Accommodation

Where you stay here mostly decides how much you walk. The town centre puts the waterfront, the restaurants and the gondola within a few minutes on foot and lets the car stay parked, and you pay for that. Frankton and Kelvin Heights are quieter and closer to the airport, Fernhill and Sunshine Bay sit above the lake ten minutes out, and Arrowtown and Arthurs Point are a drive either way. Work out whether you want to walk to dinner before you start comparing prices.

By type

• Hotels & resorts — the largest group, from the lakefront to Frankton.
• Apartments — self-catering, and usually better value for a week than for a night.
• Holiday homes — houses for families, groups and longer stays.
• Bed and breakfasts and lodges — smaller and hosted, some of them well out of town.
• Motels & lodges — straightforward, and they come with parking.
• Backpackers & hostels — mostly central, and the cheapest beds going.
• Luxury accommodation — the lodges and the rooms with the long view.

When to book

June to September is ski season and Christmas through January is high summer. Both fill early and price accordingly, so book months ahead for either and expect minimum stays over New Year. April, May and October are the quiet stretches, and the same room costs noticeably less. Check whether parking is included — in the centre it often is not.