This week we’re dusting off the ski boots and setting our sights on snow-covered slopes. Swap rainy cityscapes for jaw-dropping mountain panoramas at Azur Lodge in New Zealand, set on the hills over Queenstown’s spectacular Lake Wakatipu.
Style: Luxe lakeside lodges
Setting: Lush Queenstown hillside
Why this week? As the southern hemisphere’s cooler months creep up, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of Smith’s Queenstown winter offer, handy for the ski season (which runs from around 9 June to early October). Enjoy four nights for the price of three on stays between 1 June and 30 September 2013, including breakfast, return transfers to Queenstown Airport, afternoon tea, evening apéritifs and canapés, as well as minibar drinks. Plus, if you book with us you’ll also receive the mouth-watering Smith extra: Arcadia sparkling wine on ice and handmade chocolates.
Our favourite bits You could easily be forgiven for ignoring the call of nearby Coronet Peak and the Remarkables ski fields to spend a day indoors; lingering in bed enjoying alpine views through floor-to-ceiling glass, soaking in the ensuite’s window-side double spa bath, or curled up on a cosy sofa by the fire. This intimate nine-villa hotel doesn’t have a restaurant but it does provide tasty breakfasts (pre-piste pancakes are a must), afternoon tea, sociable evening drinks and canapés. Stay in for deck-top dining under the stars, or glam-up for a night out at one of Queenstown’s top spots (the concierge can arrange in-room dining, recommend and book the best local eateries, and sort out transfers).
Mr & Mrs Smith say… ‘It’s a testament to the sublime comforts of Azur Lodge that, in the renowned adventure capital of the world, this keen skier was unable to leave her private villa for the better part of 24 hours. Even snow falling heavily outside didn’t make me muster the energy. OK, so I managed to meander up to the main lodge for an afternoon tea of melt-in-the-mouth brownies and still-warm choc-chip cookies whipped up by our host. But that was the extent of my outdoor adventures. Like Gollum and his cave, I quickly slunk back to savour the delights of my sumptuous cavern…’ Read the full review of Azur Lodge.
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Copy compiled by Sophie Young
