Accommodation
Want to
ski New Zealand but can’t decide where to stay?
Unlike many other parts of the world, on-mountain accommodation at the New Zealand ski resorts is not very common, and true ski-in ski-out accommodation is very rare indeed. Most accommodation is off-mountain in towns such as
Queenstown,
Wanaka and
Methven. These ski towns offer plenty of après activities and you’ll definitely experience the genuine kiwi culture.
In New Zealand you’re guaranteed to find accommodation to suit your taste and budget, and probably at a fraction of the price you’d pay elsewhere in the world.
Use our NZ accommodation search facility in the top right hand corner to find available properties and compare rates side-by-side. Just enter your first date, the number of nights you plan to stay, and the number of people in your group, and results will be displayed with a cost per person making it very easy to compare.
Once you find your property of choice, submit a booking enquiry using the “enquire now” button. This is not a confirmed booking and you can ask for additional information before making any final commitment.
New Zealand Ski Resorts with On-Mountain Accommodation
Cardrona ski resort has on-mountain accommodation within 15 apartments of varying configurations, only a one minute walk from the lifts. Considering that convenient on-mountain accommodation is such a rarity in NZ, these units get booked out very early in the season.
Coronet Peak ski resort has limited on-mountain accommodation in the small Otago Ski Club. The dormitory style accommodation is not ski-in ski-out but rather a 5-minute walk to the lifts.
At
Porters ski field there is the club-run Alpine Lodge situated half-way down the access road, so it’s definitely not ski-in ski-out.
At
Whakapapa on the North Island, there is a little bit of accommodation at the base of the ski area in a couple of hotels, a holiday park and within private lodges.
The
NZ club ski fields have on-mountain accommodation, but commonly it’s not purely ski-in ski-out. For example at
Craigieburn and
Broken River the lodges are ski-in in certain conditions, but not ski-out. The Snowline Lodge at Mt Cheeseman is an example of ski in ski out accommodation. The club field lodges are very basic and ski fields are generally only suited to adventurous and experienced skiers and boarders.
New Zealand Ski Towns
Queenstown is like a small city on the picturesque Lake Wakapitu that is incredibly popular with tourists. In addition to the skiing, there are lots of attractions to entertain the tourist, as well as a multitude of adventure activities such as bungy jumping, jet boating and heli skiing. The nightlife is also world famous.
Queenstown accommodation options are prolific and range from 5-star resort hotels to inexpensive motels, and there’s a huge range of Queenstown backpackers.
Situated on the shores of Lake Wanaka,
Wanaka is a chic and stylish town. Restaurants and bars abound, and there are various tourist activities on offer but these are more understated that than of Queenstown.
Wanaka accommodation is of an extraordinary standard, and in addition to a few resort hotels, Wanaka has a large range of opulent bed and breakfast lodges. For the budget oriented there are also various
Wanaka backpackers.
Methven is a small rural town that has the spectacular
Mt Hutt as a backdrop. Much quieter than Queenstown and Wanaka, Methven has a pleasantly laid-back culture and no fuss attitude.
Methven accommodation is inexpensive, and in addition to a large number of Methven backpackers, the town also has lodges and luxurious bed and breakfasts.
Best Accommodation Locations for the NZ Ski Resorts
The Remarkables:
Queenstown accommodation
Coronet Peak:
Queenstown accommodation
Cardrona:
Cardrona accommodation is mainly in Cardrona Valley near the turn off to the ski area, or
Wanaka accommodation or
Queenstown accommodation
Snow Park:
Wanaka accommodation,
Cardrona accommodation
Treble Cone:
Wanaka accommodation is 30 minutes away.
Mt Hutt:
Methven accommodation
Mt Dobson:
Lake Tekapo hotels or
Fairlie accommodation, both small towns in the MacKenzie District.
Porters: Club run accommodation lodge situated half-way down the Porters access road, but it’s probably better to stay off-mountain in Canterbury Highlands accommodation.
Whakapapa (North Island): There is a little accommodation at the base of the mountain in Whakapapa Village. Otherwise the town of National Park is 21 km away.
Turoa (North Island): The town of Ohakune is 16km away.
Best Accommodation Options for the Club Fields Temple Basin: Stay in one of the two mountain lodges because it takes so long to walk up from the car park that you wouldn’t want to just visit for a day trip.
Mt Olympus: Stay on-mountain in the top hut, or in
Methven accommodation.
Broken River: Stay at the
Broken River accommodation, or in the Canterbury Highlands - Springfield, Castle Hill or Cass (
Flockhill Lodge).
Craigieburn: Stay on-mountain at the
Craigieburn accommodation or in the Canterbury Highlands – Springfield, Castle Hill or Cass (Flockhill Lodge).
For an overview of the best accommodation options for more club fields, see the
NZ Resort Comparison document.