Luxury Lodge World’s Best

Rotorua’s luxury Lake Okareka Lodge has been voted the world’s best luxury country lodge at the Luxury Hotel Awards held in Thailand. The five-year-old lodge has three double bedrooms, each with bathroom en suite, plus breakfast, dining and living areas, a kitchen, library, gallery, gym and massage room. The 2500-square-metre site includes a helipad, stream, waterfall and spa pool. The room rate is $7150 a night for two people, $9350 for four, and $11,55 per night for six. Guests can treat the lodge as their own home, or a staff of 10, including a 24-hour on call butler service, is available. Lodge manager Diana Moore said the award was recognition for providing exclusive accommodation for discerning guests who could treat it like their own home. The award was judged from guest feedback, including a “mystery guest”, and by the travel industry.