FAQs

Please see below for some answers to some frequently-asked questions.

All answers are answered by our team here at Stoneridge Estate. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to contact us. We welcome any enquiries.

Accommodation

All tariffs include a daily complimentary continental and/or a la carte breakfast with barista coffee (served between 7.30am – 10.00am), daily afternoon cheeseboard & glass of the estate’s wine.

Lodge and Cottage guests have use of the Lodge lap pool, hot tub, and lounge areas.

Retreat guests have use of the Retreat infinity pool, spa pool, gym, sauna, outdoor fireplace and lounge areas.
Rates are quoted in New Zealand dollars.

Accommodation pricing is quoted inclusive of a 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST).

A 50% deposit and a valid credit card is required to confirm a reservation. The remaining 50% will be charged to the card you have provided 30 – 60 days prior to your reservation, and any additional services you add during your stay will be payable on check-out. We accept Visa, Mastercard and direct deposit. Please note there is a 4% surcharge on all card payments.

Peak season (1st November – 30th April): If a reservation is cancelled at any time, a 100% cancellation fee will be charged unless the room nights are able to be re-sold.

Quiet season (1st May – 31st October):

  •  If cancellation is made more than 60 days prior to arrival, the deposit is fully refundable.
  • If cancellation is received within 31 – 60 days prior to arrival, a cancellation fee equivalent to 50% of the total tariff will be charged unless the room nights are able to be re-sold.
  • If cancellation is received within 30 days prior to arrival, a 100% cancellation fee will be charged unless the room nights are able to be re-sold.

Any refunds of deposits will attract an administration fee of $100. If a reservation is cancelled within the time that a cancellation fee applies, and room nights are subsequently re-sold at a lesser rate, the refund of the deposit will be less also.

All cancellation requests must be made by email to enquiries@stoneridge.co.nz. The property recommends that you consider travel insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances.

There is no minimum age for guests staying in the Lodge and Cottage. Children of all ages can be accommodated. 

For children aged 2 and under, there is an additional charge of $75.00 per child per night, including a portacot if requested.

For children aged 3 – 10 years, there is an additional charge of $85.00 per child per night, including breakfast each morning. One of the rooms in the main Lodge has an adjoining second bedroom where up to two child guests can be accommodated. In other rooms, we can set up a rollaway bed.

Arrival/Departure

Check-in is from 3.00pm onwards, and check-out is by 10.30am. Early check-in (1.30pm) and late check-out (12.00pm) are available by prior arrangement for a charge of $75.00 per room. 

Flexibility will be offered with check-in and check-in times wherever possible but cannot be guaranteed. Guests arriving early or departing late are welcome to place their luggage in storage and enjoy the estate’s facilities.

We do not offer airport transfer services, but can recommend booking through either Queenstown Taxis (0800 788 294 or 03 450 3000).

Due to our semi-rural location, we do recommend that any guests who wish to explore the local sights and attractions during their stay with us consider hiring a car. There are a number of rental car companies located near or at the airport.

There is complimentary car parking outside your accommodation for all guests staying at Stoneridge.

Non-guests who are attending weddings or events may park in the visitor car park adjacent to the Chapel by the Lake.

Dining

Breakfast is served in the main lodge from 7.30am – 10.00am daily. Room tariffs include a continental and/or a la carte cooked breakfast each morning. 

If you require an earlier breakfast, please let your hosts know the day prior and a self-service continental breakfast can be left out for you.

Room service breakfast is available by prior arrangement for $23.00 per person. Please contact your hosts the night prior if you wish to organise this.

We don’t offer lunch at the main lodge, but our Cellar Door is open from 11.00am – 5.00pm daily where there is a small selection of platters and nibbles available to purchase. This is located on the far eastern side of the property near the road, behind the Chapel.

We offer private dining in the lodge by prior arrangement. Our signature Lodge dining experience is a five-course Trust the Chef degustation, priced at $365.00 per couple.

Dinner bookings are subject to chef availability and 48 hours’ notice is usually required, although bookings may sometimes be able to be accommodated at shorter notice.

Our chef can cater for any special dietary requirements providing that we are advised of these no later than 48 hours prior to your dinner.

Alternatively there are lots of excellent restaurants in nearby Arrowtown (10 minutes’ drive) and Queenstown (15 – 20 minutes’ drive) and a number of restaurants also offer delivery to Stoneridge. Please feel welcome to contact your hosts for more information.

Children are welcome to join their parents for dinner, and we offer a two-course children’s menu for $30.00 per person (suitable for children under 10 years). While our dining rooms are semi-private, sound does carry between the rooms and so we request that noise is kept to a reasonable level to preserve the fine dining experience. Should noise affect the experience of other guests dining with us, management reserve the right to ask any families to move to another location.

