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Take Huka Lodge, Grasmere, Peppers on the Point and Blanket Bay, to name just three of its five-star-plus properties. Ebeling was in this part of the world for a reason. He was having a darned good look at these properties for his company, which already has nearly 500 elite establishments in its portfolio. Just not enough in this part of world. The Kiwi properties are getting the asking price for now, with allinclusive tariffs for those listed above beginning at $1000 a night. So what does this mean for Australia, in particular, I asked Richard Rosebery, executive director of Select Hotels and Resorts International. Rosebery says New Zealand’s ‘‘super lodges’’, as he calls them, have earned their prestige, position and pricing, but he concedes there is downward pressure on tariffs generally. ‘‘Australia’s problem is that we’re underpriced. Traditionally, our (marketing) reaction has been to discount in the event of a
crisis. We seem to be forever trying to recover our tariffs, not grow them. ‘‘The Kiwis may have to moderate only slightly, but their lower dollar keeps them attractive.’’ Rosebery views the problem as more on our side of the ditch. ‘‘We have the best-value upmarket lodges here, but the danger is that they will become potentially unprofitable,’’ he says. Illustrating his point, an equivalent, all-inclusive package at the glorious Cape Lodge, at Margaret River, in Western Australia, is half the New Zealand rate. Yet price hasn’t diminished Australians’ interest in luxury properties. Lynn Ireland, Asia-Pacific regional director for Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) of the World, says Australians are the secondlargest market for New Zealand’s SLH properties, and the thirdlargest worldwide. Claudia Rossi Hudson, managing director of Mary Rossi Travel and a person intimately in touch with the luxury-travel mindset,
acknowledges the growing sophistication of the Australian highend clientele. But she adds: ‘‘I don’t think Australia’s international marketing is doing any favours for our best properties. Shrimps on barbies and ‘bloody hells’ aren’t raising our profile in this segment.’’ Carol Brodie, chief luxury officer of the Robb Report, the undisputed arbiter of luxury lifestyle, says: ‘‘The whole face of luxury is changing. ‘‘Even though luxury consumers have one thing in common — namely, wealth — their desires, passions and interests are very different. They’re attracted to luxury brands, but they want different things from each brand.’’ So how will this forever shifting landscape affect us? Will we entice the growing number of nouveau luxophiles from China and the sub-continent, or will our barbies and bikini bottoms send them scurrying for the Kiwi alternative? Watch this space.
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industry as they command world attention (and premium pricing) for their products. ‘‘The fact is, times are good and high-end American travellers generally remain unflustered by lofty rates,’’ asserts Andrew Harper, editor of the salubrious Hideaway Report. But just how long can they keep it up? ‘‘First of all, you must define just what luxury is. Luxury isn’t just a commodity; it’s a rare quality that isn’t available in abundance,’’ says Welf J. Ebeling, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Leading Hotels of the World. ‘‘Upscale travellers want authenticity and individuality when they travel, especially for leisure. ‘‘They’re looking for an experience that matches the destination and the cultural and natural environment. And, of course, the human touch: service.’’ New Zealand has produced some eye-popping examples of blockbuster locations for lodges.
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‘‘NEW Zealand. Show me one good thing about it,’’ the Air New Zealand ad challenges us. It’s a rhetorical request, given the background scenery and films such as Lord Of The Rings and even Zena, Warrior Princess that have catapulted New Zealand’s spectacular landscape on to the world stage. For many of us, the national airline, Middle Earth and the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign are indistinguishable. I’ve made three trips across the Tasman in as many years, and one thing that sticks with me is the Kiwis’ consummate expertise in service excellence. And not just in five-star hotels and resorts, but right down to little corner shops. Regular folks, it seems, will go the extra mile for visitors — something we don’t always manage in Australia. Eco-tourism, adventure tourism, adrenalin jumps, luxury lodges and indigenous tourism are all putting a swagger into the step of the New Zealand tourism
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New Zealand has some lessons for us in blockbuster luxury-lodge accommodation, says an impressed Roderick Eime
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Garden setting: Huka Lodge, near Taupo, on New Zealand’s North Island
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