New Zealand’s premier wine district Marlborough has added its first internationally-branded hotel, the Mercure Picton Marlborough Sounds.

New addition: Mercure Picton Marlborough Sounds

Boasting harbour and ocean views, the Mercure has been launched following the re-development of the former Yacht Club Hotel Picton. Seventeen rooms were added to the hotel’s original 31, giving the hotel greater capacity to accommodate couples, families and groups.

The hotel offers a diverse range of accommodation including deluxe Pool View rooms, Ocean View rooms and some luxurious apartments overlooking the entrance to the Queen Charlotte Sound.

Located on Picton’s harbour front, the hotel is just 1km from both the ferry terminal (which brings visitors from Wellington) and train station, minutes from the local airport and in walking distance of the Picton CBD and foreshore.

The Mercure provides an ideal base for visitors discovering the Marlborough Sounds area, with wineries such as Cloudy Bay, Oyster Bay and Hunter’s just over 15 minutes drive away.

There are also a vast number of water activities on the Mercure’s doorstep, with the nearby Queen Charlotte Track attracting over 30,000 trekkers annually, including a large percentage of Australian visitors.

A new state of the art conference venue makes it the perfect venue for conferences, corporate retreats, product launches and incentive programs for up to 100 delegates, while other facilities include a pool and pool bar.

Announcing the launch of the Mercure, general manager Stefan Kracke said that the worldwide recognition of Marlborough’s wines had put the region on the world tourism map, but hotel accommodation hadn’t kept pace with demand.

“The phenomenal success of Marlborough’s wines, particularly in the Australian market, has created a significant increase in demand for the region, but until now there just hasn’t been a suitable quantity or standard of accommodation, so travelers have tended just to pass through, rather than stay for a few nights and discover the attractions of the region,” he said.

“The Mercure brings international branding along with new accommodation and million-dollar views to this idyllic location. Marlborough wine has had an incredible impact in the wine world, we are now confident that the Mercure will add even more magic to the Marlborough experience.”

Rates start from NZ$130 per night.