Four-star Two MICHELIN Keys Te Awanga, about 22 km south-east of Napier, Hawke’s Bay
Rosewood Cape Kidnappers
A lodge on the ridge of a 6,000-acre sheep and beef farm, reached by eight kilometres of private road, with a Tom Doak golf course running out along the cliffs.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Two Keys
- Opened
- Late 2007
- From the airport
- About 45 minutes from Napier, our estimate
The hotel
A sheep station on the cliffs.
Julian and Josie Robertson, from New York, bought the land in 2004, the year the golf course was finished. The lodge took two more years to build and was ready in late 2007. Andrew Patterson drew the first concept and VLRA Architects completed it, while Linda Bedell and Josie Robertson did the interiors: wicker chairs, barn doors, vintage tractor seats hung above the beds.
The farm still runs sheep and beef over 6,000 acres of ridges and gullies above the Pacific, and shares the cape with Cape Sanctuary, the largest privately funded wildlife restoration project in New Zealand. Rosewood took over the running of the lodge in December 2023, and the Robertson family still owns it.
- The golf course Eighteen holes by Tom Doak along the clifftops, his first course in New Zealand, completed in 2004.
- The gannets The cape is home to a large mainland gannet colony, reached on tours across the farm.
- On the farm Shepherding tours, Cape Sanctuary walks by day and by night, and picnic hampers of local food and wine taken out to the hills.
Rooms & suites
Fireplaces and the Pacific below.
Each suite has a fireplace and wide views down the coast; the larger ones sit apart from the main lodge.
- Junior suite Hilltop Junior Suite 47 square metres above the main lodge, looking across the farm to the ocean.
- Junior suite Grand Ridge Junior Suite 63 square metres on the ridge, with views over the farm and the Pacific, for up to three guests.
- Four bedrooms Hawke's Bay Four Bedroom Villa The largest place to stay on the property, for up to eight, with a sheltered courtyard, a jacuzzi and an outdoor barbecue.
Dining
A menu that changes every day.
Dining as listed by the lodge. Shown for information.
- The Dining Room Seasonal, from Hawke's Bay produce A new menu each day; jacket expected for gentlemen
- Nature's Dining Room Picnic A hamper of local food and wine, out on the farm
- Private dining Made to order Several secluded spots around the lodge
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- Two MICHELIN Keys Current selection
- Condé Nast Traveler Triple Crown Awards 2026
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by 11 am. The last eight kilometres are a private road through the farm.
- Dress Gentlemen are expected to wear a jacket at dinner.
- Pets Not accepted.
Getting there
Flying to Hawke’s Bay.
Hawke's Bay Airport at Napier has Air New Zealand flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and the drive to the lodge takes about 45 minutes, our estimate. Private jets can use the same runway, but international arrivals need prior permission 24 hours ahead. Long-haul passengers usually clear customs in Auckland first.
- Wellington 40 min
- Auckland 45 min
- Queenstown 1 h 30
- Sydney 3 h 25
- Melbourne 4 h 00
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Rosewood Cape Kidnappers have?
- Two, in the current selection. It is the only two-Key hotel in Hawke's Bay.
- Is the golf course open to hotel guests?
- Yes. The eighteen-hole course by Tom Doak is on the same property, laid out along the clifftops.
- How far is the lodge from Napier airport?
- About 45 minutes by car by our estimate, the last eight kilometres on the lodge's own road across the farm.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Hawke's Bay?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Hawke's Bay, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Hawke’s Bay
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Craggy Range Luxury Vineyard Retreat Seven cottages and lodges with terraces over the vines, beside the winery and its restaurant facing Te Mata Peak.
- The Manse Two suites in a former private house on part of a historic sheep station, looking over the Ngaruroro River to the Ruahine and Kaweka ranges.
- Porters Boutique Hotel Forty-two rooms and suites in the village centre, many with views of Te Mata Peak.
- Scenic Hotel Te Pania A hundred and nine rooms and suites on the seafront, two minutes’ walk from the Art Deco centre.
- The Crown Hotel Thirty-nine rooms and suites in the waterfront village of Ahuriri, the heritage suites in the original hotel of 1932.
Staying at Rosewood Cape Kidnappers?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Hawke’s Bay, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.