This site is dedicated to that dream, and will be updated occasionally with more details of the dream.
Philosophy: absolute luxury; secluded and private; a world-class retreat for international visitors. Smoke-free, no children or pets.
Situated about half an hour drive from a small city, perhaps on a peninsula or private island, perhaps in the Bay of Islands (Russell?), on gently sloping land, with a swimming beach.
Main building (rustic stone... perhaps castle-like) includes 5-10 guest suites, 20-seat restaurant, bar, kitchen, intimate dining in the wine cellar and "dungeon", library, turret with powerful telescope, intimate lounge with fireplace, gallery of Jennifer's photographic masterpieces, darkroom, games room (with Whirlitzer, pool table, pinball & classic arcade machines), office, and modest conference facilities (meeting rooms & lecture/movie theatre, with a large satellite dish outside). A spacious foyer has couches and a water feature.
Other buildings include 5-10 stand-alone guest cottages; cottages for owners and staff (only if not close enough to a town); recreation building; stables; workshop; etc. Relevant buildings connected to main one by covered walkway.
All suites feature luxury fittings, underfloor heating, separate bedroom(s) & lounge/dining (see below), full-featured kitchen (perhaps only in the cottages), large bathroom (see below), private patio with sea views, spa pool, & outdoor furniture for alfresco dining, etc. 5-star quality. Have a large super-luxury "Presidential" suite, a romantic "Honeymoon" suite, and a few other variations.
The lounge/dining rooms in the suites feature a stone fireplace, TV, DVD, stereo, computer, fresh fruit & flowers, chocolates, ceiling fan, telescope, and luxury furniture.
The bedrooms feature a four-poster Californian-king (15cm wider & longer than king-size) bed or two double beds (instead of singles), cotton bed linen, large warm or silky bathrobes, ceiling fan, and a TV & DVD.
The bathrooms include a toilet, bidet, double-headed shower, corner bath, demister mirrors, heated towel rails, heated tiles, hair dryer, and private Japanese garden with water feature.
Have an iMac (or later equivalent) on the desk in each suite, which has games, free Internet access, and an intranet web site to provide info on facilities, entertainment options, online room service orders, etc.
The recreation building is an octagonal shape, with heated pools (swimming, paddling & spa) in the centre, with a retractable frosted cover above, and a sauna, steam room, health/beauty studio, gym and changing rooms around the sides.
Outdoor features include outdoor swimming pools, bush walks, extensive Japanese and other gardens, waterfalls, streams, ponds (with bridges, islands & boardwalks, and full of fish), BBQ area, beach, jetty with boat, diving facilities, jetskis, helipad, horses, vinyard, tennis court, croquet lawn, petanque court, and golf putting green (possibly with space reserved for 9-hole course). Sheep and deer are in paddocks nearby for the guests to admire. Hopefully Pukekos will grace the grounds too.
Golf carts are provided for transportation around the grounds, a limo is available for trips to town or elsewhere, a boat (sail or motor... or both) for cruises, and maybe a helicopter for sightseeing and transportation.
Staff consists of gourmet chef and two assistants (to provide 24-hour room service & assist at dinnertime), waiter/waitress/barkeep, two cleaners, butler/concierge, masseuse/beauty therapist/activity coordinator, groundskeeper, boat crew, heli pilot/engineer.
One source of inspiration for this lodge is the excellent Paratiho Farms lodge, which opened in December 1999. The Friars's Guide to New Zealand Accomodation for the Discerning Traveller was also a major contributor to the above ideas.
We'd appreciate any comments, ideas, or suggestions that you may have. E-mail us at takahe@dejal.com
-- David & Jennifer