Northland lodge rated best hotel in Oz, NZ

The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs has been named the best resort hotel in Australasia and the fourth-best hotel in the world by a top US travel magazine. Photo / Supplied

A leading US travel magazine has named Northland's Kauri Cliffs the best resort hotel in Australia and New Zealand.

The Matauri Bay luxury lodge was also ranked number four in a list of the world's top 100 hotels.

Travel + Leisure magazine ran a five-month questionnaire for its readers that closed in March with the winners announced yesterday NZ time. Respondents were asked to rate hotels on rooms/facilities, location, service, food and value.

The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs was built by New York-based billionaire and philanthropist Julian Robertson and his late wife Josie.

It opened in 2001 and boasts 22 suites, a two-bedroom cottage, private beaches, a spa, tennis courts, infinity pool, fitness centre and a world-class PGA championship golf course, overlooking the Cavalli Islands just south of Matauri Bay.

The only other New Zealand hotel to make the top 100 list was The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Kauri Cliffs' sister lodge in Hawke's Bay. The Farm, which ranked number 40, is also owned by Mr Robertson and includes a cliff-top golf course.

Chief operating officer Euan Taylor put Kauri Cliffs' win down to a personal, warm and tailored style of hospitality where guests really did come first.

"To be named the number one resort, particularly in a country like New Zealand where the 'luxury lodge' phenomenon was born and the accommodation bar is set high, says a lot."
The win was an honour for the entire team, he said.

The other resort hotels in the top five were (2) The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay; (3) Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia; (4) The Louise, Barossa Valley, Australia; (5) Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown.