Onsen Hot Pools & Day Spa

What to expect

Onsen Hot Pools is a private hot tub business on the cliffs at Arthurs Point, just outside Queenstown. The operator says it is often heavily booked, mostly because of the view: each pool room opens onto the Shotover River gorge and the mountains behind it.

Be clear on one point before you book. This is not a hot spring. There is no geothermal activity at Arthurs Point. The operator fills its pools with water from the surrounding mountains and heats it. “Onsen” is the Japanese word for a hot spring bath, and the name refers to the style (cedar, quiet, simple), not to the water. If you want natural geothermal water in the South Island, Hanmer Springs and Maruia are the places to look.

What you get is a private, very well-run soak. You book a pool room for your group, you have it to yourselves for an hour, and staff take care of the rest. Towels and drinking water are included. Snacks, platters, soft drinks and alcohol are sold at the front desk. Outside food and drink are not allowed.

The pools

There are three kinds of pool experience, plus a day spa:

• Original Onsen: the one in the photos. A cedar-lined pool for up to four people with a retractable roof, so you can soak under open sky or under cover in rain or snow. Each room has its own shower. There are 13 of these pool rooms. The water is heated to about 101°F38.5°C.
• Oval Onsen: smaller individual cedar tubs for one or two people. These are emptied, cleaned and refilled for every booking, and you can choose a scent for the water.
• Tri-Bathing: for adults only. A private hot pool at about 104°F39.8°C, a cold plunge kept at 46-54°F8-12°C and a steam shower at 104-122°F40-50°C with a touch of eucalyptus.

The Original pools are not drained after every booking. Instead about 1.5 litres of fresh water flows in, and the same amount out, every minute. Each pool is monitored electronically, the water passes through a sand filter and a UV unit, a small amount of bromine is added when needed, and staff test each pool by hand four times a day. The cold plunge uses filtration and UV only.

Soak-and-treatment packages pair a 45-minute pool session with a massage or facial in the day spa.

Getting there

The address is 160 Arthurs Point Road, Arthurs Point, about 10 minutes by car from central Queenstown. There is a car park. From it, a gently sloping gravel track runs about 100 m down to the building.

If you would rather not drive, the free shuttle is the easy option. Request it when you book, or contact reservations afterwards. It leaves from the bus stop outside Marmolada Cafe at 43 Camp Street, Queenstown. Drivers leave on time and cannot wait for late guests. The last shuttle out of town leaves at 9pm and the latest return is at 10:45pm. There are no pickups from hotels.

When to go

Onsen is open every day, 9am to 11pm, all year. Queenstown is a ski town in winter, and evening slots after a day on Coronet Peak or The Remarkables are the first to go, so book as soon as your dates are fixed. Bookings after dark include the lantern-lit setting, and on a clear night the open roof is worth the price.

In daylight you see the river and the gorge properly. A weekday morning booking is the easiest to get and the cheapest time to bring children, who are only allowed before 5pm.

Prices and booking

Every soak is booked in advance online. The operator releases sessions about 5 to 6 months ahead; in October 2026 the calendar ran to 31 March 2027. Cancellations go straight back on sale, and there is a waitlist.

Original Onsen soak only, 60 minutes, priced per pool (operator site, 2026):

• 1 bather: NZ$122
• 2 bathers: NZ$180
• 3 bathers: NZ$225
• 4 bathers: NZ$260
• Children 5-11: NZ$30 each, sessions from 9am to 4:45pm

The FAQ page shows slightly lower one- and two-person prices, and booking agents bundle a drink with some packages, so check the total at checkout. Allow one to two hours in all, including changing.

Changes or cancellations need 24 hours’ notice, or you pay 100% of the booking. Groups booking three or more pools need 72 hours’ notice. To change a booking, email info@onsen.co.nz or call +64 3 442 5707.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimwear is required in all pools at all times, even though each pool is private. Slides or slippers help between areas.
• Age limits: no children under 5 in the pool rooms; children 5-11 before 5pm only; 12 and over from 5pm; Tri-Bathing is 18+; treatments are 16+, with limited options for 16- and 17-year-olds. Every child must be with a paying adult.
• Alcohol: no BYO. Drinks can be bought at the front desk, though not on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Staff may ask for ID and will not serve anyone visibly intoxicated.
• Group size: four people per Original pool and two per Oval tub. Bigger groups book several rooms.

Where to stay nearby

There is no accommodation at Onsen. Arthurs Point itself has some hotels and holiday rentals close by. Most people stay in central Queenstown, about 10 minutes away by car and linked by the free shuttle. Arrowtown, further along the Wakatipu Basin, is a quieter base with older cottages and motels.

Safety notes

• Heat: 100-104°F38-40°C is comfortable for most people for an hour, but drink water and get out if you feel light-headed. The operator does not recommend bathing during pregnancy because of the water temperature.
• Cold plunge: at 46-54°F8-12°C it is a real shock. Ease in and keep it short, especially if you have a heart condition.
• Access: the site is steep and split over two levels. Wheelchair access reaches the lower pool level and the day spa, but the cedar tubs are up a short flight of stairs. Contact the team before you go if you need help.
• Getting home: if you drink at the pools, take the shuttle. Arthurs Point Road winds up through the gorge, and winter nights in the Wakatipu Basin can bring frost.