Touch of Spice NZ ranks among world’s best

Media Release from Touch of Spice
June 10 2009

Touch of Spice New Zealand ranks among world’s best

New Zealand’s leading luxury lifestyle specialists Touch of Spice have been named among the top villa rental companies in the world.

The USA’s Condé Nast Traveler, the ‘bible’for independent travellers who expect only the very best in service and accommodation, has selected Queenstown-based Touch of Spice as one of only 49 villa rental agents around the world best qualified to match its readers with suitable holiday properties.

And the company, which has been in operation for almost four years, is the only one in New Zealand to make the cut.

To compile the list, each potential applicant went through a rigorous months-long process of selection which included a 47-question application designed to assess an agent's competency, connections, and business practices, and the submission of a sample ‘house book’, the invaluable guide to a villa and its environs, as well as other information, questionnaires, checklists and a client reference.

The most promising agents were then interviewed to evaluate their user-friendliness, honesty, and familiarity with the villas and regions they represent.

Condé Nast says what separated the honorees from the also-rans was that the best had personally visited all the villas they represented and had slept in a good many of them. They re-inspected properties at least annually, had handpicked villas with an authentic sense of place, and many of them wrote or at least vetted their house books.

Touch of Spice owner Jacqui Spice said that having been involved in luxury tourism for almost 20 years, the Condé Nast recognition was the definitive accolade for her company.

Touch of Spice manages an exclusive and growing portfolio of properties throughout New Zealand.

“The Condé Nast ‘seal of approval’ is in recognition of the standard of properties we offer as well as our 24-hour seven-day-a-week concierge service that can arrange absolutely anything a client needs or wants,” she said.

“We’re delighted to have proved that we provide travellers with a bespoke and discreet service that proudly sits alongside anything that’s on offer anywhere in the world.

“It’s testament to the hard work that’s been put into the company by the Touch of Spice team that continues to be reflected by growth in this high-end luxury tourism market no matter what’s happening elsewhere in the globe.”

Touch of Spice properties range from luxurious inner-city apartments to country hideaways and private island rentals — all featuring modern furnishings and five-star luxury. The company also specialises in event planning and wedding co-ordination.

ENDS

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