Every summer, the news-starved media expend a lot of usually fruitless effort trying to find out which celebrities are staying at which exclusive locations.
This Christmas, according to sources, Bill Gates was doing a spot of quad biking up by Ninety Mile Beach, Johnny Depp jetted in to do some surfing and Jack Nicholson and Charlize Theron were holidaying on Waiheke Island, though there were never any actual sightings.
If hard evidence of these famous visitors is often elusive, one thing is clear: if they're here, they'll have no trouble finding a bed for the night. In recent years, the luxury end of the tourism market has come up with a lot more choices to tempt well-heeled visitors.
New Zealand first became a playground for the rich during the 2000 America's Cup, says Stephen Hamilton, a director of tourism consultants Horwath Hotels, Tourism & Leisure (HTL).
"Some people brought it with them with their luxury superyachts," he says.
And when they got here they wanted to see more of New Zealand than just the Hauraki Gulf.
Hamilton remembers one superyacht owner wanting to visit Queenstown for the weekend, and chartering a Learjet from Melbourne.
"The customer does not mind what it costs, they just want to do it," he says. And their interest extends beyond accommodation to the wine industry, clothing, fishing and restaurants.
Americans have taken New Zealand to their bosom with particular enthusiasm, and make up the majority of guests in this country's super lodges.
The British and Europeans also have a soft spot for this former colony and Australians have finally admitted we have some of the good things in life that they haven't.
"New Zealand is a country that they fell in love with. It is like their countries were when they were growing up," says Victoria Shaw, manager of exclusive Queenstown boutique hotel Eichardt's.
A common trend, after an initial visit, is to bring the extended family - two or three generations - to holiday together at a luxury location.
"They can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on these vacations," says Steven Pleciak, general manager of luxury inbound tour operator Southern Crossings.
Often, these wealthy travellers are attracted by the top-of-the-range super lodges. Huka Lodge has hosted the likes of Barbra Streisand, Kate Winslet, Dick Cheney, Michael Palin, Rupert Murdoch and Bill Gates over the years. New Zealanders like to visit as much as anyone else, often to celebrate special treats, but they tend to do it at off-peak times. All are attracted by the incredible locations.
LAIDBACK LUXURY
"The luxury market in New Zealand is not about gold taps and marble floors. It's a very different market, more laidback, still fabulous food, outstanding service but wonderful locations," says Fiona Luhrs, chief executive of the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand.
She marvels at the services that lodges and upmarket resorts will provide for their clients.
"They'll do anything for you. If you're a vintage plane buff, they'll fly you down to Peter Jackson's place in Blenheim to see his aircraft collection. You might even get to meet him," she says.
A rave review in 1998 in travel publisher Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report on Wharekauhau, a beautiful lodge in Featherston, triggered a flurry of visits by journalists to see and write about New Zealand. Trevor Thomas, a tourism industry veteran and luxury inbound tour operator, says Harper put it on the map for international globetrotters.
He definitely started something.
Over the next couple of years, a number of new super lodges sprang up. After having the market largely to itself for a long time, Huka Lodge was joined not only by Wharekauhau, but also Paratiho Farms (Nelson), Kauri Cliffs (Northland), Blanket Bay (near Queenstown), Treetops (Rotorua) and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers.
The timing was perfect: the Lord of the Rings films fascinated wealthy tourists just as much as the backpackers.
How successful are these lodges? That information is not universally shared by the private, wealthy owners.
"I don't think it's highly publicised. These people are looking for privacy and confidentiality," says Horwath HTL's Stephen Hamilton.
"Of the lodges, some are making money, some are making a return on investment but the majority are not," he says.
"They may be in it for a variety of reasons. They might own a property somewhere and may be looking for a way to generate cash from it.
"I think people fall in love with the place and want a slice of it. Money is no object here, having a toehold of paradise [is what they want]."
FOREIGN POSSESSIONS
John Sax, owner of Treetops Lodge, says he feels special as the only New Zealand owner of one of the super lodges and flattered that overseas money has chosen to invest in this country.
Wharekauhau is the brainchild of New Zealanders Annette and Bill Shaw, but they've been helped by a consortium of international investors; US multi-millionaire Julian Robertson owns Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers; former Levi Strauss president Tom Tusher owns Blanket Bay; Alex van Heeren, from the Netherlands, is the man behind Huka Lodge; and US art collectors Robert and Sally Hunt created Paratiho Farms.
These international investors' passion for New Zealand has indisputably benefited the tourism market.
As tourism marketing doyenne Karine Thomas, of Navigate Oceania, says, "I always laugh, it's a rich man's folly. Isn't it wonderful that their folly is to our country's benefit?"
