Unique Sleeps: Azur Lodge Queenstown

Unique Sleeps: Amazing hotels hand picked by Expedia Experts. Azur Luxury Lodge, Queenstown New Zealand 

If you’re the kind of person who demands a holiday filled with Instagram gold, Azur Lodge is for you.

Five minutes out of Queenstown, Azur Lodge is directly above Lake Wakatipu and offers gobsmacking, uninterrupted views from The Remarkables to Cecil Peak and down towards Glenorchy. With all the lush foliage covering the hillside and bright blue skies, it’s all a little bit The Sound of Music, which is never a bad thing.

Popular with honeymooners, Azur is serene, secluded and view-wise, bloody breathtaking. Don’t be fooled by your arrival at the property. The main lodge used to be a private residence, so you drive through the small village of Sunshine Bay to reach the gates, coming to a halt at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac … but once you’re through the security gate and cruising up the steep, landscaped driveway it aaaaall comes together. Arrive at the top and you’re thrust into a world of fluffy white clouds, jagged mountains, aqua green water and blooming wild flowers. Sensational.

Once you’ve checked in, it’s on to a golf buggy (it’s a steep hill) to one of the nine villas, all of which are completely private and very suitable for those who choose to travel with 8-month old babies that may or may not wail at 4am.

These are not hotel rooms. They are miniature homes, spacious and tranquil, offering a living area, fireplace, enormous balcony and bathroom (featuring the most phenomenal bathing-and-view combo you may ever experience) and even a small kitchenette. They kindly provided a cot and a microwave for the baby and I’m quite sure if I’d asked for a pet lamb they would’ve found one. Such was the level of service and willingness to please.