Rosewood Cape Kidnappers. Photo / Supplied
Sarah Pollok checks in and checks out Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, a luxury resort nestled amid a working farm with a famous golf course, ocean views and heart for conservation.
Location:
Cape Kidnappers is set on a Pacific Ocean peninsula, a 45-minute drive north of Napier airport, at the end of the Hawke’s Bay wine trail.
After what one could barely consider a flight (just one hour from Auckland to Napier’s little airport) and a 5-star chauffeur service (complete with lemon verbena-scented hand towels and local gourmet treats), we cruise 45minutes along the coastline before hitting one of two gates.
Just off the main road, the first gate marks the entrance to an 800ha working farm, and we slow to a trundle as we dip and curve through lush mānuka and kānuka, flax and ferns until the forest gives way to paddocks of spring lambs and sheep. Soon, we hit the second gate, this one a 10km-long predator-proof fence that signals Cape Sanctuary, Aotearoa’s largest privately owned wildlife restoration project.
It’s here, cocooned amid native fauna and working farmland and seemingly worlds away from the city life, you’ll find Rosewood Cape Kidnappers.
Perfect for:
Anyone seeking a private, peaceful escape that is authentically rural and remote yet luxuriously comfortable.
First impressions:
“Mrs Pollok, welcome to Cape Kidnappers”. Car door opened, I’m greeted by the smiling face of Kailash, the operations manager, who whisks us to the main lodge while our bags are taken to the room.
From the outside, the lodge is a tall, unassuming structure with a “main” building from stone and two wings with wooden barn-like walls. Yet, inside is another story.
Cape Kidnappers’ location means there are stunning views from almost every angle; something the lodge and suites capitalise on with an abundance of picture-frame windows out to the peninsula as it embraces the Pacific Ocean. It’s an undeniably coastal setting, yet the interiors lean hard into its farmland roots.
Handsome and elegant, the various spaces involve plenty of stone and dark timber in the form of worn stone floors and marble fireplaces, barn doors on rollers and antique chests. Softness comes via plush cream armchairs and soft sofas, plenty of fat cushions and embroidered curtains. Everything feels “worn” but in a deeply intentional way that means the beautiful rooms are also places you actually want to relax in.
Thanks to Kailash’s intel, one also learns it’s a treasure trove of artefacts and artworks carefully curated by the original owners (American philanthropists Julian and Josephine Robertson). The slab stone flooring in the reception is from a 250,000-year-old monastery in Nepal. In the library, a ceramic plate by Pablo Picasso and 65 million-year-old shell fossil casually set between shelves of books and a television, while a 1973 Colin McCahon and Dick Frizzel sits adjacent to a large wooden table and ornate chess set.
In the lounge, a soft blue-grey sofa and deer-antler chandelier seem ordinary until you learn they belonged to American actor Bruce Willis.
The room:
Of the 22 suites and one villa (which consists of four suites), we’re in the Grand Ridge Junior Suite, a few minutes left of the lodge, past the heated pool and jacuzzi, through lush flax and trees. As the name suggests, the 500sq ft cottage-style suites are set on the hilltop with uninterrupted views of the Hawke’s Bay from the private patio.
Like the lodge, it’s farm-inspired, with a large red wooden front door, modern black and white photos of farming scenes, cream French window shutters, and, barn door-style slider to the bathroom. In the centre of the room, the plushest, cushiest white bed you’ve ever slept in, facing the patio and vistas.
Other perks include an old-school writing desk, flat screen television tucked behind an artwork, walk-in wardrobe with iron and ironing board and a kitchenette with mini bar and Nespresso machine.
Bathroom:
Walk across the heated tile floors of the bathroom and you’ll find a shower and toilet, both with frosted doors, two generous vanities, a magnifying mirror and soft robes, yet the star of the show is the deep-set bath, placed beside a large window boasting a Hawke’s Bay view.
As for toiletries, expect extras alongside the standard toothbrush and comb, such as a mini hairbrush, mouthwash and lens cleaner.
Facilities:
Aside from the library, which has a Sky TV, books and board games, the lodge’s lower level has a wine cellar and fully decked-out gym. Elsewhere on the property, you’ll find an outdoor heated pool and jacuzzi with views out across the peninsula.
Food and drink:
With breakfast, lunch, pre-dinner cocktails with canapes and dinner served on site, there’s no need to go anywhere else. Thankfully, there is zero desire once you realise how insanely good the food is. It may have a farmhouse aesthetic, but dining in the lodge is nothing short of Michelin-star quality, so gentlemen, you won’t look out of place in a dinner jacket.
After cocktails in the lounge, we walk through the outdoor courtyard and pass the petite dining room through to the atrium. In November, there is a slight nip but we pull on a layer so we can eat with an uninterrupted view of the peninsula stained pink and gold by the setting sun.
Dinner is a comforting yet innovative affair, with dishes that celebrate local produce, freshly prepared (so fresh, our fish was caught that morning, with salad from the property’s garden). Expect dishes that shift with seasons, such as charcoal grilled mushroom with miso sauce, lamb so tender it falls off the bone, coated in pepper jus, or lightly battered blue cod with a purple cauliflower pannacotta. “Take the plates!” we laugh to the friendly, yet obliging staff, warning them we’d lick the dishes clean if we had them a moment longer.
In the neighbourhood:
Cape Kidnappers is far, far, away from the bustle of city lights, and that’s sort of the point. However, if the thought of spending four days (the average length of stay, I’m told) on a property prompts a slight panic, there is more than enough to fill two weeks.
It would be remiss not to start with the glaringly obvious; Cape Kidnappers is home to the 18-hole Tom Doak-designed golf course. Something I confidently know my husband could spend one week playing.
When he does nip away to play 18, I find my way to the spa, for a delicious massage that kneads the stubborn knots of stress from my body. We reunite, more relaxed and delighted than we have been in months, for lunch.
Other activities include plenty of free hiking tracks and a must-do Can-Am tour, guided kiwi walks, a gannet safari and a fascinating hands-on shepherd tour around the farm.
Accessibility:
The majority of the suites have accessible access, and the 2-bed family suites have accessible bathrooms as well.
Price: Starting rate for a deluxe category suite is $3150+GST (low-season).
Contact: For more information, visit rosewoodhotels.com or email capekidnappers@rosewoodhotels.com.
New Zealand Herald Travel travelled and stayed courtesy of Rosewood Hotels.