Our Story

Past & Present

Martinborough is a charming little village with a majestic square at its heart.  At the entrance to the square you will find The Martinborough Hotel, described since 1882 as one of "the finest hostelries ever erected in any inland town in New Zealand". Once a way station for prosperous travellers to and from the South Wairarapa's huge isolated sheep stations - its grand facade has been a focal point for the town from the early days. The hotels past, and it's sense of history and place will charm you as soon as you arrive in the lobby - from the battered suitcases of a gentleman traveller in reception, to the sloping floors and historical sketches of Wairarapa personalities adorning the walls. Today, The Martinborough Hotel offers character, comfort and old style personal attention.

Martinborough village has made a name for itself as a centre of excellence for cuisine and wine. Visitors and locals alike find the romance of Martinborough endearing as well as invigorating. In the early 1980's, wine pioneers discovered that Martinborough's soil and microclimate was perfect for grape growing. The wine industry grew, the town flourished, and the hotel was fully restored in 1996. Surrounding the hotel are historic buildings like the Settler's Museum (designed by one of New Zealand's foremost early architects, Natusch) and Pain and Kershaw's General Store - which has continued with an unbroken family lineage since the 1880s.