Three nights minimum
Anyone organising a winter getaway to Queenstown this season knows that there is a little more to the planning of the what-and-where than just skis and boots. Once you’ve decided which mountains you want to visit, got your rentals organised, and booked your accommodation and transport, one must consider how to spend those chilly evenings après ski.
In order to make the most of your winter adventure you will need at least three nights here in Queenstown. There are so many options for dining, drinking and adventuring that you want to ensure you get to tick off your favourite of each. With your accommodation at The Spire Hotel sorted — a Deluxe Suite if you please — you can take advantage of the inclusions that come part and parcel with every direct booking: daily à la carte breakfast, nightly pre-dinner drinks and canapés, signature turndown and a non-alcoholic minibar.
After last chair: No.5 Church Lane
After last chair and the departure of the sun, head into No.5 Church Lane for your après cocktails, creatively prepared by our seasoned bartenders. Freshly tailored for cold winter nights, the winter cocktail list contains sweet, bold and fragrant selections — think coffee and chilli, smoked whisky, spiced honey. The fire is lit, the room is low and warm, and the bar is at the bottom of the hotel stairs.
In the spirit of using exotic words for drinking and dining, enjoy a mezze dinner for two in No.5 Church Lane. Mezze is the Greek and Turkish custom of serving many small dishes simultaneously or in succession, to be shared around the table; while sampling the flavours of the region, a bottle of Central Otago pinot noir is the perfect complement.
The Church Lane circuit
The Spire sits on Church Lane, one of Queenstown’s main streets, with the finest gastronomy, wine bars and the lakefront within walking distance. Queenstown’s high energy is complemented by its vibrant bar and restaurant scene — spots designed for fine dining and intimacy, and establishments devised with avid socialites in mind. Well-acquainted with the nightlife, The Spire team are on hand to recommend and reserve, so your evening is planned before your boots are off.
A warmer kind of après
Not every après needs a bar. The Well Spa, four private treatment rooms inside the hotel, runs late enough for a post-slopes hot stone or deep tissue massage. In winter, Pacific Jemm’s Mulled Wine Cruise leaves the wharf at 12.30pm five days a week for those taking a rest day — mulled wine, nibbles and Bob’s Cove under snow. And the suite itself is designed for it: a fireplace, a deep bath, and the mini-bar stocked.
The suite as après
The Spire’s ten suites were designed for exactly this hour of the day. Each has a gas fireplace, a deep bath, floor-to-ceiling glass onto the lane and a minibar stocked with non-alcoholic options as standard. Signature turndown means the room is reset while you are at dinner: lamps low, robes out, bath salts on the ledge. Guests in a Deluxe Suite get the larger lounge; the Executive Suite at the top of the building has the fireplace positioned for the mountain view. Room-service from No.5 runs until late, and an in-room remedial massage can be booked through The Well Spa.
Beyond Church Lane
For a change of scene, the Queenstown après circuit is compact. The lakefront bars along Marine Parade and the wine bars off the Mall are all within five minutes on foot; Arrowtown, twenty minutes away, has a quieter, gold-rush-cottage version of the same evening. In winter, the Skyline gondola runs late for dinner above town with the lights of Queenstown below. The concierge holds a list of what is open, what needs a booking and which bars have a fire — the last being the only criterion that matters in July.
Packages built for winter
Two current packages are made for this. Spring, Ski & Spa (SKI2SPA) is three nights with in-room champagne breakfast each morning and a Well Spa treatment per day. Stay 2 Nights, Sail On Us (STAY2SAIL) adds a Mulled Wine Cruise and spa credit to a two-night stay. Both are bookable direct with the promo code pre-filled from our packages page.
