There’s a lot of hotels in Queenstown but the Sherwood Queenstown is a standout for me.
Why?
They’re so much more than a hotel.
I’ve been to the Sherwood 5+ times now for a variety of events. And with each visit, I appreciate the place more and more.
When I look at the photos of The Sherwood, it’s not the kind of place you’d normally see me spending time at. But the Sherwood Queenstown is super cool for a host of reasons.
Here’s why.
1. YOU GET FREE CREDIT FOR BOOKING DIRECT
With the focus on ‘supporting local’ there’s a push away from booking properties on online travel agents and booking directly instead.
But in most cases, the convenience and experience of booking directly with a hotel is mediocre. There needs to be an incentive to do so…more than just price matching the likes of Booking.com.
And Sherwood has done this! If you book direct with Sherwood Queenstown (rooms start from ~$165), you get 20% of the total reservation cost as credit at Sherwood Restaurant. That’s super cool.
I’ve compared the prices of booking Sherwood Queenstown on Booking.com and direct, and the prices are more or less the same (within a few dollars1), if not better.
So the 20% credit is basically free food. We all love a freebie, yea?
I’ll keep this section (somewhat) short, but it’s easy to see how this is a win for you, and a win for Sherwood.
2. THEY HOST AN VARIETY OF EVENTS
At Sherwood, they have a workshop that hosts events on a regular basis, in addition to one-off events throughout the year.
This is all part of serving the Queenstown community. You can see some of the events on the website, but they don’t all feature on that page.
My favourite event is on the last Thursday of each month when they have a free original open mic night. Hosted by Paul and Claire of Choice, they give a chance for people to get up on stage and showcase their talents with music, songs, and/or poetry.
It’s an intimate atmosphere and a lovely way to spend a couple of hours in the evening.
3. THE WINE IS EPIC
I’ve only had one glass from The Sherwood 2 but I love the idea behind the majority of the wines they have on their menu.
The Sherwood has a bottled-in house program which makes up approx. 60% of their wine options. The program means they find local winemakers who bring the wine to Sherwood in kegs, and they bottle them on-site to be served.
And they’ve got seven wines on tap, meaning you can even get some wine takeaway in your own vessel.
This is all part of their efforts to minimise their carbon footprint 3 which I’ll mention in more detail on the next point.
And they even have the staff at Sherwood go and harvest the grapes that are specifically grown for use at the hotel. Fun yea?
4. THEY AREN’T GREENWASHING
Every company these days seems to have sustainability plastered on their mission statements, store signage, and promos.
It doesn’t take long to debunk how little most of these companies are then doing to actually increase their sustainability. But Sherwood Queenstown is certainly doing their bit!
I’ve mentioned a couple of already but here’s some more:
- They’re on a quest to be a zero-waste business. They admit they’ve got a long road ahead, but with initiatives like bottling 60% of their wine in the kitchen, harvesting for fresh produce in the garden twice a day, and composting 100% of their organic waste into their own garden to grow more food, they’re well on the way.
- They have 248 crystalline solar panels making them one of the Southern Hemisphere’s only hotels to be powered by the sun.
- They send leftover soap to be used by aid agencies (after being cleaned/reconstituted)
- 99% of the food they serve is from NZ. 75% of that is from the South Island. And they collect honey from their own hives.
- They have charge stations on-site for guests to charge their electric cars (for free)
On the website, they say ‘As a business that depends on nature, we are determined that with a little thought and care we can leave this place in better shape than when we found it.
If all businesses can go in with this attitude, we’ve got a chance to save the planet.
5. THE FOOD IS FUN
At a recent work dinner we had an average of $50 reach to spend on dinner (not including alcohol). As a vegan who is more than happy to just go for a burger, I had to spread my wings at Sherwood with no burger on the menu.
What I ended up with for a main was based around artichokes 😀 And we shared a bunch of entrees and side dishes, a lot were vegan and/or gluten-free.
The waiter was great at letting us know which dishes were able to be made vegan etc. And he made them sound fun! It’s not often you see artichokes on a menu right?
And while the menu changes seasonally, the dishes will be slightly different each day as they harvest fresh produce from their garden twice a day!
Note: You’ll want to book your table in advance to guarantee a table.
6. THEY HOST AFFORDABLE YOGA AND MEDITATION CLASSES
While I’m not a fan of yoga, I do love meditation…when I remember to do it :p
The Sherwood Queenstown has helped me get back into a regular meditation routine with a one-hour class held every Thursday from 7.30 pm for a gold coin donation.
The classes are held by Clare who will guide you through a relaxing mediation. And yes, they’re good for those who are new to meditation as well. Bolsters, mats, and blankets are provided.
In terms of yoga, they have daily classes available at reasonable rates (from $15/class) with mats/bolsters supplied. That’s a good deal when you compare prices to other places. A couple of friends who have been to the classes have said they were great.
You can check the latest yoga timetable here.
7. THE SHERWOOD QUEENSTOWN IS ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Every business should be on social media. That’s what the gurus say anyway.
And so inevitably you’ll see every business large and small asking for you to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. But most don’t post on the platforms beyond a random passing post every few months.
But the team at Sherwood is great at posting on their Facebook and Instagram (@sherwood_queenstown pages with interesting, relevant content.
And no, it’s not all promo, promo, promo. I like it.
8. IT’S OUTSIDE THE CITY CENTRE
This is a weird thing to write as a positive, but I appreciate the location halfway between Queenstown and Frankton.
It’s away from the hustle-bustle of the town centre, meaning you can really focus on the reason you’re at Sherwood.
Despite not being in the town centre, it’s easy to reach the Sherwood. You used to be able to get a shuttle to Sherwood, but they’ve dropped that option thanks to the easy bus options that only costs $2 with the Bee Card.
And if you are driving, there’s parking available on-site, and in a couple of spots in the immediate space around the Sherwood. It’s certainly much easier than finding parking in Queenstown itself.
Your other options are to walk the Frankton Track or a Uber/Ola.
RELATED READ: HOW TO GET AROUND QUEENSTOWN
9. THEY HAVE A SAUNA 🙂
They have a sauna! This is something I’ve yet to experience at Sherwood having only recently learned they have one.
For a destination like Queenstown, I remember trying to find a public saunain Queenstown as the health benefits are epic. There weren’t many good options…there’s not even one in the events centre.
Random note: One of the cheapest hostels in Queenstown, Nomads, has a sauna their guests can use. I’m going to say it won’t be as nice as Sherwood’s :p
10. THERE’S A BIKE TRACK ON THE PROPERTY?
I’ve made this one a question as it wasn’t something I was aware of until I start writing this post.
Queenstown is a gem for mountain bikers in Queenstown, but if you’re short on time while staying at the Sherwood you can ride on the bike track around the garden. How cool is that?
The Sherwood is my favourite hotel in Queenstown and will always make a list of best restaurants in Queenstown, I won’t rank them though.
That’s not saying much, as I haven’t stayed in a hotel in Queenstown….it’s a hostel life for me.
But the fact I’ve spent plenty of evenings here, that’s enough of a win for me!
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Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.