Frequently Asked Questions

Visiting Onsen Hot Pools Retreat & Day Spa – COVID-19 

If you are feeling unwell, we ask that you reschedule your booking as per our terms and conditions. Please call us on +64 3442 5707 or email us at [email protected]

Vaccine pass not required for entry.

Yes, If you wish to be added to our waitlist, please visit the following link below and fill in the required information. If something then becomes available, we will be in touch either by phone or e-mail.

We also advise to keep an eye on the website; it is a live booking system so any cancellations will show up on the website as a standard availability, and you can book yourselves in as soon as you see one. Due to it being a live system, there is the possibility that someone could book a cancellation online before we get a chance to refer to the cancellation list.

WAITLIST

We are heavily booked out most days, so we highly recommend that you book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Our website is a live system, as it stands, there is live availability for all experiences up until the 28th February 2025.

As a guideline; we aim to release our experiences around 4-5 months in advance.

Please keep an eye on the website and/or social media channels for release dates. Alternatively please feel free to contact our team later in the year and we can provide you with our latest availability.

You can book with us directly online at https://www.onsen.co.nz/, call us on (NZ) 0508 UNWIND, (International) +64 3 442 5707 or email our reservations team at [email protected].

Most local hotels and booking agents will also be able to assist you with your booking if required.

We thank you for your patience.

Rescheduling & Cancellation Policy: To amend or cancel your experience, we require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice prior to your scheduled booking time. Failure to do so will result in a cancellation fee equivalent to 100% of the price of the booking. Rescheduling is subject to availability. 72 hours’ notice of cancellation or rescheduling is required for all group bookings (3+ pools).

Onsen is the Japanese word for Hot Spring. Traditionally Onsen’s are large public bathing pools heated by geothermal energy. They are typically separated for males and females and set in gardens with plenty of snow surrounding them in winter.

Onsen Retreat & Day Spa Queenstown has added a unique kiwi twist to this tradition – offering a range of indoor and outdoor cedar hot tubs heated to 38.5 degrees celsius so you can enjoy the spectacular surrounds no matter what the weather. We also now offer private, oval tubs as part of our day spa offering so for the ultimate in relaxation and pampering check out our Soak & Spa packages.

Aside from the picturesque setting and snow in winter, we are not trying to provide a traditional, authentic Onsen Hot Spring experience. Our Onsen pools are a unique kiwi twist on this Japanese bathing tradition with a range of hot tub options to suit all your relaxation needs – indoor & outdoor exclusive use pools as well as private, oval tubs as part of our onsite day spa.

Onsen offers a high-quality boutique retreat and day spa experience. Set below the road on the cliffs overlooking the Shotover River, the complex is a convenient, tranquil escape from the more action packed, adrenaline filled activities and winery offerings in the region.

On arrival, take a short walk (approx. 100m) down from the carpark via the stairs or gently sloping gravel track as you soak up the amazing mountain scenery that surrounds you. At the main building, you will be welcomed by our Onsen reception staff who will check you in and show you to the lounge where you wait for your booking. Once ready, our staff will show you to your pool or day spa treatment room and answer any questions you have.

The Original Onsen and Outdoor Onsen cedar hot pools are yours exclusively for 60-minutes (or 45 minutes if you are doing one of our luxurious Soak & Spa packages). You will be notified at the 50-minute mark so that you are ready to depart when the buzzer goes off after 60 minutes. Each tub is heated to approx. 38.5 degrees celsius, and shared changing facilities are available either across the hallway from the indoor pool rooms or in the outdoor changing cubby.

Due to consumer demand, we are heavily booked most days so we would really appreciate your support in making sure you vacate the pool rooms in a timely fashion.

For those who are treating themselves to one of our Soak & Spa packages, you will enjoy a 45-minute soak before being shown to your private day spa room where our expert therapists will take care of your relaxation and rejuvenation requirements. Lockers are available for personal items.
After your soak/day spa experience, please return to the reception area where you are welcome to spend time enjoying the views from our lounge again. If you are returning on the shuttle, it leaves Onsen at quarter past the hour.

We are very proud of the boutique day spa experience that we provide at Onsen Retreat & Day Spa but we always welcome feedback from our valued customers. We are confident that our facilities and staff are best in class but if you have any concerns about the quality of any aspects of your Onsen experience we ask you to contact us immediately so we can investigate the matter fully.
We continuously review our systems and processes to maintain our exceptional standards, and your feedback is important to us.

Yes, we do offer gift vouchers. You can purchase these gift vouchers online. Gift vouchers can be redeemed by emailing our team on [email protected].

Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers are valid for a period of 12 months. Vouchers are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash in part or full. No credit or change will be given on the unused portion of the voucher. We are not responsible if a Gift Voucher is lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed and no replacement will be provided in these circumstances.

