Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park by IHG

After 24 hours of travel, we spent one night here and slept well. The hotel was clean throughout, the staff very friendly, and breakfast was very good. We also had dinner at the on-site restaurant on arrival night. It was a genuinely nice meal at a fair price, not an afterthought or captive-audience rip-off. We’d definitely stay again.

I got in around 9pm and chose the Holiday Inn Remarkables for my first night near the airport. It was a great choice. I walked from the airport in 20 minutes on smooth sidewalks, though you can also take a $10 bus, a taxi, or an Uber. I’m normally a Hyatt guy with top ‘globalist’ status, so comparisons with other chains can be unfair when I don’t get upgrades, breakfast, water, or flexible check-in and check-out. This Holiday Inn still impressed me. Check-in was quick and easy, with friendly front desk staff helping a large tour group. My room was lovely, with good sound and light blocking, a very comfortable bed and pillow choices, an excellent shower, nice soap, adjustable lighting, a work area, and a mini fridge. Most of all, I got a deeply restful sleep. It was a busy weekend, with most hotels sold out or charging extremely high rates, and this was very good value.

I was very disappointed with the service. The air conditioning in my room was faulty, and we spent two nights sweltering with no relief. Since it was the weekend, no maintenance staff were working, and hotel staff couldn’t move me to a room with working air conditioning. There was no manager on duty to sort it out, and given what we paid, nobody offered any consideration for the lack of AC. That’s not what I expect from this brand. I’ve stayed at IHG hotels around the world and generally received good service, so this was a real letdown.

The hotel is close to Queenstown Airport and within walking distance of a nearby supermarket, which was very convenient. We also appreciated the complimentary breakfast. The rooms were clean and modern, as good as other Holiday Inn properties I’ve stayed at overseas, and I liked being able to choose between soft and firm pillows. Service could be better, though. Our call to the front desk went unanswered twice and was picked up only on the third try. Parking was extremely limited, so we were sent to a paid lot about a 5-minute walk away. With my injured leg, that was inconvenient.