Dunedin, Nelson & Motueka revealed as hotel hotspots!

The Distinction Hotel, Dunedin

Twenty-two New Zealand hotels have been revealed as the country’s ultimate hotel hotspots, according to the Hotels.com™ Loved by Guests Awards 2017, where the hotel guests are the real judges.

Dunedin, Nelson, Queenstown and Rotorua topped the list of award-winning Kiwi cities with two hotels in each destination receiving high marks from travellers. 

Gold was awarded in a relatively even split to the North and South Islands, though travellers clearly fell in love with the terrain and tranquillity of our southern accommodation, with 59% of the top-ranked hotels sitting in the South Island.

Hotels in small-town getaways Motueka and Martinborough also demonstrated their appeal; named gold winners amongst big-time accommodation counterparts in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch.

To find this year’s best of the best, travel experts analysed millions of guest reviews, with 2,500 hotels across 87 countries being recognized as truly outstanding. Those taking home the top prize of a Loved by Guests gold award* all achieved an average guest review rating of 4.7 or higher* (out of 5).

Queenstown and Wanaka dominated the list of category winners with seven hotels in the thirteen-strong round-up, combining epic powder and plush accommodations to be named the top ski resorts.

in New Zealand. Auckland and Christchurch boasted the top four luxury resorts in the country, while the Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa reigned supreme in the spa category. 

Hotels.com marketing manager for Australia and New Zealand, David Spasovic, said: “When today’s mobile-savvy travellers are heading to the slopes, looking for an amazing spa hotel or just want some all-inclusive indulgence, then they should look no further than the 1,000 hotel winners in the Loved by Guests ‘best for’ categories**.

“The fact that New Zealand hotels took out 13 of the 100 spots in the bespoke categories is a credit to the incredible quality and service on offer to travellers looking for accommodation nestled in the beauty of the New Zealand landscape.”

Overall, New Zealand took out 23rd place in the world for top-rated hotels as voted by Hotels.com guests.

Worldwide, hotels in the US were the biggest gold award winners, with 969 properties being recognised. Other top countries included the UK (171 hotels), Italy (153), Canada (86) and Spain (70).

Destinations around the globe where travellers were most likely to check into a gold award-winning hotel were: London (31 hotels), Rome (27), Prague (25), Florence (24), Venice (24) and Hanoi (23).

Everyday influencers

Mr. Spasovic noted the increasing shift in what factors influenced travellers in their hotel booking journey and decisions.

“The Loved by Guests Awards celebrate those top-notch hotels that guests loved and want to share with others. We’re seeing a shift in reviews becoming a more powerful influence than official star ratings, especially as these can be read instantly on travellers’ smartphones on the go.

“With over 25 million trusted, genuine guest reviews on the Hotels.com website, there’s no doubt that we can help offer travellers inspiration when daydreaming about their next trip away, but also help travellers make informed decisions on the best hotels for them.”

New Zealand hotels awarded gold in Loved by Guests Awards