Avani queenstown hotel opening and the new lakefront landscape
The Avani Queenstown hotel opening is the headline news in a town already crowded with luxury names. Minor Hotels has confirmed that Avani Queenstown, the brand’s New Zealand flagship and second property in Aotearoa, is scheduled to open in September 2025 on the lakefront in a transformed former Oaks Shores resort. For New Zealand couples used to choosing between long established alpine lodges and newer lifestyle hotel arrivals, this launch will reshape how Queenstown hotels position themselves along the shore.
The property New Zealand travellers will soon see is no simple refresh; the old Oaks Shores building has been extensively reworked into a full service, resort style hotel with a clear premium lifestyle brief. According to the official Minor Hotels announcement, the reimagined Avani Queenstown will offer 120 guest rooms and suites, with layouts designed to maximise lake and mountain views. Minor Hotels has leaned into the Avani Hotels & Resorts playbook, promising contemporary design, flexible social spaces and a guest experience that feels closer to an urban lifestyle hotel in Sydney than a traditional ski lodge. With the final room mix still subject to change, the question for domestic guests is whether this New Zealand flagship can translate that global brand language into something that still feels rooted in Lake Wakatipu and the wider Otago landscape.
From a booking perspective, the Avani Queenstown hotel opening signals that Queenstown will keep climbing the luxury ladder, with more hotels chasing travellers who might otherwise look to Kota Kinabalu or Avani-style resorts in Southeast Asia. The new property will sit directly on the lake, giving couples easy access to the Frankton Track, the water taxis and the après ski shuttle runs from Coronet Peak and The Remarkables. Early concept images released by Minor Hotels show a refreshed lakefront terrace and upgraded jetty, underlining the focus on outdoor living. As Minor Hotels’ regional team put it in their opening announcement, the goal is a lakefront base that “connects guests to Queenstown’s energy while still feeling like a retreat at the end of the day” — the kind of positioning that can change how you plan a long weekend if you want a resort base that balances alpine buzz with lakeside calm.
Design, dining and the promise of a premium lifestyle stay
Minor Hotels describes Avani Queenstown as a lifestyle hotel with full service credentials, rather than a traditional resort wrapped in formality. The design brief leans into natural materials, wide lake views and social spaces that can flex from quiet morning coffee to pre dinner drinks after a day on the slopes. Timber, stone and soft neutral textiles are expected to anchor the interiors, with floor to ceiling glazing in many rooms and communal areas. For New Zealand based travellers used to intimate lodges and homely apartments, the Avani Queenstown hotel opening will test whether an international brand can still feel personal at scale, with staff expected to talk confidently about local tracks, cellar doors and neighbourhood favourites.
Dining will centre on Six to Midnight, an all day venue that Minor Hotels says will showcase seasonal New Zealand produce and a relaxed premium lifestyle mood. Early menu teasers reference Cardrona Valley lamb shoulder, Southland blue cod, Gibbston Valley pinot noir by the glass and Central Otago stone fruit desserts, alongside Southland cheese boards and Otago craft beers. Domestic guests should watch closely to see whether the menu names Central Otago and Southland producers, in the same way the best Marlborough wine lodges champion their neighbours in winter; if you care about provenance, treat this as a key sign of how seriously the brand takes its New Zealand flagship status. Think Cardrona Valley lamb, Gibbston Valley pinot noir and Southland cheese boards rather than anonymous “local” platters, and compare your experience here with the cellar driven meals highlighted in our guide to winter in Marlborough wine lodge stays.
Wellness is another pillar of the Avani Queenstown hotel opening, with the new AvaniSpa and AvaniFit facilities positioned as a counterpoint to long days on the mountain or on the lake. Concept plans outline hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna and steam room, couples’ treatment suites and a compact relaxation lounge with lake views, while the fitness studio is expected to feature cardio equipment, free weights and space for guided stretching sessions. Couples planning South Island adventures will appreciate being able to move from an après ski soak to a late sitting at Six to Midnight without leaving the property. If Minor Hotels delivers the level of guest experience seen at other Avani Hotels & Resorts in Asia and the Middle East, this New Zealand property could become a reliable base for repeat winter and shoulder season escapes, especially for travellers who want a consistent brand but a distinctly Queenstown sense of place.
South Island adventures, après ski energy and what domestic guests should watch
For Kiwis planning South Island adventures, the Avani Queenstown hotel opening is less about one more hotel and more about how Queenstown will feel in the next wave of growth. The former Shores resort footprint means the property sits right on Lake Wakatipu, giving guests a front row seat to sunrise over The Remarkables and easy access to lakeside paths that still feel local despite the town’s global profile. Time your stay for late winter and you can pair those views with the last soft turns of the season, using our guide to late winter alpine lodges worth one final booking to shape a multi stop itinerary that links Queenstown with smaller South Island ski bases.
Après ski in Queenstown has always been more about compact bars and lakefront pubs than sprawling resort complexes, and this is where the new lifestyle hotel model will be tested. The Avani Queenstown team is promising social spaces that can host small scale events, casual drinks and low key live music without tipping into generic international sameness. One pre opening staff briefing described the goal as “feeling like your favourite local, just with better views”, a useful benchmark for families eyeing school holiday snow trips who can weigh this property against the more traditional options in our round up of family friendly stays near New Zealand ski fields, especially if they want a full service base with easy lake access.
This article is a preview, not a review; the real test of this New Zealand flagship will come once doors open in September 2025 and domestic travellers start checking in. We will be looking closely at how the on the ground team handles the guest experience, from check in warmth to how staff talk about local tracks, wineries and lesser known adventures beyond the standard brochures. When we return after opening, we will report on whether this Avani brand outpost has managed to feel like a true Queenstown hotel for New Zealanders, or whether it leans too heavily on the global playbook that works in Sydney, Kota Kinabalu and other Avani-style resorts but needs fine tuning on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.