But why, if you have all the money in the world, do you share your slice of paradise with tourists - even if they are prepared to pay top dollar? These wealthy owners seem to be generous spirits; successful in their previous lives, they want to make a success of their New Zealand projects and blow visitors away. Most admit that they are not achieving the year-round occupancy that would give them a return on capital. Queenstown is the only part of New Zealand to have strong appeal in most seasons.
Tom Tusher, who bought Blanket Bay in 1974, says he did think about having it all to himself. The American businessman is an active fisherman, and his wife Pauline is a horsewoman and sculptor. "It's our passion. We like being part of New Zealand. We've been coming here for 35 years," says Tusher. But the couple knew they would only be able to spend at most four or five months a year in New Zealand. They decided that if they could have guests staying at the lodge, they could have it open year-round because they could afford to have the property managed. "We like having people see this part of the world. We have met wonderful, wonderful people, many of whom we connect with in the US," says Tusher.
The American hints at the exclusive celebrities who come to stay at Blanket Bay. "The nice thing here is when people come here, people you would know, celebrities and politicians, if they were travelling some place else, they'd be travelling with bodyguards. Down here people don't bother them, there are no safety or security issues here. They say, 'It's so nice, we don't have to be looking over our shoulders'."
CHALLENGING MARKET
Blanket Bay's manager, Philip Jenkins, is the marketing brains behind the lodge. He's been managing the place since before it was built and came from Wharekauhau. He describes the 2007 market as softer than it has been for a while; October and November were disappointing, he says.
"The North American market is down, no question. Conversely there's an increasing market share from Europe and the UK," he says. "New Zealand has been in the spotlight because of a series of events which have fallen into our laps - SARS, mad cow disease, 9/11, Iraq, the fact that US people have been made to feel unwelcome in parts of Europe, all these negative things."
Now people feel safer again, they are booking holidays at the numerous new resorts in China, Africa, India and South America.
Another challenge to this end of New Zealand's tourism market is the great deals being offered in Europe by luxury resorts and airlines, says Jenkins.
"If you are a family in England and you have two or three weeks' leave, you are spending a large proportion of that coming out here, when you can take three one-week breaks somewhere lovely.
"All of these little things have taken the edge off where we were three years ago.
"The flipside is that these short-haul destinations like Rome, Venice, Paris, the South of France, because they are so accessible, are very crowded. The service is marginal, [the environment] grubby. New Zealand by contrast is a little bit further away but it's still going to be pristine, has very high levels of service and a great sense of feeling that you are in a relatively new country."
He understands that luxury tourists are distracted by some of the super lodges springing up in India and Africa, and thinks it is natural that they will be interested. He is sure they will come back to New Zealand but says the lodges have to keep the market dynamic.
"We have got to have a story to tell," he says.
The environment is the obvious story for New Zealand at the top end, just as it is at the other levels of the tourism industry - 100 per cent Pure NZ has been an advertising triumph.
Treetops Lodge in Rotorua is certainly benefiting from the world's interest in all things green, with its eco-safaris and bush environment. Last October, Conde Nast Traveller named Treetops top NZ hotel in its US readers survey.
Treetops Lodge owner John Sax says he wants to be like "an ambassador" for New Zealand, and was pleased to be asked to speak at an international environmental conference recently.
He worries about how green New Zealand really is. "Our clean, green image is progressively being tarnished. We are not going to keep that forever," he says.
Sax's mission statement is: "People first, environment second."
HIGH-END, LOW RETURN
Even though Treetops has achieved a worldwide reputation and the lodge is in its sixth year, Sax says his occupancy rate is about 50 per cent-plus. He's cash-neutral, but there is no return on capital.
"You have to be passionate about the business. Some go into the luxury business with the wrong motivation. It's long-term."
He says he is able to ride out any tough times.
Money is not a problem for the owners of Kauri Cliffs, either. Jay Robertson, or Julian Robertson III, as the son of Julian Robertson is formally known, shares his father's appreciation of New Zealand and New Zealanders.
"New Zealanders, what they bring to the table, is the best thing about this country," says Robertson.
The Robertson family showed its commitment to New Zealand by opening a second resort here almost six months ago, again with a golf course - the world's 41st best according to Golf magazine - on a 2400ha sheep farm they bought at Cape Kidnappers.
People ask Jay Robertson what he does for marketing. "We give every single guest the best possible experience. Then they are going to be like walking brochures," says the experienced hotelier.
Cape Kidnappers is benefiting from its relationship with Kauri Cliffs, the Robertsons' other golf mecca, near Kerikeri.
Around 35 per cent of guests at Cape Kidnappers have come from Kauri Cliffs, says Jay Robertson.
