Kowhai timbers and hundreds of river stones were among the native materials used to construct the 10-room lodge. The hotel’s two cabins were made from New Zealand rimu wood and sun-dried, hand-peeled Oregon logs. The buildings overlook the South Island’s dramatic coastal cliffs and glacier-filled peaks.

Fiordland Lodge, Near Fiordland National Park, Te Anau, South Island, New Zealand. 64/(0) 3-249-7832, fiordlandlodge.co.nz. From $484 per night for a cabin, $654 for a double room. Open September through May. Photo courtesy of the hotel. This appeared in the November/December 2010 issue. See other timber lodges.