Explore some of New Zealand's most beautiful regions at these Rosewood lodges

In addition to some favorite high-end points hotels like the Park Hyatt Auckland, New Zealand is home to dozens of diminutive luxury lodges, spanning landscapes as unique as the lush, subtropical Bay of Islands in the north to the rugged, glacier-cut valleys of Central Otago in the south.

Three of the country's most distinctive luxury lodges — Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers and Matakauri — all fall under the banner of Rosewood Hotels and Resorts.

All three were originally built by the late hedge fund founder and billionaire, Julian Robertson, Jr. Kauri Cliffs opened in 2001 on the North Island's verdant northeast coast (though its famous David Harman-designed clifftop golf course opened the previous year). Robertson created the equally stunning Cape Kidnappers golf course in the North Island's wine-growing region of Hawke's Bay in 2004, followed by its own luxury lodge in 2007. Finally, Robertson purchased and renovated an existing lodge called Matakauri on the shores of Lake Wakatipu just outside Queenstown in 2010 (no golf course here, though).

Over the following decade-plus, each of the hotels developed a devoted following, both among New Zealand's well-heeled domestic travel set as well as international jetsetters lured by those scene-stealing golf courses and other nearby attractions offered by each hotel.

In 2023, Rosewood took over the management of all three lodges and, though you'll now find the luxury chain's brand standards (and linens) in evidence, each of these three lodges maintains its original and individual identity. Perhaps that's partly due to the fact that these are among the smallest of the smallest Rosewood-operated hotels in the entire world. But don't let their size fool you, they each offer an outsized way to experience very different parts of New Zealand.

What's more, all three participate in American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, so if you have American Express Platinum Card® or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can make a booking through the Amex Travel portal and receive perks like availability-based upgrades, up to a $100 credit to use on-property during your stay (for things like drinks or meals), complimentary daily breakfast for two and guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout.

On a recent trip down to New Zealand, I paid visits to Rosewood Cape Kidnappers and Rosewood Matakauri. Here's why they are among the best places to stay if you want to see some of New Zealand's most beautiful regions.

Rosewood Cape Kidnappers

Many visitors to New Zealand, especially first timers, tend to spend a few days in Auckland and then hit highlights like Hobbiton, and the volcanic lakes of Taupo and Rotorua. They then head to the South Island for adventures near Queenstown. However, it's a shame to miss out on one of my favorite parts of the country: Hawke's Bay.

About halfway down the North Island's east coast, the area is home to some of New Zealand's best and most picturesque wineries as well as the city of Napier, which is known as the art deco capital of the world thanks to its extensive collection of buildings constructed in this colorful style. (The entire city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and later rebuilt.)

It is also home to Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, which is a 45-minute drive south of Napier along the coast. The lodge itself has just 24 accommodations, including a four-bedroom standalone villa. It sits on a 6,000-acre working sheep and cattle farm, and it features a world-class, 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Doak right along the cliffs.

The lodge is also part of the Cape Sanctuary, New Zealand's largest privately owned and funded conservation project, which the Robertsons helped cofound; it has successfully reintroduced local flora and fauna to the area.

Designed with a farmhouse-chic aesthetic (indeed, you'll find antique farming tools and repurposed farm and ranch equipment incorporated into the decor), the overall feel is both rustic and cozy. There's plenty of exposed stone, wooden beams, cheeky alpine flair like antler chandeliers and, of course, panoramic windows with sweeping views of this particularly dramatic stretch of coastline.

I stayed in a suite attached to the main building, but you can find other suites and villas arrayed along the nearby ridges — not to mention a secluded pool with a sun deck and hot tub.

My Grand Junior Lodge suite felt fresh and breezy, with wooden walls and beams painted off-white, plenty of natural light, bright textiles and even a flickering fireplace set into the wall between the doors to my private balcony.

The stone-tiled bathroom was enormous, with dual vanities, a soaking tub and a walk-in shower stocked with orange-scented Evolu skin and hair products.

My favorite part might just have been the minibar, though, as it offered a selection of local wines and other artisanal New Zealand snacks and spirits.

Guests are treated to complimentary drinks and canapes which they can enjoy beside one of the lodge's fireplaces or in what became my favorite space: a cylindrical wood-paneled lounge called the Snug, with faux-fur throws and pillows.

The main restaurant is simply called the Dining Room and includes a glassed-in dining atrium as well as two smaller interior dining rooms decorated in a French country theme.

