Just over half an hour’s drive from central Wellington, on a cliff overlooking the Cook Strait, this 65-square-metre retreat epitomises sustainable luxury.

Boutique hotel, topnotch restaurant, community hub, gig venue – Sherwood Queenstown is a star destination year-round, with an organic garden and sustainable credentials to boot.

A Waiheke Island institution. Book a stay in one of three airy rooms, bookended by a meal or two in the much-loved ocean-facing restaurant.

This 1922 building was originally home to nuns and now is a characterful (and reasonably priced) boutique hotel that also houses one of the best restaurants in the city.

It’s hard to peel away from the plush contemporary rooms and sleek downstairs wine bar at Wellington's best boutique hotel. When you do, you’re met with the neighbourhood’s bohemian mix of specialty coffee, fine dining and indie fashion.

Handmade goods and furnishings are the hallmarks of this artistic 10-storey oasis, which has its own well-regarded in-house restaurant, Kingi.

Sumptuous but not ostentatious, this longstanding hotel is comprised of 13 beautifully appointed suites and an on-site restaurant and bar just as popular with locals as with guests.

The Auckland outpost for the powerhouse hotel chain features all the style, luxury and contemporary twists you’d expect from a world-class provider: 13 different designer rooms, a Mediterranean diner championing sustainable NZ seafood, and a rooftop bar with cocktails and sun-soaked panoramas of the harbour.

Dunedin’s modernist boutique hotel makes for an artfully luxurious stay.

An eccentric and eye-catching decor style is the point of difference at this centrally located 116-room hotel.

This central Christchurch hotel in the city’s historic Arts Centre melds heritage and modernity. Expect a comfortable and characterful stay in any of its 33 charming rooms.

Located in an 1860s heritage building, this boutique eight-room hotel is decorated to feel like a bygone era, with plenty of modern touches for a comfortable and characterful stay.

Stargaze through the ceiling or enjoy a mountain view from bed in this off-the-grid glass eco-cabin, a 20-minute drive from Kaikōura on the South Island.

This 67-room boutique hotel is located just on the edge of the Christchurch city centre. Check in for relaxed, welcoming luxury courtesy of minimal yet elegant design, comfortable and high-tech amenities and a polished in-house cafe and cocktail bar.

Coastal New Zealand wine country meets contemporary luxury at Paroa Bay’s exquisite Bay of Islands villas.

A purpose-built one-bedroom villa in the Abel Tasman National Park, The Kite offers a taste of luxury and seclusion for two people.

Set against the backdrop of the Seaward Kaikōura Range, these luxurious lodges provide a base for travellers to relax – in between exploring a picturesque part of the South Island.

Surrounded by the rocky Southern Alps, this secluded hut is an ideal stop roughly halfway between Queenstown and Christchurch. It provides an opportunity to return to nature while staying cosy by a log burner.

On the doorstep of a vast World Heritage area, The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp is a launchpad into wilderness.