Hotel check: M Gallery St Moritz, New Zealand

WHAT’S IT LIKE? This five-floor four-star hotel, which is under Accor’s M Gallery brand, is located a short walk from the city centre on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Staff are warm and friendly, and a welcoming all-day restaurant is located just off of the fourth-floor reception (ground level when accessed from the back entrance but the building is on a slope), which helps creates a homely feel. The general look of the property resembles a ski lodge, with exposed brickwork, timber flooring and sloping wooden roofs. The décor is contemporary, with splashes of black, burgundy, gold and cream throughout. Although it mainly caters to Queenstown’s thriving tourist sector, it also has event space for meetings organisers, as well as essentials such as wifi/wired internet access, modern flatscreen TVs, 24-hour reception staff and a business centre. WHERE IS IT? On Brunswick Street, overlooking the lake. The airport is 8km away. ROOM FACILITIES Standard-category Guest rooms, which come with either king or single beds, feature minibars, 40-inch LCD TVs, iPod docks, in-room movies, Sky TV, en suite bathrooms, armchairs, workdesks, and tea- and coffee-making facilities. My One-Bed Alpine Suite had a large living area and open-plan kitchenette (with a washing machine/dryer, a fridge, sink and minibar), a dining table (although no workdesk so I had to move this across the room to where the wired internet socket was), a huge flatscreen TV, and a set of sliding doors that opened into the bedroom. This was cosy, and had an adjacent bathroom fitted with a tub, walk-in power shower, modest amenities (no showergel just soap), and a cream and brown colourscheme. I ordered room service, which is available 24 hours, in the evening and had a very tasty pizza and garden salad that was delivered swiftly within 20 minutes. RESTAURANTS AND BARS The Lombardi restaurant is open from 6am to 12am. It serves international cuisine and has lovely views of the lake and mountains in the distance. Although I didn’t have dinner here, I did grab a quick breakfast in the morning before checking out – there was a generous buffet with plenty of hot and cold options. The Lombardi bar is open 11am-12am and provides snacks and musical entertainment. BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES There are two event spaces for hire – the Den, which can accommodate 70 delegates banquet-style, and the Library, which can seat 50 people theatre-style. LEISURE FACILITIES There is a modest on-site gym and outdoor hot tub. The surrounding area offers a wealth of adventure activities, ranging from skiing, hiking and bungee jumping, to kayaking, parasailing and wind surfing. It is a short walk into the city centre for shopping, drinking and dining, and the lakeshore is a beautiful place to take a morning stroll. VERDICT A well-located hotel with great views of the lake and mountains. The staff are excellent and the interiors cosy yet contemporary. A good option for leisure travellers and small corporate teambuilding groups. FACT FILE: HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 142 rooms (including 71 suites) across five categories – Guest rooms, Lake View Guest rooms, One-Bed Alpine Suite, One-Bed Alpine Suite with Lake View, Two-Bed Apartment Lake View. ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The sunset views from the balcony, the comfy bed and prompt room service with tasty food. PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in January started from NZ$232 (£113) for a Guest room. CONTACT St Moritz, 10-18 Brunswick Street, Queenstown, New Zealand; tel +64 3442 4990; accorhotels.com Jenny Southan