The food program here is a real highlight, as it showcases as much local seasonal produce as possible. Over the course of two lunches and dinners, I enjoyed specialties like line-caught rock fish with Panang curry, pickled lychee and garden herbs; smoked ora king salmon with wild fennel, local lemon and horseradish cream; braised lentils with avocado, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds; and slow-roasted beef tenderloin with Te Mata mushrooms, chard, horopito (pepperwood) and celeriac. The wine list is also an impressive collection of the who's who of New Zealand's wine scene — not just from Hawke's Bay but also from other regions like Marlborough and Central Otago.

Aside from eating and drinking, though, there are plenty of activities to keep guests busy during a stay. Of course, you could book a tee time at the golf course, and if that's your game, it would be criminal to miss out on playing the inimitable course here.

However, guests can also book day and night tours of the Cape Sanctuary to see if they can spot a kiwi or two, and they can try to make out the low glimmer of the area's famous glow worms. There are walking trails aplenty and an extraordinary colony of gannets (large seabirds). My favorite excursion, however, was a multi-hour Can-Am tour in an all-terrain vehicle that allowed us to traverse the entire property and see some secluded beaches and other areas where rewilding has come into full effect.

Off-property, the hotel can arrange architecture tours of Napier and half- and full-day winery tours with lunch. I sampled plenty of area wines on-property, so instead of venturing into town one afternoon, I booked a massage at the hotel's small hilltop spa. (Next time I'll try the healing manuka honey facial.)

Whether you're interested in food and wine, nature, golf, wellness or just relaxation, Cape Kidnappers has something to offer — and it showcases some of New Zealand's most breathtaking scenery, to boot.

Rates at Rosewood Cape Kidnappers start at 2,043 New Zealand dollars ($1,180) per night.

Rosewood Matakauri

With just 13 accommodations (including one room, 11 suites and a four-bedroom villa), Rosewood Matakauri is the smallest Rosewood in the world. Though it is just a 20-minute drive from Queenstown Airport (ZQN), it feels a world away from the backpacker-thronged city: It is perched off a private drive above the aquamarine waters of Lake Wakatipu, with uninterrupted views of the snowcapped Remarkables and Cecil Peak.

The look here is what I'd describe as contemporary alpine. With huge windows and lots of white wooden paneling, the main lodge building includes a plethora of cozy seating nooks, both indoor and outdoor, heated by crackling fireplaces. These are lovely settings for a pre-dinner aperitif and canapes.

Alternatively, you can take your cocktail on a stroll to admire the many pieces of art produced by well-known New Zealand artists including Andrew Drummond, not to mention some incredible tapestries and ceramic plates with designs by Pablo Picasso.

The sole dining room has spectacular lake views, but tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis. So, come early if you want one of the lakefront ones. At breakfast, you can expect specialties like cold-smoked salmon and poached eggs over house-made sourdough.

Dinner menus shuffle from day to day, but they can include specialties like mild Whitianga snapper carpaccio with rhubarb, saffron, carrots and a dollop of osetra caviar; juicy Royalburn lamb rump cooked to tender perfection with braised celery, grapes, goat cheese and saffron jus; and seared snapper with a tarragon hollandaise and spring peas.

The villas here are spacious and have open floor plans, albeit with varying levels and a few stairs here and there. My Grand Lake View suite featured a huge living room overlooking the lake, complete with its own fireplace. Plus, there was a bathroom with a tub that had equally stunning lake views (and the manuka honey-scented Evolu products were heavenly).

The bedroom was a semi-enclosed space up a small set of stairs, with a sunken closet situated just off to one side. Perhaps the choppy design is a holdover of the lodge's pre-Robertson origins, but hopefully the hotel can address some of the quirks in a future renovation.

Guests can walk down to the hotel's dock for an impromptu dip in the lake, but remember, it's glacial and cold. There are also plenty of hiking trails leading off the property for even better lake and mountain views.

Pack your Centurion Card from American Express if you want the lodge to arrange a la carte excursions such as helicopter rides to nearby glaciers, private lake cruises, bungee jumps and wine-tasting jaunts to the Central Otago (about an hour away).

The information for the Centurion Card from American Express has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If your goal is relaxation, though, you can simply soak in the open-air swimming pool and Jacuzzi or hop into the glass-fronted standalone sauna on the pool deck. Just adjacent to that is a small fitness center and a two-room spa, where signature treatments include Elemis facials and body masks with mineral-rich New Zealand glacial mud.

Rates at Matakauri start at NZ$1,622 ($940) per night.