Please contact our reservations team on [email protected] or +64 34452 5707 to amend any bookings.

Rescheduling & Cancellation Policy: To amend or cancel your experience, we require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice prior to your scheduled booking time. Failure to do so will result in a cancellation fee equivalent to 100% of the price of the booking. Rescheduling is subject to availability. 72 hours’ notice of cancellation or rescheduling is required for all group bookings (3+ pools).

We are open from 9AM – 11PM, 7 days a week. The last booking of the day is 10PM for the Pools and 8.30PM for the Day Spa and Soak & Spa packages.

Young children can easily become overheated and dehydrated so for health and safety reasons, we do not allow children under 5 years to enter the pool rooms at any time.

Children aged 5- 11 years are allowed in the pools between 9AM and 4pm each day. After 5pm the pools are restricted to those 12 years and older. All children must be accompanied by a paying adult.

We will always try our hardest to accommodate our guests and their unique requirements, however it is important to be aware that the Onsen Retreat & Day Spa are set below the road on the cliffs overlooking the Shotover River so the site is quite steep and the complex is spread over two levels. There is plenty of parking onsite but from there, it is approximately 100m down to the main building via a gently sloping gravel track.

Once inside the complex, the lounge and day spa rooms are easily accessed on the main level and we do have wheelchair access to the lower pool level and upper day spa area if required.

Once in the pool rooms, the cedar tubs are accessed via a small flight of cedar stairs.

If you have concerns about accessibility, please get in touch on [email protected] or call on 03 442 5707. Our team will be happy to assist, arrangements can be made prior to your booking.

Our car park is located on the right hand side on entry . There is no parking for camper vans in the carpark, however there is roadside parking available for these larger vehicles. Please do not park in front of the Art Gallery.

Our complimentary shuttle service only operates for bookings that request transportation so you will need to book the shuttle as part of your package at the time of booking.

To add the shuttle service on to your booking please get in touch with our team on [email protected] or call on 03 442 5707.

Our complimentary Onsen Retreat & Day Spa shuttle service departs from  the Bus Stop outside Marmolada Cafe (43 Camp Street) – Opposite Otautahi Tattoo in Queenstown. Please wait on the brown bench seats outside and our driver will pick you up from there.

The shuttle will pick you up 30mins before your Onsen reservation and it leaves promptly at half past the hour so please be punctual. Our drivers will call you on mobile if they can’t find you but due to schedule constraints, they are unable to wait if you are late. If you miss the shuttle, it is your responsibility to make you own way to Onsen Retreat & Day Spa.

Our shuttle bus will leave our facility hourly at 15 minutes past the hour, and will arrive in Queenstown at half past the hour.

We are unable to pick up/drop off guests at their accommodation. 

Our shuttle service is complimentary (free of charge) for paying Onsen guests.

We ask that you arrive at Onsen Retreat & Day Spa 15 minutes before your reservation for soak-only bookings and 30 minutes before soak and treatment bookings. That way our staff will have plenty of time to make your arrangements and you will be able to unwind a bit and soak up the amazing views from our guest lounge.

Towels are included with all experiences. All guests will also receive a complimentary glass of the regions finest wine, beer or juice and a choice of ice cream, crisps or chocolate to enjoy while you soak in one of our exclusive hot tubs.

We are renowned for our cedar hot tubs which are a unique kiwi twist to a Japanese bathing tradition. Heated to 38.5 degrees celsius, our Original Onsen and Outdoor Onsen pools allow you to kick back, relax and enjoy the spectacular views on offer no matter what the weather.

Our Outdoor Onsen hot tubs are exclusive use pools, separated by planting and are covered with a shade sail to offer some protection from the elements. Each pool comes with its own changing cabin and shower so you can rinse off before and after your swim. You may be able to hear your neighbours which is why we ask that you respect the other guests and keep your noise to a reasonable level during your visit.

Our Original Onsen cedar lined hot tubs are also exclusive use and come complete with a retractable roof and shower. These pools share adjoining walls and a retractable glass door.

Togs must always be worn in all pools. All guests will enjoy a complimentary drink and snack of their choice for the ultimate in relaxation.

Onsen is the Japanese word for Hot Spring and our cedar hot tubs are a unique kiwi twist on this outdoor bathing tradition. Heated to 38.5 degrees celsius, our indoor and outdoor hot tubs allow you to kick back, relax and enjoy the spectacular views on offer no matter what the weather. The outdoor pools do have shade covers over them to offer some protection from the elements whatever the season, but traditionally Onsen’s are set in gardens and enjoyed year-round.