The lodge owner is coy about whether his two properties are making money. Cape Kidnappers is too new, although Blanket Bay manager Philip Jenkins says people are already figuring it into their itineraries.
Industry sources say the popular Kauri Cliffs is making money, but Robertson snorts when asked if he is achieving year-round 70-80 per cent occupancy at his properties, as recommended by Horwath.
"Nobody really realises how tough and demanding the business is. Right now we are in the middle of high peak - it's a three-month window," says Robertson.
Is he making a return on investment?
"At this level you don't," he says.
But he adds: "My family is a firm believer in whatever we are doing for it to be successful. Part of that is making a profit."
SUPPORTING ACTS
It is not just the super lodges profiting from the luxury tourist. Otahuna Lodge in the South Island has just won a Tatler magazine award as one of the 101 best hotels in the world. Eichardt's in central Queenstown is another favourite. Another luxury property redeveloped by the Shaw family with the help of international investors, Eichardt's is run by Bill and Annette's daughter, Victoria.
"At this time of year ... we are turning away as much business as we are taking," she says.
In the shoulder season, Shaw is targeting Russian, Chinese and Dubai families who like to travel at different times.
"The markets are changing," she says. Visitors from some nations don't like to travel at New Zealand's peak summer time.
After the Michael Hill NZ Open golf tournament late last year, Shaw has high hopes.
The Australian market has potential, too. "All Aussies are the same - they leave New Zealand until they semi-retire and then get over here and love the lodges. They can't believe they don't have any back home," says Shaw.
The businesswoman is wary about how much more New Zealand resorts can charge for their accommodation; even the well-off become touchy about what their money is buying. Lodge prices have gone up 5 to 10 per cent every year.
"We have slowly bumped prices up and up, but we're probably at the point where charging any more is really not possible,"she says. "I think the perception of value for money has become a very important thing." At a lodge which is charging $2000 per person per night, "the perceived value for money is pretty massive", she says.
"Some clients have come to New Zealand and have been pretty disappointed in their experience.
"It's cost them a lot of money compared with Europe. They pay in Europe but don't expect to pay it here, I don't know why," she says.
Shaw thinks there are some property owners who have had enough in what is a relatively tough market, one that has undoubtedly been affected by the fall in the US dollar.
"The properties are all for sale realistically," she says. "These properties don't make a whole lot of money."
"You need to have a serious bank balance to keep these things operating."
Jonathan Scott, owner of The Boatshed boutique hotel on Waiheke Island, thinks he can compete on price and service against some of the top-tier lodges.
"We offer a very good service (rates start at $710-$870 a night) which makes people question why they are spending up to $2000 a night when it's not necessary," says Scott.
The Boatshed's clients are a 50/50 mix of New Zealanders and overseas visitors. The international guests come largely from Britain, America and Australia.
Thanks to its closeness to Auckland, the Boatshed has occupancy rates some of the super lodges would envy: not far from 70-80 per cent, says Scott. Still, the hotel will probably never make him millions.
"I think any business like this you have to have a little bit of passion for it; it's not necessarily the best financial investment. Once you get to 70-80 per cent occupancy, you can definitely create a return," he says.
In Auckland, the ruler supreme among boutique hotels is the five-star Mollies in St Mary's Bay. Another contender is about to launch in Wellington, with hopes of winning the same kind of clientele.
Owner and property developer Alan Blundell was inspired by boutique hotels like The Mercer in New York. The result, Ohtel in Oriental Bay, opens next week and Blundell is hoping some of the more urbane luxury travellers will try the 10-room hotel.
It's for "those who like to mix it up and are looking for something different in an urban environment", he says.
Ohtel's room rates will be around the $400-$600 mark. And while the decor is from the 1950s and 60s, there are all the mod cons, plus solar-heated hot water.
"Our competition would be suites in major hotels," says Blundell. He thinks his hotel will appeal to international tourists, free-spirited independent travellers and some of the high-end corporate and private business people who visit Wellington regularly.
Blundell is hoping for better occupancy rates than the super lodges, and expects to achieve 70 per cent.
Even if the lodges have a quieter time in the next year, Blanket Bay's Philip Jenkins is certain people will come back. And in the worse-case scenario there will always be interested buyers for properties in jaw-dropping locations.
Jenkins says he gets approaches reasonably regularly, including a recent one from a US corporation, but says Tusher doesn't even want to know.
The American owner is lucky that he bought the land in the 1970s, so the pressure to get a return on capital is not as intense as it might otherwise be.
It is probably a good thing that New Zealand's luxury lodge owners have deep pockets - they might need them.
