My husband and I spent our Babymoon at Blanket Bay--and it exceeded our expectations-as did New Zealand!!! The drive to the lodge is scenic and pristine-about 40 minutes from the airport-you are in the middle of nowhere-just what we wanted!!! Upon our arrival we were greeted at our car by the general manager and requested to leave everything in the car--he gave us a thorough tour of the main lodge and made us feel like friends visiting. We booked one of the chalets which is up the hill from the main lodge-we were whisked over and our luggage was waiting for us-I wasn't sure if the chalet would be worth the extra money-I am so glad that we booked it--Incredible views, sumptuous bed and bathroom with steam shower and separate sunken tub--outdoor patio-fireplace, sitting area-it was perfect!!! Dinner was included as well as pre-dinner cocktails in the intimate bar as well as breakfast each morning. The food is delicious and very gourmet-fresh, local organic as well!! Judy, one of the hosts organized fly fishihing for us as well as a helicopter tour (well worth the expense-a highlight of our trip) and gave us a driving itinerary--this is a small lodge and dinner is early-we ate at 8pm each night and were by far the last diners---there is a game room with pool table, shuffle board, darts etc that is stocked with soda, beer etc avaialble all day--the hot tub is beautiful-the most incredible view I have ever seen from a hot tub!!!! We had a massage with the in house masseuse--nice way to recover from our 24 hour journey. Nightlife is non-existant-the local town pub in Glenorchy closed at 8pm on a Saturday night-- Blanket Bay is the perfect place to see true undisturbed New Zealand and to get away from it all while still being pampered!! Hope to return someday!!!

Blanket Bay is probably the most highly-touted very high-end luxury resort in New Zealand. Suites cost over $1,600US per night (rooms slightly less) For that you get a large living area, large sleeping area, sumptuous bathroom, outdoor seating area, spectacular views of Lake Wakitupu and the Southern Alps, burnished wood paneling, a built-in music system that plays five channels of Muzak, and an ELECTRIC fireplace. (Every other place we stayed in NZ had wood-burning fireplaces in the rooms).You also get extraordinarily ordinary food (ignore the framed and claimed awards, - they don't reflect the actual meals we were served which were far and away the least impressive we had anywhere in NZ) and a corporate service attitude more suited to a golf resort than an intimate (11 accommodations) wilderness retreat. The activities are relatively limited, unless you want to spend $2,500US for the helicopter tour that was offered us during the check-in orientation. The Dart River jet boat trip at approximately $250 per couple was very enjoyable, but still pricey. The highlight of the visit to Blanket Bay was the private charter flight we took from Blanket Bay to our next stop, Grasmere in the Central Highlands. The vistas of the Southern Alps were spectacular, and we were leaving Blanket Bay.

If you want great mountain views, save yourself 20+ hours of travel and tons of money and go to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and if you want to have a great experience in NZ, by all means go there, but stay somewhere other than Blanket Bay.

Blanket Bay is absolute perfection. Our suite was amazing, the staff was just as attentive as we wanted- present when needed but not overbearing, the food was fantastic. My husband and I had our wedding in their Great Room overlooking the lake; Judy and the rest of the staff did so much for us in the details (at no cost). Blanket Bay is truly one of the best places in the world.

One note: Blanket Bay is a 40 minute drive from Queenstown. So this is not the place for you if you plan on spending a lot of time in town. The purpose of our trip with the lodge, not to explore the resort town, so it fit our needs exactly.

My wife and I stayed there in late 2002. Upon arrival, the view from the lodge's "great room" was stunning. Our room was large with lots of nice touches. The walk-out patio was a perfect place to have coffee and take in the view of the lake and mountains. We ate all breakfast and dinners at the lodge and the food was excellent. One night, they asked us if we'd like to dine in the wine cellar which was very romantic. Prior to dinner, they offer a free happy hour. The service at all levels was professional and smart. The lodge is located a few minutes outside of Glenorchy which is a small town at the head of the Dart river. If you do go, be sure to take one of the jet boats up the Dart river; you'll see recognizable terrain from the Lord Of The Rings trilogy (and the boat picks you up from in front of the Blanket Bay lodge).