As a guideline, we do not recommend bathing during pregnancy due to the temperature of the pools. That said, we do still have women that are pregnant that still choose to bathe.  If you have any concerns about having a Hot Pool during your pregnancy, please consult your GP or obstetrician.

We do not allow any BYO food or drink at Onsen Retreat & Day Spa. You will however get a complimentary drink and snack as part of your booking, please talk to our front of house staff when you arrive if you have any questions.

No. Dehydration and overheating are very real possibilities given the temperature of our pools. Consuming alcohol while in this condition significantly increases the chance of fainting or falling, with significant potential for injury. For this reason, we do not permit people to bring their own alcohol into the pool rooms. As part of your experience you will receive a complimentary glass of bubbly, wine, beer, or juice along with some snack options. Click here for more details.

No. Onsen Retreat & Day Spa is a smoke free environment.

At Onsen, our indoor and outdoor pools are exclusive use. They are not private.
Our outdoor cedar lined hot tubs are surrounded by planting to provide privacy from fellow bathers but you will still hear voices which is why we ask that you respect the other guests and keep your noise to a reasonable level during your visit. Each pool also comes with its own changing cabin.
Our indoor cedar lined hot tubs come complete with a retractable roof and shower. These pools share adjoining walls and have a glass door so while you can’t see any other guests from the indoor hot tubs, you may still hear voices.
For those seeking the ultimate in indulgence and privacy, our new Serenity Soak tubs, set on their own deck in front of a tranquil day spa room overlooking the Shotover River and Southern Alps, are an option. These oval cedar tubs can accommodate up to two people and are located on the upper level of the Onsen complex to ensure a level of peace and calm. Lockers are available in the day spa for personal items.

Yes. Togs are compulsory in all our exclusive use cedar hot pools .

At Onsen, we are very proud of the boutique retreat and day spa experience that we provide, and we are confident that our water quality, treatment and cleaning systems are best in class. While we capture pure water from the surrounding mountains to fill the pools, it is necessary to continually treat the water to ensure purity and quality. We have several steps in our daily maintenance process that ensure the cleanliness of our pools to a high standard. These include:
• For our Original Onsen and Outdoor Onsen pools the water is constantly refreshed with 1.5 litres of water per minute exiting the pool and 1.5 litres of fresh water being added.
• Each pool is electronically monitored at one second intervals as the water rotates between the pool and filtration system. The electronics compare the ideal readings to the actual readings and adjust as necessary.
• As the water circulates, it passes through a sand filter and a UV unit and then if required a small dose of bromine is added as a final disinfectant.
• In addition, a staff member undertakes manual pool tests four times a day as a back up to the electronic system.
• The shared facilities are also cleaned on the hour or approx. 10 times each day

•The smaller, private Serenity Soak oval tubs offered to our day spa guests are emptied, cleaned and re-filled with fresh water for each new booking but in keeping with our environmental responsibilities, we limit the number of bookings for these hot tubs each day.

While we capture pure water from the surrounding mountains to fill the pools, it is necessary to continually treat the water to ensure purity and quality at the warm temperatures.

As the water circulates, it passes through a sand filter and a UV unit. Each pool is monitored by high tech computer equipment constantly monitoring the water and if required, a small amount of bromine is added as a final disinfectant.

At Onsen Retreat & Day Spa, we are very proud of the boutique day spa experience that we provide but we are also mindful of treading gently on the picturesque environment that surrounds us. We capture pure water from the surrounding mountains to fill the pools and to empty each of the larger 4 person pools after every use would be hugely wasteful. We are confident that our water quality, treatment and cleaning systems are best in class and we have several steps in our daily maintenance process that ensures the cleanliness of our pools to a consistently high standard.
The small private Serenity Soak tubs offered to our Day Spa guests are emptied, cleaned and re-filled with fresh water for each new booking.

Our newly developed day spa rooms can accommodate up to 2 people at a time for couples’ massages and facials.

Our Hot pools are a key element in our unique boutique retreat and day spa offering. Soaking in our tranquil cedar hot tubs for 45 minutes before your treatment means that you are more relaxed by the time you get on the massage table which in turn makes the face or body treatment more effective, so we do not offer any massage/facial only packages.

You must be 12 years and older to enjoy a massage at Onsen Retreat & Day Spa. Note: All massages are charged at the adult rate regardless of age.

No. Our Hot pools and tubs are a key element in our unique boutique retreat and day spa offering. Soaking in our tranquil cedar tubs for 45 minutes before your treatment means that you are more relaxed by the time you get on the massage table which in turn makes the face or body treatment more effective. This is why all our soak and spa experiences have been designed to follow this order.

You certainly can!

Due to associated health risks, we do not offer massage for women in their first trimester.
Please contact our reservations team to choose an alternative treatment.