An eco camp at the top of Lake Wakatipu has been given top honours at the country's most prestigious holiday park awards.
Camp Glenorchy Eco Retreat cleaned up at the ReviewPro Spirit of Hospitality Awards last Thursday.
The collection of Otago eco cabins was praised for its "top-notch customer service in a relatively remote environment," Holiday Parks CEO Fergus Brown.
Winners of last week's awards were plucked from hundreds of entries, using the Global Review Index tools for measuring members' online reputation.
Among the other awards given by ReviewPro included most improved park, which went to the rank-climbing Takapuna Beach Holiday Park on Auckland's north shore.
Other plaudit earning sites included the Camp Lake Hawea's Geodesic Domes. The attention-grabbing golf ball-like glamping structures won the best new build over $100k.
However it was Alison and Gordon Collister of Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park who were given a special award for long service. Having given 30 years to the holiday park industry, Fergus Brown said they were a natural recipients of the Outstanding Service Award, as "go-to people who are always generous with their time and willing to share their intelligent and thoughtful views to support others".
The Collisters and other winners were extremely moved to be able to collect their award in person following last year's virtual Covid edition of the awards ceremony.
Holiday Parks Awards 2021 winners
ReviewPro Spirit of Hospitality
Camp Glenorchy Eco Retreat
ReviewPro Most Improved Park Award
Takapuna Beach Holiday Park
Resco Best New Build over $100k
The Camp, Lake Hawea
Highly Commended: Kingston TOP 10 Holiday Park
Resco Best Upgrade under $100k
North South Holiday Park and Taupo TOP 10 Holiday Park
Highly Commended: Levin Kiwi Holiday Park
ServiceIQ Best Visitor Experience Award
Holiday park winner: Miranda Holiday Park
Individual winner: Magda Stasiewicz – Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park
PGG Wrightson Turf Holiday Park Grounds Award
Riverton Holiday Park
Highly Commended: Whangateau Holiday Park
Tourism Industry Aotearoa Sustainable Innovation Award
Russell TOP 10 Holiday Park
Predator Free NZ Award
Winner: Russell - Orongo Bay Holiday Park
Outstanding Service to the Holiday Park Industry
Alison and Gordon Collister, Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park
EPay Emerging Star Award
Ashlee Ilton, Motueka TOP 10 Holiday Park