For Sale: NZ's most photographed pub

One of New Zealand’s most iconic buildings – the Cardrona Hotel – is on the market for the first time in more than a decade.

The 162-year-old heritage-listed hotel in the Cardrona Valley, near Wānaka, is expected to attract significant national and international interest. The hotel business and associated buildings will be sold by private negotiation, with expressions of interest now open.

The Cardrona Hotel’s current owners – Cade and Alexis Thornton and James and Fleur Jenneson – have owned the historic establishment since 2013 and describe it as a “once-in-a lifetime opportunity”.

“It has always been a very busy and successful business, and we have loved our time here, but our next step is to spend more time with our young family,” Cade explains.

Located in a prime position just 20 minutes from Wānaka and 40 minutes from Queenstown, the 8613sq m property encompasses an award-winning restaurant, year-round beer garden, and 17 ensuite hotel rooms sleeping up to 44 guests.

Built in 1863, the hotel’s history is steeped in the gold rush era, with many of the original relics such as the historic facade, and a glass window looking into a mineshaft in the floor of the property. Today, the Cardrona Hotel is one of the Southern Lakes’ most well-known tourist attractions and a popular après ski destination, hosting everyone from international movie stars and royalty to locals.

“In our time, the growth has been phenomenal, and the business has become a big beast,” says Cade.

“We now employ 40-50 staff, the hotel averages 84% occupancy annually, and it’s often fully booked at many times throughout the year. But there’s still plenty of scope for expansion; there’s enough land to develop further accommodation and function spaces to introduce additional revenue streams. There’s also an opportunity to install outdoor kitchens or organise live music and events.

“The atmosphere of the hotel is just so different from anywhere else; it’s got that authentic feel and it appeals to so many different groups,” he adds.

The sale is likely to be one of the Cardrona Valley’s highest, and coincides with continued growth in the area. Other, separate projects in the valley include the development of Mt Cardrona Station – a 400-lot residential development, the multi-million-dollar expansion of Cardrona Alpine Resort, and future plans to install a gondola connecting visitors from the Cardrona Valley floor to the Cardrona ski area.

“The beauty about the Cardrona Hotel is that it’s a place for people from all walks of life,” says Cade. “We’ll have guests arriving by helicopter, all dressed up for a nice meal, and then the local farmers will come in, leaving their gumboots by the door. I don’t think there’s any other place quite like it in New Zealand.”

Expressions of interest for the sale of the freehold going concern close at 4pm on Friday, 15 August, 2025 and should be submitted to Cade Thornton.