It's all about location, location, location, and views, views, views and they can't get any better here. Just a short walk to downtown and walking path along the crystal clear lake, this ''haute hotel'' opened in 2018 adjoins the already well-known Rydges Hotel. Walking is the best option. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, especially for larger vehicles.

The vibe is unsurprisingly funky. The bold colours of the Nic Graham-designed lobby greet you the moment you walk through the door, as do the friendly staff. There's the usual QT signature quirk: a cosy floating fireplace, large nostalgic alpine art work to welcome you, cosy sofas to curl up on, complete with fur rugs, knitted throws and comfy cushions. The apres-ski feel is the supporting act, the real star is the stunning lake and mountain vista everywhere you look, from the restaurants to the 69 boutique guest rooms. There are four different categories of rooms over four stories.

Warning: if your room is lakeside, you may never want to leave it and your personal postcard view of Queenstown. I could have happily sat on the balcony all day and watched the TSS Earnslaw, the glorious old coal-fired steamship, ply its way back and across the lake all day. From the moment your welcome gin martini arrives in your room, the welcome is warm.

Unlike the lake where the water temperature hovers around 10 to 12 degrees throughout the year, and the weather outside, which even in summer can see snow atop the mountains and a nip in the air. It has some standard features: comfy beds, marble bathrooms, mirrors to reflect the lake views, free films.

But it's the small touches - crystal cocktail glasses, in-room coffee maker, and rubber duck in the bathtub - that make it feel so much like home.

So much so I wanted to take every item in the room home with me.

It's hard to beat the breakfast buffet, even in a gourmet destination like this South Island city.

Dinner is a set price of $79 an adult, be sure to try the lamb, the reason people come to this country. Watch the sunset over the lake at Reds Bar. Dine on oysters or share plates washed down by a bespoke cocktail.

There's bungee jumping off Kawarau Gorge suspension bridge and jet-boating on the Shotover and Dart rivers. In winter, there's skiing on the slopes of The Remarkables and Coronet Peak. Or in summer there's cycling or tramping (hiking) on mountain trails.

But for a more laid-back Queenstown excursion, visit the goldmining town of Arrowtown, or the surrounding wine country or just sit back and be serenaded on the TSS Earnslaw by the steamship's pianist.

Or just duck next door to the Fergbaker also on Shotover Street for a Fergpie. The lamb and sweet potato pie was the best I've eaten.

4 out of 5 stars

30 Brunswick Street, Queenstown, NewZealand. Rooms from $290; seeqthotelsandresorts.com