High tech, no keys and stylish, New Zealand’s first fully ‘smart’ hotel has opened its doors in the heart of Queenstown

A first in New Zealand and in the world, the new mi-pad Queenstown is described as a next generation, energy-conscious hotel experience for the smart traveller bringing together technology, sustainability, comfort and convenience.

The six-storey hotel features 57 stylish rooms with the latest in-room tech, multiple ‘social spaces’ and an impressive rooftop terrace.

And the key to mi-pad Queenstown is that there is no key.
 

Guests booking their stay download the hotel’s personal app ‘mia’ and their smartphone becomes a room key, meaning physical check ins (or check outs) are a thing of the past.
 

Mia also has a range of other tricks up her sleeve, with the app enabling guests to set temperatures and mood lighting in their room (even remotely), request room service or alert hotel staff that they don’t want to be disturbed.

Access to the hotel is available 24/7 thanks to the technology. Once guests are settled in, mia transforms into a personal digital concierge, delivering the latest information on events, activities or offers and encouraging them to experience the best of this popular year-round alpine destination.

Guests can have as much or as little interaction with mi-pad staff and other guests as they like, including the option to share experiences, photos or messages through mia’s private chat group.

A floor-to-ceiling ‘social wall’ in the hotel’s entrance lobby also features mia’s latest updates and guests shared experiences.

The $15m John Blair-designed hotel is in the heart of Queenstown, less than a two-minute walk from the centre with its hundreds of bars, restaurants and activity operators set on the shores of stunning Lake Wakatipu. 

Although there are snacks and breakfast options available within the hotel, mi-pad’s owners made a conscious decision to keep F&B services to a minimum to encourage guests to savour the town’s renowned eateries.

But if they prefer to order-in or BYO, the hotel’s best kept secret is its huge rooftop terrace with an outdoor fireplace, plentiful seating and wraparound 270-degree views of Lake Wakatipu and surrounding mountains.

The terrace is exclusively available to guests and is the perfect spot to enjoy an outdoor dining experience or luscious wine with some of the best views in town.

The mi-pad hotel concept is the brainchild of Queenstown property developer Lewis Gdanitz and is the fruition of three years of hard work.

“mi-pad is the result of 15 years of research, travelling the world and finding the places that did accommodation really well,” Gdanitz says.

“We’ve been able to deliver a property that’s unlike anything else on offer in New Zealand, operating on a premise of affordable luxury delivered using the latest technology. I’m also very proud of the eco-conscious initiatives we have in place for every aspect of the operation.”

MIPAD Holdings Ltd is a joint venture between Lewis and experienced hotel investment and development company TJK NZ Ltd, owner of luxury boutique hotels The George in Christchurch and Regent of Rotorua.

Hotel manager Kylie Hogan says mi-pad offers “an innovative, connected hotel experience for smart travellers who’d prefer to spend their hard-earned dollars on experiences rather than pay over the odds for accommodation. Mia’s the key to all of that, the complete package for guests who want to have fun like a local.”

The hotel hasn’t forgotten the basics of ensuring guests get a great night’s sleep, with Queen beds, clever storage options, smart TV’s and bathrooms featuring organic products and top-of-the-line hair styling tools.  

 Wellington on a Plate (WOAP), an annual food festival in Wellington, New Zealand is a winter-warming two-week extravagance of all things food and beverage. The festival glorifies gastronomic delights with the tastiest foods from all over the region. Visa Wellington On a Plate is organized across various venues in Wellington from 10-26 August 2018.

This year at the festival, delicacies from across India were introduced by The Temple Celebration at the One80 restaurant in collaboration with Nalini Baruch, co-owner, Lot Eight, a home-grown enterprise dealing in premium virgin extra olive oils. She was accompanied by Chetan Pangam, Executive Chef, One80 Restaurant (Copthorne Hotel Wellington).  With origins in Karnataka, Chetan worked as a chef at some of the most luxurious hotels in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi before bringing the flavours of India to New Zealand in 2002.

Nalini Baruch and chef, Chetan paying their respects to Lord Ganesha. PC- Tourism New Zealand 

Nalini Baruch, born in a deeply religious and culturally rich Indian family, has an elevated outlook on diversity and culture with a holistic view of religions in India.

The Temple Celebration was Nalini’s effort to introduce an experience and a new dimension to WOAP events on its 10th anniversary. She says, “The idea was to provide a taste of India and to build on this concept for the future, to bring different aspects of what makes India such an attractive country.”

The entire festivities were an amalgamation of culture and cuisine, incorporating traditional aspects into the contemporary setting. The food serving style and presentation by Chetan embraced some of the temple practises inspired from across North, South, East, West and Central India.

Chetan says, “My team of chefs that helped me create the magic come from a varied background. True to our ethos of progressive Indian French cuisine, the delicacies were prepared using some of the best ingredients from New Zealand.”

Nalini Baruch of Lot Eight is a pioneer in the New Zealand olive oil industry and co-owner of arguably the leading producer of olive oil in the Greater Wellington Region. She was awarded the 2016 Pacific Woman in Business Award at the National Pacific Business Trust Awards dinner in Auckland. She is recognised for her vision and unwavering adherence to her own values of quality, customer and supplier commitment, integrity and professionalism.

A young artist seen performing an elegant Bharatnatyam dance. PC- Tourism New Zealand 

Today, Wellington dubbed the world’s ‘coolest little capital’ continues to have a strong Indian community which is seen through participation in local sport, music, art and varied range of cultural festivals. Almost 10% of Wellington residents are Indian, meaning the city has the second biggest Indian population in New Zealand.

Visa Wellington on A Plate is an immaculate platform for food enthusiasts to showcase their passion and create traditional yet urbane cuisines to the Wellington community. Visitors also get to experience a smorgasbord of tastes, experiences and innovations in the heart of the city of Wellington.

Additional Information

Tourism New Zealand markets New Zealand to the world as a visitor destination. In the year ending May 2018, 3.8 million international visitors arrived in New Zealand: an increase of 5.3% on the previous year. International tourism is New Zealand’s largest earner of foreign exchange, pumping over $14.5 billion into the economy and directly employing over 188,000 people. www.tourismnewzealand.com

Visa procedure: One may forward their application to the TT office in Mumbai or Delhi, which will then be directed to Immigration New Zealand. A visitor visa for New Zealand is processed within 15 working days. www.immigration.govt.nz

Indian leisure travellers can benefit from a faster processing time of three days when applying for their visa via one of the Tourism Industry Partnership (TIP) Programme agents: Thomas Cook (India) Pvt. Ltd, SOTC Travel Limited, Cox & Kings Ltd. and Kulin Kumar Holidays.

Airline connections: Connecting flights to New Zealand are available on Singapore Airlines/Air New Zealand, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines with stop-overs in their respective hubs.  New Zealand’s international gateways are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Domestic services: You can fly between all New Zealand cities and most major towns using domestic air services. Air New Zealand and Jetstar are the main providers. Their services are complemented by regional airlines, charter companies and scenic flight operators.

For more information, kindly check:

• Website: newzealand.com/in