Alanah Eriksen enjoys the spa on the deck of the penthouse suite at Queenstown's The Carlin.
A chance encounter in the Port Hills sparked the revival of Queenstown’s most extravagant hotel. Alanah Eriksen checks into a $6000-per-night penthouse.
Richmond Paynter and wife Susie were taking a stroll in Christchurch’s Port Hills when they came across a woman in a baseball cap walking her dog while staring down at her phone.
“My wife likes to talk and jokingly told her off, ‘Look around, you’re in the mountains, enjoy it’.”
The cap-clad woman told the couple she had just been made a receiver of the $30m boutique Queenstown hotel, The Carlin. Its owner, US property developer Kevin Carlin, had died suddenly aged 69 of hypertensive heart disease less than a year after opening.
BDO Christchurch, appointed to settle Carlin’s estate, found debt of $45 million.
Paynter coyly told the hiker he was an “old property developer”. (He’s actually developed several big projects across New Zealand).
“She said, ‘Well, have I got a deal for you... Do you want to buy it?’” Paynter tells me over a glass of Quartz Reef Central Otago Brut in a luxury suite with an unobstructed view of Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables and the Skyline Queenstown gondola going up and down from Bob’s Peak.
Paynter asked if she had heard of a co-ownership model, and The Carlin Residence Club was born.
With the hotel’s Australian owner and US fractional ownership company Elite Alliance, Paynter is bringing a concept never before seen in New Zealand. Individuals can purchase a tenth of a title of one of the former hotel’s eight units.
Prices start at $550,000 for a share of one of the six two-bedroom 145m2 units. The one-bedroom 172m2 penthouse is $695,000 and the three-room 236m2 presidential suite is $895,000.
But the public can still benefit from the revamp - apartment owners can rent out the properties for between $3000 and $7000 a night.
So what is a $6000-a-night penthouse like?
Spacious and elegant, with the critical design feature that everything is oriented towards the mountains.
I got to stay at The Carlin over a weekend in June and the first thing that strikes you is the panoramic view from the expansive deck, which runs the length of the unit.
You could entertain 20 people on this epic deck. But you conveniently won’t be obliged to house them afterwards as it’s a one-bedroom pad.
The technology is more advanced than anywhere I’ve stayed, with a heated spa with all the jets and bubble functions you could hope for. You can even play music out of it.
There are several light settings, two big flat-screen TVs, a remote control fireplace, a heat pump and a marble fire pit on the deck.
And one suspects there is also some sort of central heating on top of all this gadgetry because if you turn off all of these heaters, the apartment still stays warm.
The massive ensuite has heated tiles and a heated toilet seat with bidet functions. But there is also a more traditional non-electronic second throne (or powder room) if you get intimidated.
And for a touch of spice - the shower has no door. A deep freestanding bathtub even has a pillow for residents to rest their heads after a day of hitting the slopes, wineries or shops.
In the bedroom, guests can wake up in the plush, super king bed (after booting off the dozens of pillows arranged into an elaborate pyramid) to look out on to the lake.
The little details are on point. Fluffy white robes carry the iconic teal-coloured Carlin emblem. In the same colour, a jewellery holder next to the bed is perfect for residents’ diamond earrings, and a shoe shiner and shoehorn take pride of place in the bathroom.
If you need it, there’s a full chef’s kitchen but guests are offered a cooked breakfast in the residents lounge, which would suit those flying in from far-flung locations.
Guests can also enjoy a free cocktail at happy hour and mouth-watering tapas in the lounge.
My favourite pre-dinner morsels were the braised lamb shoulder croquettes with smoked aioli, chimichurri and Grana Padano.
The fresh tuna and blood orange tartare taco and the overnight-cooked beef ribs with kimchi glaze and fried shallots were also a dream.
The concierge is at your beck and call, arranging a massage in a club treatment room or on your majestic deck if you prefer. Other services include a pre-arrival grocery shop, charter boat and shuttle service bookings and bespoke tours.
The Carlin also has a gym, electric bikes, clothing and equipment storage and laundry services.
If you can part with the room and brave the winter, I recommend getting your steps up with a 10-minute walk to the city’s array of bars and restaurants.
Sunfire’s market fish - a creamy dish that includes clams, prawns, bacon, smoked potato and velouté was to die for.
Eichardt’s Bar, attached to the hotel of the same name, which has welcomed travellers through its doors since 1861, was a cool, cosy spot for a nightcap.
Once home to Queenstown’s first building — William Rees’ woolshed - the bar’s fireplace and leather couches keep you comfortable and toasty and the cocktails are refreshing.
At Madam Woo, which defied the odds to emerge from voluntary administration in 2023, the pork dumplings in hot broth, beef rendang and honey and soy-tossed squid are a must-try.
The Ginger Mojito and Asia Classic are also worth a go.
Coronet Peak is just a short car drive from the property, or go a bit further to Cardrona. Even if you’re not a skier, the hairy drive up the mountain is worth it for the view. On the way down, warm up with a mulled wine and soup of the day (potato and leek was on offer at the time) at the iconic Cardrona Hotel.
Despite its reputation as a winter wonderland, Paynter says Queenstown is much busier in the summer with people jetting in for the hiking, cycling and wineries.
It’s also worth checking out the Rifters gin tasting room in Arrowtown. The New Zealand brand has just won the World’s Best Navy Gin award at the prestigious World Drinks Awards in London.
With a commerce degree up his sleeve and a wife and daughter who are high-end interior designers (three homes they worked on have won the New Zealand’s House of the Year Award), Paynter’s Duchamp Collective is giving The Carlin a new lease on life.
And he’s the man for it - after university, Paynter worked for his father’s construction company which built the Queen Elizabeth II Park, a multi-purpose stadium, for the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. He went on to build Wānaka’s Edgewater Resort, retirement villages and shopping complexes.
Elite’s first development was a set of apartments in Utah’s Deer Valley 35 years ago.
Owners of The Carlin apartments can trade in their weeks for 120 properties within the Elite group dotted around the world, including in Marrakesh, Sicily, Tulum, Bali, Whistler and Dubai.
So how does the concept differ to a timeshare?
“You are buying capital, not time,” says Paynter.
President of Elite Rob Goodyear adds that The Carlin concept is perfect for people who “don’t want to feel anchored to one location”.
“People who have holiday homes really only use them 35 days a year... we release them from the burden of full home ownership.”
Getting there
Four airlines fly to and from Queenstown, including Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar. The Carlin offers airport transfers.
Details
For more information, visit thecarlinhotel.com.
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtsey of The Carlin.