FRANZ JOSEF, NEW ZEALAND— Hotel accommodation on New Zealand's West Coast is receiving a significant boost, with a unique 5-star lodge-style hotel being developed at Franz Josef. Scenic Circle Hotels is developing the 100-room Rainforest Hotel.

“The vision is to give guests a lodge experience within a hotel environment,” says Scenic Circle Managing Director Brendan Taylor. “The hotel will be 'enveloped' within a rainforest environment, and the service standards will 5-star-oriented. Accommodation will be provided on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.”

Four hotel wings will be built to surround an inner area of native rainforest, with all rooms looking into the bush. The main Kahikatea wing will incorporate reception, administration offices, bar and covered terrace on the ground floor, with a feature staircase leading to the first-floor restaurant that will provide treehouse level views into the rainforest. The restaurant will focus on a provincial West Coast menu highlighting local delicacies and showcasing local flavors as much as possible, following Scenic Circle's philosophy of promoting New Zealand produce and experiences.

In keeping with the spirit of the West Coast's unique environment, the hotel incorporates many sustainable design principles. It is a soft-timbered building designed to meld into and complement the existing bush. The vision is to veil the hotel buildings within the forest setting so they are not visible from the road, creating a lodge “hideaway” in the trees. Inside, guestrooms will be distinctly New Zealand.