* MARKETING LUXURY IS NO EASY SELL
To get the best bang for their buck, most luxury properties join some sort of marketing group, such as Karine Thomas' Navigate Oceania and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Sometimes, because of good personal relationships, the lodges will collaborate. Jay Robertson included Blanket Bay in his promotional spiel when presenting the new Cape Kidnappers lodge to the US market, says Tom Tusher, a good friend of Robertson's.
Properties also rely on the work of Tourism New Zealand and favourable reviews from the international media.
As Shaw says: "The more free exposure we can get the better."
Tourism New Zealand has an active international media programme. It helps international journalists to visit and report on New Zealand.
"Luxury magazines are the first ones to recognise and shape trends," says Geraldine McManus, director of McManus Tourism Communications.
"Anybody can buy a Prada handbag. The world is open to buying the luxury products but what people are looking for is an experience," she says. And this is what the journalists are looking for.
Christian Schwalbach, group publisher of American Express' Centurion and Platinum magazines, Asia Pacific, says: "New Zealand has been extremely smart with its 100 per cent Pure New Zealand branding, which resonates internationally and is universally recognised, understood and valued. As long as New Zealand can maintain the integrity of this brand image it will enjoy a strong and enduring foundation to build its tourism activities on."
But he has a warning: "Luxury should not be taken only as a byword for wealth and opulence. It is just as much about authenticity, originality and a refusal to compromise on quality. Increasingly, environmental and social issues are also impacting and shaping the way people enjoy luxury. Travellers want to know that their spending is also beneficial for local communities and environments."
Marketing company Navigate Oceania represents 27 New Zealand hotels which collectively bring in a total of $43 million in revenue. Owner Karine Thomas says well-heeled tourists are just experiencing what Kiwis have grown up with.
Of course, we didn't enjoy our family holidays in quite such luxury. In December and January the private jets arrive, says Thomas. One particularly decadent thing visitors like to do is stay for seven nights at Cavalli Island, which costs a small fortune. "They are buying something that they can't buy anywhere else in the world," says Thomas.
And it's not just holidaymakers. Companies also contribute to our tourism dollar, says the businesswoman. "Navigate does very well out of corporate business. We target the top 30 CEOs - the top 30 companies in New Zealand."
They come for small meetings, board meetings, entertaining international visitors.
Tourism New Zealand is also targeting the luxury travel market.
"Part of New Zealand's overall strategy is to attract higher-yielding travellers to New Zealand," says George Hickton, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand. "Research shows that higher yielding travellers tend to enjoy what New Zealand has to offer. They also tend to agree with New Zealand's lifestyle, its environmental principles and to respect New Zealand's values and beliefs."
Tourism New Zealand targets the luxury market through two major trade events each year: the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes, France, in December and the new Asia Luxury Travel Market in Shanghai in June.
Trevor Thomas, director of luxury in-bound tour operator Southern Crossings, goes to Cannes every year.
He sees his role as informing agents and buyers about the diversity of lodges. "We can hold up our heads and say New Zealand is very much a luxury destination. Ten years ago it was not like that," he says. New Zealand is seen as a single destination rather than an add-on to Australia.
"It is interesting to note that this market segment is increasing. It's chicken and egg, we are getting more done because of the type of properties we have," says Thomas.
Fiona Luhrs, chief executive of the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand, was pleased with the first Pure Luxury Show held last year at Treetops Lodge in Rotorua. Around 45 buyers and agents with wealthy clients in North America, Britain, Europe and Australia attended and 45 exhibited.
"It was quite a fun thing. People were just blown away when they came last year. Some had never been to New Zealand before."
But with hot competition for luxury resorts coming from Africa, South America, India and other parts of Asia, any New Zealand marketing push can seem lacking from the outside.
In the US, New Zealand's profile is relatively low at present, says New Zealander Lesley Brooking-Elms, who runs Pacific Experience, an in-bound deluxe wholesale tour operator based in Rhode Island.
"For us, New Zealand was not the flavour of the month or the year last year," she says. "For China and India, I have incredible demand. New Zealand is competing against Africa and India. India is less expensive for the same quality and other parts of Asia are less expensive for the same quality.
"If you are going to compete against these distractions you have to be out there as much as everyone else."
By "out there", the agent means in the luxury travel magazines that travellers with high disposable incomes read and get ideas from for their next holidays.
In the US, Town & Country and Departure, the American Express magazine, are influential, says Brooking-Elms. The seasoned tour operator says there will be a rush of inquiries after an article has come out on a resort.
"People get excited by what they see," she says.
New Zealand's relatively high prices may also be working against the market here, says Brooking-Elms, who has an office in this country.
"The prices have increased enormously from when the dollar was a lot stronger. Now the dollar is so much lower, I do look at some of these prices and think it's an awful lot."