$11,000 bill for luxury London hotel amongst millions in total travel spend by ministers

Saturday, 27 June 2026

Ministers on taxpayer-funded overseas trips have stayed at luxury resorts, five-star hotels, and historic landmark properties, an analysis of travel records reveals.

It gives a rare glimpse at how some senior politicians travel while representing New Zealand — details that are typically redacted from public records.

The Press has analysed hundreds of pages of expense disclosures, invoices, receipts and credit-card records to identify more than 30 hotels used during taxpayer-funded trips.

Hotel names and booking details are routinely removed from ministerial travel records, but supporting documents can sometimes contain enough information to identify the property in question. These include GST registration numbers, specific postcodes, and room charges to hotel restaurants.

Among the five-star hotels identified by The Press are the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, the Shangri-La in Singapore, the Fairmont Jakarta, the Fullerton Sydney, the Parkroyal Collection Pickering in Singapore, and The Langham Gold Coast.

Ministers also stay at international hotel brands such as Sofitel, Marriott, Hilton, and Four Seasons, often marketed or classified as five-star.

The data is incomplete — many hotels remain unidentified, and records for some ministers are unavailable altogether — but it shows that many stays were in luxury or upscale hotels.

There is no suggestion ministers breached travel rules, or that this government’s practices differ from previous governments. However, it comes as ministers continue to call for spending restraint across the public sector, while facing scrutiny over their own perks and entitlements.

Following the paper trail

About two-thirds of the hotels we’ve identified are advertised as five-star properties, with nightly rates commonly ranging from $600 to $800. Ministers often travel with a staffer, increasing the cost.

When travelling within New Zealand, ministers are limited to accommodation costing up to $350 a night, except in Queenstown. There appears to be no equivalent cap for overseas travel.

While it’s no surprise that ministers aren’t slumming it in a backpackers, some stay in properties that are among the most exclusive in their respective destinations.

At least two ministers have stayed at the historic Royal Horseguards Hotel in Central London, overlooking the River Thames. On a trip in September last year, then-Defence Minister Judith Collins and a staffer stayed there for seven days, resulting in a combined bill of more than $11,000.

On another trip, Collins stayed at the five-star Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington D.C.

While attending a conference in Singapore, Education Minister Erica Stanford stayed at a five-star hotel connected to the venue. Shane Reti, visiting Singapore while he was Minister for Health, stayed at the five-star ParkRoyal Pickering. The invoice suggests he checked in to the $850 a night room just before 11pm and left the next day.

Some of the hotels host conferences and government delegations, which likely influenced the choice to stay there. For example, Collins twice stayed at the Broadmoor Resort while attending the International Space Symposium, which is held at the venue.

But ministers also decide which overseas engagements they wish to attend, and seek approval for those trips through Cabinet processes. Their own staff are responsible for booking accommodation and they are required to consider affordability when doing so.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s office referred questions about accommodation choices to Ministerial Services.

A Ministerial Services spokesperson said ministers and their staff organised their travel.

“Ministers and their offices are responsible for ensuring overseas accommodation represents appropriate value for money in the circumstances and aligns with the Cabinet-approved budget”, the spokesperson said.

That includes exercising “individual responsibility for judgements about reasonableness and appropriateness”.

Factors such as security, location, hosting needs, and availability fed into accommodation choices.

The records also offer glimpses of spending beyond accommodation.

When one minister travelled to Switzerland, he dined at the Café du Soleil a “sanctuary of melted cheese” famous for its fondue. Another minister, on a separate trip to the same country, twice visited McDonald’s.

Other receipts revealed meals at a Bavarian alehouse in Munich, a French bistro in Paris, and fine dining restaurants in the US.

A Government on the move

Budget documents show nearly $28 million was allocated or expected to be spent across 2024/25 and 2025/26 on domestic and international travel by ministers and approved accompanying parties.

Much of the expenditure relates to overseas travel, which forms a routine part of ministerial responsibilities. Over the past two years, ministers have visited about 50 countries and destinations, with ministerial travel recorded on all seven continents, including Antarctica.

After overseas trips, ministers are required to report back to Cabinet. Those reports typically show a packed itinerary of official engagements.

Comparisons with previous governments are difficult because international travel was heavily disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Historical records suggest recent spending is broadly comparable with pre-pandemic levels once inflation is taken into account.

How much ministers travel depends heavily on their portfolios.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters, Trade Minister Todd McClay and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon have been the Government's most frequent international travellers, each recording overseas travel costs exceeding $1 million.

Peters has visited at least 35 countries during the period examined, while Luxon has travelled to more than 25. McClay has made repeated trips to key trading partners, including multiple visits to the Middle East while negotiating a free-trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Collins is among a second tier of frequent travellers, undertaking about 25 overseas trips, including multiple visits to Europe, Asia and North America. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has recorded about $325,000 in travel expenditure, including visits to China and Antarctica.

Other ministers have travelled comparatively little.

Environment Minister Penny Simmonds recorded no international travel expenditure during the period examined, while Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour spent less than $2000. Cabinet ministers Simeon Brown and Matt Doocey have also spent relatively little time overseas.

The records identified by The Press do not show extravagance in every case. Some ministers stayed in airport hotels or regional resorts, or ate food bought from convenience stores or cheap cafes.

Nor do the records suggest ministers broke any rules. Instead, they provide one of the few detailed glimpses available into how ministers travel while representing New Zealand overseas.

Note: Categories are The Press classifications based on star rating, property positioning, published descriptions and nightly cost.

Luxury and iconic five-star hotels

• The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

• Shangri-La Singapore

• The Fullerton Hotel Sydney

• Fairmont Jakarta

• The Royal Horseguards Hotel, London

• The Langham, Gold Coast

• The Dupont Circle Hotel, Washington DC

• The Trafalgar St. James London, Curio Collection by Hilton

Premium five-star hotels

• InterContinental Edinburgh The George

• Parkroyal Collection Pickering, Singapore

• Sofitel Melbourne on Collins

• Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour

• Sofitel Adelaide

• Hilton Sydney

• Hyatt Regency Sydney

• JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa

• Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, Tokyo

• Inspire Entertainment Resort, Seoul

• Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore

• Stamford Plaza Melbourne

Upscale international hotels

• Rome Marriott Grand Hotel Flora

• Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel

• Canopy by Hilton Paris

• Santa Monica Hilton

• Parkroyal Darling Harbour Sydney

• Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour

• DoubleTree by Hilton New York Downtown

• Radisson Blu

Regional resort and business hotels

• Scenic Matavai Resort, Niue

• Coral Sea Resort & Casino, Honiara

• Holiday Inn Suva