Have you ever heard of a smart hotel? I hadn’t either until I was looking for a place to stay in Queenstown and found Mi Pad Hotel . A technology savvy spot for travelers and New Zealand’s first smart hotel.
What makes this hotel so smart? It’s actually a really cool set up, one that the new generation will especially gravitate too. Everything else in our lives generally revolves around technology, and tends to make things easier so why not the hotel we stay in! Mi Pad has left a lot up to technology making the hotel experience smooth sailing and actually cutting costs to travelers and those visiting the area.
The hotel
Upon checking in, I downloaded the the Mi Pad app to connect to the virtual hotel assistant, Mia! This allowed me to use my phone as my room key eliminating the traditional room key that we all know sits in your wallet for another 3 months and eventually ending up in the trash. All the booking information was sent to me via email. I used the info to check in with the app and voila I was able to go straight to my room! There was a friendly face at the check in desk though for any questions.
The app also allows you to adjust the temperature and lights in the room from your phone. I’ll admit I had fun simply changing the colours of the lights from blue to green to pink to red and all over again. Don’t laugh!
There are several great sitting and socializing areas throughout the hotel. The main floor (level 3) with reception has lots of couches, a library and charging/work stations. There is an indoor/outdoor courtyard on level 2 with a living wall, TV area and more seating. My favourite spot was the rooftop terrace. The view to mountains and lake is exceptional and there is a gas outdoor fireplace for the cooler winter nights. I watched the sun go down and come up from the terrace and the views certainly did not disappoint!
There isn’t a restaurant on site as they encourage guests to explore the city and try one of the many spots to eat. They do however have these cool free vending machines which they call a ‘smart bar’ on every floor. There’s a good selection of hot drinks and healthy snacks. The cups are made from recycled materials and the snacks are ethically produced and some sourced locally.
The room
The rooms are minimalistic and modern. My room was a standard room with the bathroom and sink sharing the space with the bedroom part. Like most hotels there was a hair dryer but also a flat iron which was quite handy! Probably one of the only places to stay in Queenstown that has one and it’s the fancy brand too! The bed was also really comfy!
The location
A great thing about Mi Pad is it’s location. Only a 5 minute walk to the waterfront and a huge selection of shops and spots to eat. There is parking in the front of the hotel but it does fill up quick and is only a 2 hour limit. Otherwise you can park up one of the side streets.
Helping the environment
Mi pad have made some great effort to help save energy and the environment. Some of what they have done include:
- The lights- the lights throughout the room are on sensors so that lights are not on when they don’t need to be. They are also dimmed at night. You can still have full control over the lights but with Mia on the app if needed.
- Heating and cooling– the sensors in the room keep the temperature at what it is set at, if it detects movement. If there is no movement for 30 minutes the temperature goes back to the minimum of 18 degrees so help save energy. The heated towel rail is on for 6 hours a day instead of running all the time to save energy.
- Water– there is a filtration system for the water so guests are highly encouraged to fill their bottles with the clean safe water.
- Beverage machines- the cups in the machines are made from recycled by products
- Recycling is encouraged in the rooms with a two spots for ‘rubbish’garbage
- Mia app- cuts down on plastic room keys
I really enjoyed my stay with Mi Pad! I liked being able to walk down to the busier part of city center. I highly recommend getting up early for a sunrise walk to the waterfront. I also like how nothing in the stay at Mi Pad is sacrificed as it is one of the less expensive places to stay in Queenstown. You can book here for your next stay!
Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links, which means if you book through the link, my blog will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support!
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