Queenstown’s next luxury boutique hotel opens early 2025 at an overall investment cost of about $70 million.
Featuring 23 suites over five floors, plus a basement carpark, Roki Collection Queenstown’s being built by Cook Brothers Construction on the Lake Esplanade/Brunswick Street corner.
The Brisbane-based developers, who’ll also operate the hotel, also developed the Upper Village precinct near the Skyline gondola.
When Mountain Scene recently reported neighbouring unit owners’ concerns over construction noise and vibrations, director Denis
Mackenzie was fully sympathetic as Upper Village had experienced similar disruption from roadworks and Skyline’s redevelopment project.
Roki director of operations/impending GM Stephen McAteer says they’re proud to be involving the ‘‘best-of-the-best’’, including architect Lawrence Sumich of award-winning Auckland-based Sumich Chaplin Architects, leading interior designer Virginia Fisher and landscape architect Suzanne Turley, who won a major award for The Hills’ garden, near Arrowtown.
The design, inspired by the Māori quest for greenstone in the area and Europeans’ quest for gold, will incorporate Glenorchy river stones and
Gibbston schist rock.
‘Roki’ is Māori for ‘tranquil’, and McAteer says the developers plan to develop other luxury hotels in New Zealand and Australia in the same ‘collection’.
Suite sizes range from 60 square metres to 550sqm for the four-bedroom penthouse, with tariffs ranging from about $2000 a night to about $25,000 for the penthouse.
There’ll also be a library bar, private lounges, spa, pool, gym and a ‘‘world-class’’ 40-cover open-to-the-public restaurant and terrace bar.
The developers have partnered with Australian-based EarthCheck to ensure a sustainability focus.
McAteer expects to employ 50-plus staff to service their maximum guest capacity of 44.
He notes they already own three houses they’ll use for staff and are looking for at least two more.
‘‘Ultimately, we want our property to be internationally acclaimed but locally loved, so we can’t wait to open our doors,’’ he says.
Meantime, Queenstown’s luxury boutique hotel, The Carlin, just marked its first anniversary.
