Otahuna's Character is defined by its characters Otahuna's Character is defined by its characters

Otahuna's Character is defined by its characters Otahuna's Character is defined by its characters

The team is ever ready with warm welcomes and captivating conversations. They are quick with a smile and even quicker on their feet. They have the knack for knowing just what you need, before you even knew you needed it. These are the unmistakable hallmarks of hospitality at Otahuna. The team is ever ready with warm welcomes and captivating conversations. They are quick with a smile and even quicker on their feet. They have the knack for knowing just what you need, before you even knew you needed it. These are the unmistakable hallmarks of hospitality at Otahuna.

The Estate has been home to private families for generations. With a number of the Otahuna team with us for a decade or longer, it remains a family home to this day.

To enter Otahuna is to enter a world apart. 

A world of finery, refinement and ease. Here, the personal touch is everywhere – from the hand-picked garnish on your gin to the hand-pressed linen on each bed. And, just as the household tended to Sir Heaton and Lady Jessie Rhodes over a century ago, the Otahuna team attends to your every need today.

Your Hosts

Hall Cannon &
Miles Refo Hall Cannon & Miles Refo

Hall Cannon and Miles Refo are the proprietors of Otahuna Lodge. Both were born and raised in the United States, but fell under New Zealand’s spell while on holiday in 2004. They relocated from New York City to purchase the property—New Zealand’s largest private historic residence—in 2006, and opened it as a hotel the following year. Having lived and worked at Otahuna for nearly two decades, the duo (now proud Kiwis) have overseen multiple renovations of the historic homestead, the continuous redevelopment of its century-old decorative and productive gardens, and an extraordinary new chapter for one of New Zealand’s most fabled icons.

Under their ownership Otahuna has become a renowned destination. Their efforts have caught the eyes of many leading national and international publications. The Lodge has been profiled in Architectural Digest, Bon Appetit, The Financial Times, Time, Travel + Leisure and Town & Country. The property has received a number of accolades, including being named Hideaway Report’s No 1 “International Hideaway” in the Andrew Harper Reader’s Choice Awards, one of the world’s “Top 100 Hotels” in the Conde Nast Traveller Gold List, and one of the world’s “101 Best Hotels” in Tatler. They are also the authors of the Penguin Random House book title, For the Love of a Place: The Stories and Cuisine of Otahuna.

Hall and Miles continue to advance their personal vision for Otahuna, furthering the Lodge’s long-standing reputation for gracious hospitality, celebrated wine and food offerings, and a host of unique experiences that allow guests to uncover the heart and soul of New Zealand’s incomparable South Island.

The People
make the
place