'Sheer luxuriousness': The NZ hotels Michelin has just named among world's best

Author: Ben Leahy,
Publish Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2026, 10:46am

The Lindis in Omarama in the south Island has for the second year retained its status among the world's elite hotels after being recognised by the Michelin Guide team. Photo / Shaun Jeffers

The Michelin Guide team has crowned 28 New Zealand hotels as among the world’s best.

That includes 10 two-key hotels - the equivalent of two stars for restaurants.

Wallingford Homestead, an East Coast food destination stay, is the newest two-key restaurant, while Waiheke Island’s Delamore Lodge and Queenstown’s Rosewood Matakauri have moved up from one-key to two-key this year.

Seven famous Kiwi hotels held onto their two-key status from last year, which was the first year New Zealand was included in the ratings guide.

They included: Blanket Bay (Glenorchy Otago), Huka Lodge (Taupo), Otahuna Lodge (Christchurch), Rosewood Cape Kidnappers (Hawke’s Bay), Rosewood Kauri Cliffs (Northland), The Lindis (Omarama), and Wharekauhau Country Estate (Featherston).

Chris Stockdale and Jeanette Woerner have taken their Hawke's Bay foodie-hotel Wallingford Homestead into the status of world elite. Photo / Supplied

Another 18 hotels either became new one-key hotels or retained their one-key status from last year.

New Zealand’s 10 highly rated hotels compare strongly against Australia, which had nine hotels score a two-key status and three achieve three keys.

Globally, 155 hotels achieved three-key status - including a new addition in Rwanda that sets guests up to trek to see gorillas.

Another 657 were rated two-key and 2020 as one-key hotels.

New Zealand’s best hotels sit in stunning locations across the country.

New entrant Wallingford Homestead sits in rolling farmlands with a focus on rustic furnishings and bringing local ingredients to guests’ plates, according to the Michelin Guide.

The Michelin team said Rosewood Matakauri had interiors to rival the fanciest hotels.

Promoted two-key Rosewood Matakauri sits by Lake Wakatipu.

It features “interiors that rival, in their sheer luxuriousness, the finest city hotels and the most exclusive resorts” and a Swiss chef among the best in the hemisphere, Michelin says.

Delamore Lodge is on an island with a “surprisingly successful blend of Mediterranean architecture and Maori décor”.

Returning two-key restaurant The Lindis sits in a stunning South Island valley where guests can watch stars arc over the Southern Alps - “reminiscent of the best Patagonian hotels”.

It is the second year New Zealand hotels have been listed in the Michelin keys global review, which is a new set of ratings from the Michelin team famous for the restaurants guide.

To be included on the list, hotels must have the highest standards of architecture, design, service, character, value, and contribution to the local community, and are awarded based on post-stay ratings from verified Michelin Guide guests.

Delamore Lodge in Waiheke Island had the most 'Instagrammed' pool in New Zealand according to one study. Photo / Auckland Unlimited