Top lodge has new owners

MOVING ON: Dion and Anne Ngatai who are leaving Anndion Lodge after a memorable 13 years. PHOTO/ BEVAN CONLEY

With a stack of awards and an enviable reputation, the couple who gave Anndion Lodge its name - and its impressive status - are saying goodbye.

Anne and Dion Ngatai have run the Anzac Parade accommodation for 13 years, having transformed it from a rundown student hostel to a classy lodge.

But now they are looking to ease back a little and are swapping their pride and joy for a smaller operation - a six-unit motel in Marton.

When the Ngatais first took over the lodge, it had a swimming pool filled with mud, leaky pipes and shabby rooms that were barely used.

The revamp of the property has been a labour of love, and they say the rewards have justified the effort.

Now, the well-established and unique accommodation caters for up to 54 guests, has won business and tourism awards and has been a top pick in the Lonely Planet guide for 10 straight years.

The Anndion now boasts 21 rooms, including a newly refurbished poolside apartment, luxury lodges and serene riverside suites.

The couple recall the early days and how, before they had even opened, they were approached to host the movie crew filming The River Queen, which was being shot on the upper parts of the Whanganui River. They had three months to transform the hostel for the movie-makers and somehow met the required deadline.

The Anndion Lodge name will continue with new owners, husband and wife Gary and Cath Rainey.