Gold Rush: Who's cashing in on Queenstown? An RNZ series examining the money flowing into Queenstown - and who's missing out.
In Queenstown, a hotel with rooms priced up to $50,000 a night is attracting visitors willing to book not just a suite, but sometimes the whole hotel.
ROKI Collection is one of several new operators catering to the ultra luxury market, as international visitor arrivals in Queenstown climb 40 percent higher than pre-Covid levels.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
General manager Stephen McAteer said every element of the 15-room hotel, tucked just off the Lake Esplanade, had been meticulously designed to evoke a sense of serenity.
"High net worth travellers are looking for seclusion and escape. A little bit of tranquillity. New Zealand is one of the most sought-after destinations," he said.
The hotel opened in September, on the former site of a backpackers' hostel.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Junior suites start at $2800 per night in the off-season, while the Grand Roki Suite is around the $50,000 per night mark, McAteer said.
Some groups have already hired out the entire hotel in late summer, McAteer said.
Guests can expect bespoke mini bars, sophisticated interiors by designer Vir
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