New Zealand’s first smart hotel opens in Queenstown

mi-pad Queenstown is a next generation, energy-conscious hotel experience for smart travellers; the ultimate marriage of technology, sustainability, comfort and convenience. 
 
The six-storey hotel features 57 stylish and well-appointed rooms with the latest in-room tech, multiple ‘social spaces’ and an impressive rooftop terrace.
 
And the key to mi-pad Queenstown is that there is no key.
 
Guests booking their stay download the hotel’s personal app ‘mia’ and their smartphone becomes a room key, meaning physical check-ins (or check outs) are a thing of the past. 
 
Mia also has a range of other tricks up her sleeve, with the app enabling guests to set temperatures and mood lighting in their room (even remotely), request room service or alert hotel staff that they don’t want to be disturbed.  
 
Access to the hotel is available 24/7 thanks to the technology. Once guests are settled in, mia transforms into a personal digital concierge, delivering the latest information on events, activities or offers and encouraging them to experience the best of this stunning destination. 
 
The $15m John Blair-designed hotel is in the heart of Queenstown, less than a two-minute walk from the vibrant centre with its hundreds of bars, restaurants and activity operators set on the shores of stunning Lake Wakatipu. 
 
The mi-pad hotel concept is the brainchild of Queenstown property developer Lewis Gdanitz and is the fruition of three years of hard work.
 
“mi-pad is the result of 15 years of research, travelling the world and finding the places that did accommodation really well,” he says.
 
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to deliver a property that’s unlike anything else on offer in New Zealand, operating on a premise of affordable luxury delivered using the latest technology.
 
“I’m also very proud of the eco-conscious initiatives we have in place for every aspect of the operation.”
 
www.mipadhotels.com