NZ hotels voted “most-loved” by guests around the world

NZ hotels voted “most-loved” by guests around the world

• Twenty-two Kiwi hotels scoop gold in Hotels.com Loved by Guests Awards 2017

• Dunedin, Nelson, Queenstown and Rotorua revealed as the most award-winning hotels in New Zealand as chosen by guests

• New Zealand hotels named best for luxury, spa and ski

• Reviews outshine star ratings as influence of guest reviews rises

AUCKLAND – April 07, 2017 – Twenty-two New Zealand hotels have been revealed as the country’s ultimate hotel hotspots, according to theHotels.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).

Best in show

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.”

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All award winning hotels are bookable through the award-winning Hotels.com mobile app, available on iOS and Android, which also gives users access to Special Prices. Look out for the Loved by Guests badges to find your favourite.

Check out some of the award winning hotels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the #LovedbyGuests hashtag or visithttps://nz.hotels.com/hotel-deals/lovedbyguests-nz

New Zealand hotels awarded gold in Loved by Guests Awards

*To receive a gold award, properties must have received an average customer review score of 4.7 or higher, based on a minimum of 50 reviews as of December 31, 2016.

**To receive a ‘best for’ award, the 1,000 hotels with the highest average customer review score in each category were chosen, based on a minimum of 20 reviews as of December 31, 2016.

Loved by Guests Gold Award Winners by Country

1. United States of America – 969

2. United Kingdom - 171

3. Italy – 153

4. Canada – 86

5. Spain – 70

6. Germany – 54

7. Mexico – 50

8. Portugal – 49

9. Japan – 48

10. Thailand – 42

11. Vietnam – 42

12. France - 38

13. Australia – 37

14. Poland - 34

15. Greece – 33

16. Taiwan – 27

17. Czech Republic – 26

18. United Arab Emirates – 26

19. Indonesia – 25

20. Netherlands – 24

21. Turkey – 23

22. Ireland – 22

23. New Zealand – 22

24. Brazil - 21

25. Switzerland – 19

26. Cambodia – 18

27. South Africa – 17

28. Hungary – 16

29. Austria - 15

30. China – 15

31. Russia – 15

32. Columbia – 13

33. Costa Rica – 13

34. Croatia – 13

35. Peru – 12

36. Argentina – 11

37. Malaysia – 11

38. Belgium - 10

39. Iceland – 9

40. South Korea – 9

41. Hong Kong – 8

42. Chile – 8

43. India – 8

44. Israel – 7

45. Morocco – 7

46. Sweden – 7

47. Finland – 6

48. Romania – 6

49. Estonia – 5

50. Singapore – 5

51. Macau – 4

52. Maldives – 4

53. Norway – 4

54. Philippines – 4

55. Ukraine – 4

56. Serbia – 3

57. Bosnia and Herzegovina – 2

58. Cyprus – 2

59. Jamaica – 2

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