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Parkroyal Queenstown

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  • BEACH STREET
     Queenstown, New Zealand
    64 3 442 7800
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Jack Ventura
Jack Ventura
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
4
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Parkroyal Queenstown

  • January 31, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Jack Ventura from Scottsdale, Arizona
Parkroyal Queenstown


The Parkroyal Queenstown is probably the best high-end hotel in Queenstown. The room rate was NZ$290. Hey, it’s New Years!

In a town where level, buildable land is a premium, the Parkroyal has a drive-up entrance. We could’ve driven our vans around and up the hill to the rear of the hotel where there’s a carpark on the roofs of the hotel’s sixth and seventh floors, but valet service was well worth the tip. What the hey, it’s New Years!

Upon greeting the front desk of an elegant lobby I asked for the Manager, with whom I had had email, fax, and phone conversations. The news of a turnover in the manager’s position was at first foreboding, but the hotel’s staff turned out to be both friendly and professional.

I had a fruit basket and welcome card in my room to greet me, a nice gesture. All of Parkroyal’s rooms have spacious, roofless balconies, but the views from the 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd floors might be disappointing, compared to the upper floors. Whichever floor you’re assigned, and even if you’re not staying at the Parkroyal, you must take the elevator to the 5th floor. When you step out, you are assaulted by arguably the best 180° panoramic view in all of Queenstown. My room was on the 5th, but it was a rear corner room. Not a great view, but I was more than content.

The 4th & 5th floors have the hotel’s extra facilities. Guest laundry machines are on both. The washers take NZ$2 coins; one dollar coins will last 30 minutes for the dryers. The front desk can provide a package of detergent for a dollar, too. The sauna is on the 4th. Both facilities are open from 7am to 10:30pm. Other hotel amenities include safety deposit boxes, ski lockers, a tour desk, and an Internet-connected computer.

The hotel serves a good breakfast buffet from 6am to 11:30am, your choice of full breakfast for NZ$24, or a continental selection for less. The hotel’s restaurant, Bentley’s Bar & Brasserie, serves dinner from 6pm-10pm; lunch starts at 2:30 to 4:00, depending on the season. When I walked in there around midday, it was mostly empty. I asked the tender of a cozy bar at the entrance whether or not she could make a cappuccino. Not only did she make a delicious one, it was gratis.

Another instance of the hotel’s generosity is the rate reduction I received. I’m not above begging, and to my request, the Reservation Supervisor was not able to change the room rate for New Year’s Eve, but she did lower our two additional nights to NZ$220.

For the room you get, that is a good rate. There’s the expected amenities: hair dryer, iron & board, extra pillows & blankets, in-house movies, etc. The refrigerator was well stocked. The instant tea and coffee selection was generous. I loved the terry bathrobes. But, the best amenity of all is in a refrigerator next to the ice machines: New Zealand’s milk. There’s no label regarding fat content, but it is so good that it validates New Zealand’s moniker: "Godzone".

From journal New Year in Queenstown

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