Bringing the best of French cuisine, wine, art and culture to Queenstown, the luxurious Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa combines an elegant blend of authentic experiences.

Recently appointed general manager, Jeremy Samuels, is delighted to be at the helm of a leading Queenstown hotel. “There’s so much to offer local and international visitors. I am excited to bring my vision and passion for creating memorable experiences for guests, that capture the excitement and romance of hospitality.” Jeremy has award winning and multi-faceted international experience having worked with Accor Hotels since 2012 in Sydney and Adelaide. One of his initial projects has been the completion of a major refurbishment of the Sofitel’s stylish porte cochère, reception and lobby.

“The overall design was to bring a more contemporary feel to the hotel lobby, moving away from the previous Renaissance styling and Louise XV furniture. We have achieved this by using the colours of Lake Wakatipu as the primary palette, blended with gold highlights throughout the lobby referencing Queenstown’s gold mining heritage.

We’ve continued with our French cultural link through usage of Christian Lacroix fabrics and florals throughout the new space.” The lobby, designed by Auckland based Macintosh Harris, features spectacular specialist art installations including Rosie, a piece by Robert Scriven and Formation in Gold, a piano artwork by Anna Leyland.

“ The stunning piano artwork has been applied to our 100-year-old Steinway as the medium,” says Jeremy. “It provides multi-layered references to national and cultural symbols and balances traditional shapes with a modern flow.”