A Michelin Star restaurant chef is bringing a new kind of luxury to the Tasman region, combining world-class cuisine with the art of slowing down. And we can already tell you… you’ll want to visit!
Open now, Domu Retreat is the creation of Toby Stuart, an internationally renowned executive chef who has worked in more than a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants across France, the UK, Spain, the United States and Uruguay. After more than two decades in fine dining, Toby is now turning his attention to mindful travel. And he’s now landed on a multimillion-dollar coastal retreat designed for deliberate disconnection.
Perched on an elevated ridge overlooking Abel Tasman National Park and Tasman Bay, Domu is a six-suite, adult-only sanctuary catering to just 12 guests. The experience, says Toby, is all about trading “urgency for presence.”
“A slow stay is allowing guests to stop rushing to trade urgency for presence. We’ve designed spaces that encourage conversation from the dinner table to the library to encourage greater connection,” says Toby.
There are no TVs in the rooms and you’re encouraged to switch off devices in favour of books, board games and long conversations over communal dinners. The retreat’s ‘dinner and discourse’ format brings guests together for shared meals hosted by Toby and his partner, Sabina Bronicka-Stuart, with conversation prompts to spark meaningful exchange.
“We’ve removed TVs from the rooms because we want guests to engage with each other, with books, with the view, not the news cycle,” says Toby.
“Domu is the opposite of the all-you-can-do resort model. Here, the luxury is in having nothing on the agenda except what you choose. We live in a world of constant alerts and pings. Domu is about switching them all off so you can breathe.”
Food, naturally, is at the heart of the experience. Toby personally prepares all meals using premium New Zealand produce. From spearfished butterfish from D’Urville Island to wild South Island game and organic beef and lamb from Golden Bay farms. The menu changes with the seasons and is complemented by a compact, carefully curated wine list with organic vintages including selections from Cloudy Bay Vineyards.
“We’re not trying to reinvent fine dining or do anything too complicated but rather bring to life the experience on a plate,” says Toby. “Our menu reflects the Tasman region and beyond, and we want guests to taste the landscape they’ve been exploring.”
Inside, the design reflects the same philosophy. Natural materials, high-end furnishings and a neutral palette that invites calm. Around NZ$500,000 has been invested into the fit-out, including luxury beds found in New Zealand’s top lodges, soft lighting and textures designed to deepen rest and relaxation.
While the nightly rate sits below some of New Zealand’s ultra-luxury lodges, which can exceed NZ$3,500 per night, Domu competes on exclusivity, chef-led dining and personal hosting rather than opulence.
“The service and quality of an international luxury lodge, but in a setting where guests feel like they are staying in a friend’s home,” says Toby.
Guests can expect morning yoga sessions, spa facilities, a heated plunge pool and a wood-fired sauna. All framed by panoramic views and the quiet hum of the Tasman coast.
Toby says guests often arrive drawn by the food, but leave with something more profound. “A slow stay is about how you feel when you leave, rested, inspired and more connected than when you arrived. You come here for the silence as much as for the food. That quiet is a luxury people don’t realise they need until they have it.”
Domu Retreat will operate year-round, with seasonal menus and evolving wellness experiences. As New Zealand seeks to attract longer-stay, higher-value travellers, Toby’s retreat feels perfectly timed. An offering for those who crave stillness, connection and a taste of the extraordinary.