Wānaka hotel development: First major hotel in nearly 40 years planned
80 million Mount Iron Wānaka resort, featuring a 136-room Sudima Hotel and 72 residential properties. Image / Supplied" data-test-ui="article-media__image" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" />A $180 million alpine resort featuring a 136-room hotel and 72 residential properties is being planned for Wānaka, in what would be the town’s first major hotel development in nearly 40 years.
The Mount Iron Wānaka development will occupy 1.87ha at the foot of Mt Iron, combining accommodation, residential living, hospitality and extensive health and wellbeing facilities.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the development anticipated to take about four years to complete.
The project is the brainchild of KR Capital, the development and investment division of nationwide engineering and design consultancy Kirk Roberts.
The resort-style complex will combine a Sudima Hotel with 39 three- and four-bedroom townhouses and 33 apartments, including three penthouses, with residential properties priced from $1.4m.
Owners and guests will share swimming pools, hot pools, saunas, a gym and wellness facilities, alongside sports and recreational spaces, landscaped gardens and relaxation areas.
The full-service hotel will incorporate restaurant and bar facilities, conference and meeting spaces, supported by a pedestrian promenade, hospitality and retail precinct.
An elevated, landscaped walkway known as the Ridgeline will extend 100m through the heart of the development.
Hind Management, the operator behind Sudima Hotels, will manage both the hotel and residential resort operations.
The development comes as the Queenstown-Lakes district experiences significant growth, with tourism activity booming and property values continuing to buck the national trend.
A new privately operated $300m Wānaka Health Precinct is also under development 700m away, within the surrounding Three Parks commercial and retail precinct.
Despite that growth, Wānaka has not had a significant new hotel development since the 106-room Edgewater opened in 1986.
Kirk Roberts chief executive Jade Kirk said the vision was to create something beyond a traditional hotel or residential development.
“We wanted to rethink the traditional resort model and create something genuinely different – bringing together residential living, tourism, hospitality, recreation, and health and wellbeing within one integrated destination,” he said.
“Irrespective of whether people are visiting for a few days or living here all year round, the boundaries between residential living and holidays will appear seamless.
“Everyone gets to enjoy the facilities, experiences and services of a luxury resort.”
Roberts said the project would create employment through construction and ongoing resort operations, support local businesses and introduce new opportunities for hospitality, tourism and retail.
“Our experience designing and developing the five-star Sudima Kaikōura hotel helped shape our approach,” he said.
Sudima Hotels and Hind Management founder and chief executive Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala said the companies had previously partnered on Sudima Kaikōura, which opened in 2022.
“Wānaka has grown significantly, but its hotel offering hasn’t kept pace, and we see a real gap in the market for a high-quality, full-service hotel,” Jhunjhnuwala said.
“Sudima Wānaka will bring conference facilities, dining and wellness amenities to the town, with a strong sense of place.”
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty will market and sell the residential properties, with flexible ownership models including private lifestyle and professionally managed rental options.
Local agent Sheryl Alty said the development would appeal to holiday-home buyers, permanent residents and retirees.
“For buyers who divide their time between Wānaka and elsewhere, the option of managed rental arrangements adds another layer of appeal.”