq ft, separate living room and kitchenette, king bed), Chalet Suite (schist stone and reclaimed timber, private courtyard), Chalet Stateroom (1,400 sq ft, two fireplaces, two courtyards)

Dining: Nightly five-course degustation menu by chef Dan Reynolds; Dining Room, Grand Terrace, wine cave and tasting room; pre-dinner cocktails and canapés in the Den

Wellness: Full-service spa with treatment suites, steam rooms, gym and hot tub; 18m x 6m heated outdoor lap pool (summer months)

Activities: Heli-skiing, heli-fishing, Dart River jet boating, Routeburn Track walking, horse riding, golf, scenic flights to Milford Sound and Fiordland, mountain biking, kayaking, games room

Setting: Positioned on a 60,000-acre high country station, bordered by Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks

Recognition: Consistently rated among the world’s best luxury lodges by Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, Virtuoso and Small Luxury Hotels of the World