We do not have a room service menu, but gourmet grazing platters and picnic hampers can be arranged. Advance notice of at least 48 hours is recommended for bookings.

We can cater for any special dietary requirements providing that we are advised of these at time of booking or a minimum of 48 hours’ prior to your arrival.

Yes, we are delighted to host non-guests for dining in the Lodge.

Facilities/Amentities

Our outdoor hot tubs are available for guests to use 7.00am – 10.00pm daily. There is one hot tub at the main Lodge for guests of the Lodge and Cottage, and a second hot tub at the Retreat.

We operate a booking system for the hot tubs to ensure our guests’ privacy when you are using them. Please call reception from the phone in your room to book a specific time (subject to availability), or advise your hosts at breakfast. We will open the hot tub and put towels out for you ready for your arrival.

For environmental reasons, we do not keep the hot tubs continuously heated when they are not in use. They take between 45 – 90 minutes to reach optimal temperature after being turned on, so we recommend that guests who wish to book them contact us several hours prior to their intended use.

We offer a range of in-room massages and treatments – please see our Spa Menu for more information. You can add these at time of booking via our website, or by contacting our reservations team by email prior to arrival. Bookings are subject to therapist availability and advance notice is recommended.

Should you wish to book a massage or treatment once you have arrived, please call reception from the phone in your room and we may be able to organise this at short notice.

Please note there is a 20% surcharge on treatment bookings on NZ statutory holidays.

Our therapists will bring along a massage table, towels and oils to set up in the comfort of your room, allowing you the luxury of a five-star day spa in the privacy of your accommodation.

The Lodge lap pool is solar heated in the summer months. The Retreat infinity pool is not heated.

Guests staying at Stoneridge Retreat have access to the Retreat gym and sauna. For guests of the Lodge and Cottage, there is no access to gym facilities – however our beautiful natural surroundings offer nature’s own gym, with easy access to walking and biking trails on foot from your accommodation. We can also organise private yoga tuition on request.

We do not offer in-house babysitting services, but can recommend Tots on Tour childcare who can provide experienced babysitters along with a range of childcare equipment for hire. 

We offer laundry services to all guests and have laundry bags available in guest rooms – please advise your hosts if you wish to have any items laundered. 

There is a charge of $45 per load. Ironing is additional if required and is charged at $4 per item. Dry cleaning can also be arranged on request and price depends on the item.

Laundry is normally returned within 48 hours – if you require it sooner please advise your hosts.

We do not offer self-laundering facilities.

Please call reception or let your hosts know if you would like to book transport into Queenstown or Arrowtown. If our driver is available then we will be happy to take you. One-way transfers to Queenstown are $60.00, and to Arrowtown, Frankton or Queenstown Airport are $50.00.

If our driver is unavailable, we can arrange taxi transport for you.

There is one ground-floor room in the Lodge that has step-free access. It does not have an accessible bathroom, but we do have a separate guest toilet in the Lodge that is wheelchair accessible.

Regretfully none of the rooms at the Retreat are wheelchair accessible. 

Guests are welcome to smoke outdoors and ashtrays are provided. There is no smoking indoors. We ask that smokers are considerate of any other guests in the vicinity.

Location

The weather in Central Otago can be fairly changeable so we recommend packing a few layers!

In summer (from mid-December until mid-March), we typically have some very hot days interspersed with cooler days. The sun in New Zealand is very strong so we recommend always wearing sunscreen, even on cloudier days.

Autumn (from mid-March until early May) is usually fairly settled and pleasant, with warm, sunny afternoons and cooler evenings, so we recommend wearing lighter clothing in the daytime and then layering up in the evening.

Winter is cold – bring ski jackets, insulated pants, gloves, hat and snow boots if you’re planning to head up to the ski fields. If you’re spending your time enjoying Queenstown’s town and nightlife, it rarely snows in town so snow gear isn’t usually required, but make sure to bring a warm coat.

Temperatures will start to rise again from September onwards. Spring can be a little unpredictable weather-wise, so you might want to bring a rain jacket!

Spring (September – November) is when Queenstown starts to come back to life and look very green! The estate will still look fairly wintry until the start of summer, but we do have beautiful cherry blossom in September and October. The weather can be a bit unpredictable at times with rainstorms and wind.

Summer is typically dry, hot and sunny, with some cooler days. The New Zealand sun is very strong in summer.

Early autumn is warm and pleasant during the day without being as hot as the summer months. After sunset, temperatures drop and the evenings tend to be much cooler. Towards the end of autumn, we get cooler daytime temperatures and there may be some early snowfall.

Winter is cold but the weather tends to be clear and dry. The ski season runs from mid-June until the beginning of October, although opening and closing dates can vary annually depending on the snow conditions.

We use the New Zealand Dollar.

New Zealand Standard Time.

Our power points here in New Zealand operate on 240 volts.