Onsen Hot Pools

Onsen Hot Pools is a set of cedar-lined hot tubs built into a steep site above the Shotover River at Arthurs Point, a short drive from central Queenstown. Each pool is booked for exclusive use by your group, and the tubs have retractable roofs, so you can open them up to the sky and look out over the river and the alpine scenery from the water.

There are several formats. The Original Onsen is a 60-minute soak for one to four guests. The Oval Onsen tubs sit on their own decks on the upper level, hold up to two people and are filled and infused with a scent of your choice. The Tri-Bathe combines steam, hot pool and cold plunge over an hour. The day spa offers face and body treatments, and some packages combine a 45-minute soak with a treatment. Towels and drinking water are included, and swimwear is compulsory.

Booking ahead is essential. Most days are heavily booked, experiences are released five to six months in advance, and cancellations reappear on the live booking system, so the waitlist is worth joining if your date is full. Changes need at least 24 hours' notice. Note that the pools are exclusive use rather than completely private: adjoining tubs share walls and have glass doors, so you may hear other guests.

Families need to check the age rules. Children under five are not allowed in the pool rooms, children aged five to eleven can only use the pools before 5pm, and from 5pm the pools are for guests aged 12 and over. Treatments are for guests 16 and over, and the Tri-Bathe is for over-18s. Alcohol can be bought on arrival, but outside food and drink are not allowed.

Onsen is open from 9am to 11pm every day, with the last pool booking at 10pm. A complimentary shuttle runs from the bus stop outside Marmolada Café at 43 Camp Street; it must be requested when booking and leaves on time. The last shuttle out of town is at 9pm. Access involves a walk of about 100 metres down a gently sloping gravel path from the car park and a few cedar steps into each tub, and there is wheelchair access to the lower pool level. Late evening slots suit couples; afternoon slots work for families.