Best Lakefront Apartments in Queenstown

The 150-unit Rees Hotel and Luxury Apartments is a contemporary property with a design that makes the most of its lakefront position. The lobby is at the top of the hotel with a lounge and bar that have commanding views over the lake and mountains. Rees' is well-known for its fine-dining restaurant, True South, which uses local ingredients and provides more stunning lake views. Apartments are available in one-, two-, or three-bedroom configurations, and have private balconies, large dining areas, and full kitchens. Upscale bathrooms have separate whirlpool tubs and large walk-in showers. Mountain bikes (as well as helmets and locks) can be hired for exploring the lakeside trail that runs directly below the hotel. Wi-Fi and on-site parking are both free. Shuttles to town and the airport are free, but they can get crowded.

The serene and relaxed Villa Del Lago is one of a few hotels on steep hillside below the main road out of Queenstown. It sits right on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, with its own pebbled beach and jetty, and has fantastic views over the lake and towards the Remarkables Mountains. The hotel has the atmosphere of a private apartment building, in part due to its lack of common areas and features (no restaurant, bar, or fitness center, like at Rees). Interiors are modern and well-maintained, and the 16 apartments offer a good amount of privacy, as they feel quiet separate from one another. The most notable thing about Villa del Lago's units is that each one overlooks the water, and has a lakeside balcony. Every unit has a kitchen with full-size fridge, microwave, stove, dishwasher, washer/dryer, and cooking utensils. Satellite flat-screen TVs, DVD player, iPod docks, free Wi-Fi, and remote-controlled gas fireplaces are all standard. Barbecues and bikes can be rented, and Wi-Fi and on-site parking are free. 

The glass-and-stone Pounamu Apartments is more modern than Villa del Lago, but it isn't truly lakefront like Villa del Lago; instead, it is across a fairly busy road from the water. The 70 stylish apartments feature lake or mountain views, heated floors, washer/dryers, and vacuums (units can be cleaned for an additional fee). Larger apartments have computers and fax/copy machines. High-quality, open-plan kitchenettes in studios and full kitchens in one- and two-bedroom units are equipped with ovens, cooktops, refrigerators, microwaves, and electric kettles or coffeemakers. Pounamu's garden features native grasses, slatted-wood picnic tables, a grill, and a wooden swing set. There is also a four-person hot tub with pretty mountain views. Again, not all units have lake views (unlike Villa del Lago), and management is restrictive on the number of guests in each room.

The luxurious Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa sits on the eastern shore of Lake Wakatipu in Kawarau Village. Hilton's 178 large, spotless rooms come in a variety of configurations, including one- and two-bedroom apartments. These units have full kitchens with stainless-steel ovens, full-size fridges, microwaves, dishwashers, and washer/dryers. Every room has a king-size bed, gas fireplace, and furnished terrace or balcony. Bathrooms are a highlight, with large soaking tubs and separate glassed-in showers, as well as robes, slippers, and Peter Thomas Roth toiletries. Connecting rooms are available upon request. This is easily the most well-equipped hotel on this list, with features like a heated lap pool, spa, gym, restaurant, deli, pub, wine bar, and 24-hour room service -- however, it charges a daily resort fee, plus a fee for Wi-Fi (free at Pounamu). Parking is free, but limited, and there is a free water taxi to Queenstown center from the hotel jetty.

Set on Lake Wakatipu, Oak Shores is about a four-minute drive to Queenstown's center (the hotel offers a free shuttle bus service). In addition to hotel rooms, the property offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, plus four-bedroom penthouses. Standard amenities in all rooms include 50-inch flat-screen TVs, underfloor heating, and free Wi-Fi -- but it's limited to 30 minutes per day. Apartments have full kitchens with stoves, ovens, microwaves, toasters, refrigerators, dishwashers, tea/coffee facilities, and cooking-ware, as well as spacious living rooms with sofas. The real highlights are the views -- though not all units overlook the lake (Villa del Lago is the only property on this list where all rooms have lake views). Many Oak Shores units also have gas fireplaces, private balconies or large terraces, and laundry machines. Sleek, cream-tiled bathrooms have shower/tub combos or walk-in showers, plus toiletries and hairdryers.