Built in 1895 by architect Frederick Strouts for Sir Heaton Rhodes, this Queen Anne-style timber homestead outside Christchurch is the largest historic private residence in New Zealand, a distinction that makes its conversion into Otahuna Lodge in 2007 all the more consequential. Heritage New Zealand lists it as a Category I structure, and the building earns that classification on material terms alone: a hand-carved kauri staircase rises through the entrance hall, fifteen wood-burning fireplaces remain in working order, carved inglenooks frame the sitting rooms, and leaded stained glass windows catch the Canterbury light at angles that no reproduction could replicate. Stephen Cashmore oversaw the initial hotel conversion, bringing the seven suites into liveable comfort while preserving the Victorian spatial logic of the house. The grounds visible from the exterior present the homestead framed by mature poplars, specimen trees, and seasonal daffodil meadows, with the Port Hills rising behind as a natural backdrop that requires no improvement. Inside, the interiors shift in mood from room to room. The entrance hall leans deep into the Victorian atmosphere Strouts intended, dark timber joinery and barley-twist columns surrounding leather Chesterfields before an open fire. Subsequent refurbishment by Jessica Close Interiors brought a lighter hand to some of the guest rooms, where bold yellow floral wallpaper, sage-painted window frames, and gingham armchairs sit comfortably alongside the original leadlight casements, connecting the 19th-century bones of the building to something warmer and more personal.

25min drive from Christchurch airport (CHC)

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