Sherwood Queenstown

If you’re looking for somewhere with soul among Queenstown’s bustling adventure tourism outfits, Sherwood has that in spades. The boutique hotel has a community focus, often doubling as a venue for events, workshops, gigs and yoga classes.

It’s just up the hill from the town centre, in what used to be a 1980s mock-Tudor motor inn. While hints of this remain, the building has been tastefully refurbished – and the hotel’s eco-conscious ethos shines through in everything from the curtains, made with upcycled Italian-made army wool blankets, to the carbon-negative cork wall linings and refillable shower products. Sherwood uses solar power and aims to recycle all its organic waste for composting the 700-square-metre organic garden – and much of the garden’s produce will end up on your plate in the restaurant.

That said, Sherwood doesn’t scrimp on comforts; crisp-sheeted beds are topped with wool blankets, and the larger rooms have a kitchenette as well as a lounge and dining area. There’s super-fast internet, Revo internet radio, local products in the minibar – and you can borrow a projector and tablet from reception.

Executive chef Chris Scott oversees the vibrant, seasonal sharing menu at the in-house restaurant – a must-visit regardless of whether you're staying at the hotel. Dishes use ingredients foraged and grown by the team, or else sourced nearby. Try the woodfired flatbreads, the pickled Stewart Island mussels, chicken oysters, or richly umami Blackfoot pāua bolognaise.

To drink, a selection of local natural wines comes straight from the barrel, and there’s a wider, mostly organic bottle list that’s exclusively New Zealand-made. Plus, you’ll find a great mix of South Island craft beers on tap.