Remote Southland lodge takes out top award
One of the most remotely situated lodges in New Zealand has been named as the best in its class at this year’s prestigious Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence. Fiordland Lodge on the Te Anau–Milford Highway has taken out the award in the category “Best Accommodation”.
Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Bruce Robertson said it was highly encouraging to see the overall winner of the award go to a regional venue outside of the big cities. “Fiordland Lodge and the other award winners reflect an incredible amount of passion and commitment to their businesses, and ultimately to their customers.
They rightly deserve to be recognised as the best in their class, anywhere in New Zealand.” The Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence are judged on a comprehensive range of business-focussed criteria – such as marketing strategies, training programmes, profitability, operational procedures, and customer service. The Award for Excellence Winners for 2011 were announced at a black tie dinner, held at the Airforce Museum in Wigram on Thursday.
Among the winners were:
Supreme Award for Excellence: Smith and McKenzie Chophouse, Hamilton
Best New / Redeveloped Accommodation Hotel: Winner: Amora Hotel, Wellington
Finalists: Grosvenor Hotel, Timaru; Heartland Hotel Fox Glacier
Best Accommodation Hotel: Winner: Fiordland Lodge, Te Anau
Finalists: Chateau Marlborough, Blenheim; Grand Mercure Nelson
Monaco; Terrace Downs, Canterbury
Excellence in Customer Service:
Winner: Soul Bar and Bistro, Auckland
Finalists: Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco; Iguana Street Bar and
Restaurant, Hamilton; Jet Park Airport Hotel, Mangere, Auckland
Excellence in Marketing:
Winner: Rydges Wellington
Finalists: Jet Park Airport Hotel, Mangere, Auckland; Smith and
McKenzie Chophouse, Hamilton
Best Country Hotel:
Winner: Karamea Village Hotel, Karamea
Finalists: Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Russell; The Riverhead,
Auckland; The White Swan, Greytown
