The 'beyond five-star' Queenstown hotel where the toilet can give you a massage
When Kevin Carlin first came to Queenstown he was advised to park his BMW in a shed and drive a ute around town.
“I was told to not be too flash, as people in New Zealand call it.”
More than 30 years after moving from the United States to the country he chose for its lifestyle and security, he has opened one of the flashiest hotels ever built in Queenstown.
The “more than five-star” 14-suite Carlin Boutique Hotel stretches seven stories above the central town.
Each of the interconnected suites has its own outdoor fire and spa pool, and a kitchen where private chefs can whip up a meal.
“We don’t expect our guests are ever going to buy eggs and cook,” Carlin said.
The toilets have remote controls that do everything from lift the seat to provide a massage.
The walls are marble and oak, the waste baskets and tissue holders are leather and embossed with the newly-developed Carlin crest.
If you are unfortunate enough to have one of the few bedrooms without a view over Queenstown, you will instead have a 65-inch television linked to a rooftop camera that provides a live feed of the outlook.
Guests who walk into central Queenstown but want a lift uphill home can choose to be picked up in a Bentley, Porsche or Maserati – or grab an e-bike from the available fleet.
A night in a one-bedroom suite starts at $1750 plus GST, while the three-storey penthouse goes for about $25,000 a night for seven bedrooms, seven-and-a-half bathrooms, four spas, four backyards and four lounge rooms over about 510 square metres.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.6% 1st December
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17.5% A week before Christmas
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33.2% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.