Hotel St Moritz (Queenstown)

The Hotel

So I land in Queenstown (and you check out my review of the flight into Queenstown, which was such an amazing experience, here). I work my way through the chill of the Queenstown air to my hotel. It is such a beautiful hotel reminiscent of a ski lodge; with wooden beams, stone façade and… yes a super cosy fireplace.

I check into the hotel and head to my room. I have a room overlooking the lake which is fantastic and the best way to spend one’s time in Queenstown.

The Lakeview Room

Here is a video clip of the room including the amazing view of the lake.

 

The view of the lake and snow-capped mountains is just amazing!!

The bathroom has Molten Brown toiletries…

There is a spacious shower…

And plenty of beautiful plush warm towels

Lombardi Restaurant

One of the best things about this hotel is the bar and restaurant overlooking the lake.

The Bar

The bar is the perfect refuge from the cold… is anyone with me when I say join me for a glass of red wine with a cosy scarf in the corner overlooking the lake?

The bar has an amazing selection wines and an excellent Martini list too.

Since I just love my followers and taking cool snaps, I decide to venture beyond my personal comfort and order a Honeynut Martini and perch myself on the terrace gazing at the afternoon sun which escapes over the horizon and admiring the reflective glow which it casts over the lake. However, it is just oh so freezing!! So I hang out for a few minutes and manage to get this lovely picture for you!

Eventually common sense prevails and I am back inside with a glass of red wine and some snacks with a big thick window keeping me from the evening chill of Queenstown.

Breakfast

Hotel breakfasts are pretty important, in fact I think a lot of people would “can” a hotel for a bad breakfast, as there is something luxurious and holiday-like to not venture from your hotel and just trudge downstairs and enjoy the first meal of the day. If breakfasts were a benchmark, then this hotel would get all the points! I order an Eggs Lombardi (Salmon, Poached Eggs, Avocado and Tomato) and a Coffee. The picture below is the view I have that morning for breakfast…. it is just so beautiful, I don’t think I can describe it!

I eventually remove my gaze from the lake and back onto the breakfast. The thick chunks of oily salmon are a pure delight, while the runny yolk from the egg oozes a comforting richness when it escapes from its soft egg white pouch. The avocado is delectably creamy and there is a little tang and smokiness interwoven in the tomato. The English muffin on the bottom soaks up the goodness and makes for an excellent start to the day.

Lunch

As my flight departs mid-afternoon, I decide not venture into town, but stick with the amazing view at the Lombardi.

I order the seafood platter which is a bit hit and miss. Some items were a dream to eat and others were not quite there. But nonetheless it was substantial enough for me to cherry pick the winners and still be full at the end of the lunch.

While the seafood platter was okay, the wine was amazing. The Central Otago Pinot was a beautiful drop (It was the Gibbston Valley Gold River Pinot Noir) and the backdrop extenuated its sense of fulfilment. I was in love for a moment. The beautiful cherry notes of the wine ran amok through my nasal senses while on the tongue the lush silky textures and fruity flavours of cherry and plums proved so alluring. It was a fine way to end the afternoon.