September
3
2009
By Charlie Scott
I sometimes think that every country would be more like New Zealand if only they could start from scratch and do it all over again. They’d be smaller, cleaner, and greener.
Either by dumb luck or shear (sic) genius, New Zealand seems to have cornered the market on doing things fabulously well on a small scale. Case in point; Greenhill Lodge in the Hawke’s Bay region on the east coast of the North Island. With a mere six rooms, Greenhill is more like a home than a hotel. Guests are free to wander through the kitchen, hang out in the living room, or kick up their heels on the porch. They’re hosted for cocktails and they’re welcome at the dining table. They’re invited to knock around the billiard room, or wander up to the turret . . .wait a minute, did I just say turret?
Okay, the game is up. Greenhill may feel like a home, but the truth it’s much grander in spirit and appearance than any home I’ve been to. Perched on a grassy knoll down a quiet country road, Greenhill is a primo example of high Victorian architecture—delicate woodwork, gabled roofline, and a distinct profile of status. It was originally built a hundred or so years ago by a wealthy Scot, and more recently restored to mint condition by its current owners, Neil and Craig. Each of the suites and rooms (three of each) is an oasis of stylish décor and luxurious calm. All are in the main building except for the Villa Suite, which, as the name suggests, is a private haven a few steps removed. While it may not have the same Queen-Mother-slept-here-when-she-passed-by-in-’58 pedigree of, say, the Hudson Room, it does have a divine and dangerous outdoor bathtub. Beyond the splendour of the lodge itself are lovely gardens and endless rolling hills. And yes, they’re very, very green (for most of the year at any rate).
Greenhill succeeds (and stands out) not solely because it’s homey, nor simply because it’s grand. It’s a winner because it blends the two ideas so evenly and effortlessly.
www.greenhill.co.nz