On The Point in Rotorua has just taken out a major New Zealand tourism award. Photo / Suppiled
A luxury Rotorua lodge that reinvented itself post-pandemic – and found a lucrative new market in the process – has won a national accolade.
On the Point – Lake Rotorua has just been named the Allied Operator of the Year (Medium) at the 2025 Tourism Export Council of New Zealand Operator of the Year Awards.
For the lodge’s general manager, Ann Gregor, it’s been a labour of love since she took the helm of the management team seven years ago.
The tourism stalwart said she had “grand three-year plans” for the boutique accommodation when she arrived, bringing more than three decades of experience in the sector.
Not long after, Covid struck and all the plans “went down the gurgler”.
Gregor swiftly switched the business from being almost entirely for international visitors to attracting a domestic market. Locals were also lured through the doors with a new à la carte restaurant menu.
It’s now undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation and has been capturing growing demand from wealthy North American and European travellers.
Among those checking in were “legacy tourism” guests, also known in the industry as SKI customers – Spending the Kids’ Inheritance.
Gregor said baby boomers had embraced the trend, with industry data showing they spent more on leisure travel than any other age group.
She said industry research showed nearly half of travellers aged over 60 would rather spend their savings on a once-in-a-lifetime trip than leave a traditional inheritance, and that 80% of this group were happy to pay for their children’s and grandchildren’s holidays.
“We’ve had multiple bookings where grandparents have said, ‘We’d rather create memories with you now than leave it all for later, so we’re taking you on a family holiday’.”
She said it was a post-pandemic mindset shift that people were choosing shared experiences over material wealth.
“They’re choosing to do it now, not later.”
She said she was mingling with guests one night recently and saw a group consisting of a woman in her 80s with two women and a man in their 50s.
“I was trying to work out what their fit was and got chatting to the lovely elderly woman, who was from Australia. She said once a year she asks her three children to go away with her and leave behind their husbands and wife and their children, just to spend quality time together.”
Gregor said with everyone being so busy on a day-to-day basis, devoting a set time and going away somewhere special together was appealing.
She said international political tensions had also helped boost New Zealand’s reputation as a desirable destination.
“We’ve had guests tell us directly they’ve chosen New Zealand because it feels peaceful, safe and politically stable. That perception is helping position the country as a premium escape.”
She said Rotorua, which had worked hard to restore its domestic reputation following the pandemic, was also benefiting from the surge in high-end travellers.
“We were part of a national rebranding campaign and our local community leaders have invested significant levels of resources to reposition Rotorua.”
On the Point is on a 2ha peninsula overlooking Lake Rotorua and offers accommodation for up to 30 guests in 11 suites, villas and cottages. Its cheapest room goes for $1300 a night.
It is steeped in heritage, with the original homestead built in 1903. It was the Main family home from 1977 and opened as a lodge under their ownership in 2004.
After six months of operation, it joined the Peppers group and was known for nearly 20 years as Peppers on the Point.
In 2023, it left the Accor brand and became an independent property, going back to its original name of On The Point – still under the ownership of Jamie Main.
Gregor said this year was the first time she felt ready to enter the property in awards, given the market changes and renovations.
She said it was a huge honour to win the category.
Tourism Export Council of New Zealand chief executive Lynda Keene said award winners displayed outstanding commitment to working with inbound tour operators and deliver exceptional visitor experiences for their clients.
She said judges considered On The Point a standout entry.
“At the heart of the team’s approach is manaakitanga — the deep-rooted value of making every guest feel genuinely welcomed and cared for,“ Keene reported the judges said.
Rotorua’s Te Puia was also recognised in the awards, with international sales manager Adam Taylor-Eruera named Good Sort of the Year.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.