Canterbury lodge has one of the best rooms in the world: awards

Otahuna Lodge has one one of the best suites in the world, according to an international travel magazine.Photo / Herald on Sunday

A luxury lodge in Canterbury has survived earthquake damage to be named home of one of the top suites in the world.

The Rhodes Suite at Otahuna Lodge in Tai Tapu is the only New Zealand entry in the top 20 of the list of 101 top hotel suites published by US-based private jet magazine Elite Traveller.

The four-room suite was ranked number 11, ahead of The Ritz-Carlton in Japan and The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai.

Otahuna Lodge front desk manager Adrienne Jacka said they were "quietly thrilled".

The recognition was a credit to owners Hall Cannon and Miles Refo, who brought the Victorian mansion back up to standard after it lost 10 chimneys and suffered water damage in the September 4, 2010 earthquake, she said.

The 1100 square foot Rhodes Suit will cost you up to $2645 per night in peak season and includes a private dining area, turret, a balcony with views of the Southern Alps, an open fireplace and rainwater showers.

"It's large and gorgeous. We had one couple who stayed there for seven days and didn't leave the room."

Elite Traveller said the 1895 lodge, 20 minutes south of Christchurch "spoke to New Zealand's colonial roots with gracious British county decor".

If the price sounds steep, it does include five-course meals with matching wines, canapes and full breakfasts.

Meanwhile, the George Hotel in central Christchurch has made its way into the top 10 city hotels in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific in Travel and Leisure's 2013 World's Best Awards.

Travel and Leisure also rated Queenstown the second best city in the region and the 22-suite lodge at Kauri Cliffs in Northland number five in the top 50 hotels worldwide.