Radisson Hotel Group is bringing its design-led lifestyle brand to Queenstown, announcing a 221-room new-build property that will extend the group’s New Zealand footprint beyond its imminent Auckland debut.
The Radisson RED Hotel Queenstown, scheduled to open in early 2028, marks the lifestyle brand’s first purpose-built property in the country’s South Island. The development follows closely behind Radisson RED Auckland, which is expected to open later this year as the brand’s Australasian flagship.
Auckland-based Redwood Group is developing the project, adding an internationally branded hotel to a portfolio that has delivered more than NZD 1 billion in residential, retail and mixed-use developments across New Zealand since 1992. The company’s Queenstown credentials include Five Mile shopping centre, The Alex apartments and the recently completed Coronet Peak Alpine Villas.
Lifestyle positioning meets adventure market
The hotel will feature 221 rooms including four deluxe rooms and five suites, alongside an all-day dining restaurant and bar, rooftop bar and flexible meeting spaces. The property’s location near central Queenstown places it within an emerging precinct that is adding new retail, a supermarket and dining concepts.
“Australasia is primed for high-performing lifestyle hotels, and Queenstown is an ideal stage for Radisson RED,” said Lachlan Hoswell, Managing Director, Australasia, Radisson Hotel Group.
Hoswell emphasised the commercial infrastructure behind the brand as a key differentiator for owners. “Nearly one in two bookings are generated by our system, and with The Club by Radisson Hotel Group, Pulse by RHG, and our EMMA technology platform, we convert revenue efficiently and control costs to drive stronger GOP.”
The EMMA platform serves as the group’s unified cloud-based technology system, integrating property management, revenue management, CRM and guest loyalty functions across its global portfolio. The Club operates as an international revenue management community supporting hotels in more than 45 countries.
Developer sees brand alignment with regional character
Redwood Group owner Tony Gapes has extensive experience in Queenstown development, including previous hotel projects on Gorge Road. The developer views the Radisson RED brand as well-suited to the resort town’s identity.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Radisson Hotel Group to bring Radisson RED to Queenstown,” Gapes said. “The brand’s energy, design-led style, and understated luxury feel perfectly matched to the spirit of the region. This is an exciting project for Queenstown, and we’re proud to continue to deliver developments that add long-term value to the region.”
Radisson RED operates as the group’s upscale select-service lifestyle brand, targeting what it describes as guests with an “ageless millennial mindset.” The brand incorporates art, music and fashion into its service approach, with emphasis on communal spaces, bold colour interiors and digital customer service.
Queenstown market dynamics
The announcement arrives as Queenstown’s tourism sector continues its post-pandemic recovery. Visitors spent approximately NZD 2.83 billion in the region during the year ending March 2025, with international tourists contributing NZD 1.79 billion of that total.
Demand growth in Queenstown has outpaced several other New Zealand markets, with hotel occupancy rates improving year-on-year according to industry data. However, supply growth nationally has expanded 13% above 2019 levels, creating competitive pressure across the country’s accommodation sector.
The resort town’s year-round appeal – ski tourism from June to August combined with adventure and outdoor activities through summer – provides diversified demand patterns that favour lifestyle-positioned properties targeting both leisure and business travellers.
Regional expansion strategy
The Queenstown signing forms part of Radisson Hotel Group’s broader Asia Pacific growth strategy, which prioritises premium, lifestyle and midscale brands across gateway cities, resort markets and emerging secondary destinations.
Recent regional milestones include the opening of Park Inn by Radisson Melbourne Carlton and the scheduled 2027 opening of Radisson Blu Mirage Resort Fiji. The group’s development pipeline includes additional signings and openings planned through 2028 across Australasia.
With more than 100 Radisson RED hotels in operation or under development globally, the brand has expanded significantly since its 2016 launch in Brussels. Recent openings and signings span Berlin, Tbilisi, Belgrade, Liverpool, Lagos, Phuket and Cebu.
For Queenstown, the 2028 opening will add internationally branded lifestyle accommodation to a market that has historically relied on independent operators and legacy chain properties, potentially reshaping expectations for design-forward hospitality in New Zealand’s adventure capital.
