Travellers Rate Three Kiwi B&Bs as ‘Top Ten in Oceania'

Travellers Rate Three Kiwi B&Bs as ‘Top Ten in Oceania’

Booking’s Best Awards, based on over 40 million verified reviews, recognises three Kiwi B&Bs in the top ten best places to stay in Oceania

NEW ZEALAND – April 17, 2015 – Booking.com, the world’s number one accommodation site, today unveils The Booking’s Best Awards, an exclusive award that goes to only 260 properties out of a possible 600,000. The awards are based on over 40 million real, relevant and recent customer reviews and only go to the properties travellers’ rate as outstanding.

New Zealand is well represented in the awards with three bed and breakfasts making the list of Top Ten Properties in Oceania – seeing off competition from big global chains and expensive luxury escapes.

The three properties making the list are Chalet Romantica, in Paihia; St. Andrews Escape, in Havelock North; and @Riverhills, in Palmerston North.

Owner of boutique lodge St. Andrew’s Escape, which came ninth in the list, is John Davidson. Built in 2004 the five bedroom lodge includes outdoor baths and fruit orchard and John is delighted his hard work has been recognised with the award.

“The lodge and garden has been a labour of love that has come to fruition these last few years – the award from Booking.com is the cherry on top,” John Said.

“I have visitors from all over the world come here through Booking.com and as the garden grows each year they become more and more captivated by it. We’re only 20 minutes from Napier but people come here to escape and feel a million miles away.

“I love meeting people and passing on my local knowledge but I think knowing when to leave people to themselves is one of the key skills, after all, they’ve come here to relax.”

The Booking’s Best Awards enable potential travellers to find the right accommodation right now with help from the experiences and insights of fellow travellers.

Booking.com New Zealand Area Manager, Tracey Foxall, said: “The Top Ten Properties in Oceania covers a large area, hundreds of accommodation types and is the result of millions of independent guest reviews so for these three properties in New Zealand to be recognised in this way is huge. All the properties featured offer their guests something a little extra. Whether that be through personal touches or invaluable local knowledge, it’s clear that this attention to detail is what sets them apart.”

“Guests from all over the world will be able to see that these three modest B&BS here in New Zealand offer travellers an experience almost unmatched anywhere in the world.”

In addition to winning spots on the coveted lists, each Booking’s Best Awarded accommodation receives a badge of distinction that is featured on the property’s individual Booking.com page, as well as being featured on a dedicated Booking’s Best Awards website which lists all the awarded accommodation: www.booking.com/bookingsbest . The page helps users easily discover and book the award winning properties of their choice.

The Booking’s Best Awards spotlight accommodation highly rated by real reviewers according to specific criteria, including:

• Region – Global, Off the Beaten Path, Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East & Caucasus, North America, Oceania, South & Central America

• Accommodation Type – Apartments, B&Bs, Farm stays, Hostels, Hotels, Resorts, Tents & Camping, Villas

• Traveller Type – Families, Groups, Mature Couples, Solo Travellers, Young Couples

• Best of Rest – Breakfast, Business, Hall of Fame, Value

Globally the top ten properties were recognised as Casa Roma Luxury Apartment, Rome, Italy; Hyades Mountain Resort, Korinthias, Greece; Breitner House, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Mitchelcroft, Buckfastleigh, England; Rosemount House & Stables Cottage, Ayr, Scotland; Appia Antica Resort, Rome, Italy; Casa Ferri, Matera, Italy; Woodlands Guesthouse, Lynton, England; Riad Les Nuits de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco; Bacchus Apartman – Borbarlang, Badacsonytomaj, Hungary.

This year, Booking.com has expanded its Booking’s Best Awards by also recognising accommodations which offer that extra something special to their guests, from the most delicious cocktails, the best freebies or even amazing towel origami.

These unique and fun ‘Booking.yeah’ accommodations show how every traveller differs in what makes their stay truly memorable, and were determined by digging into the wealth of travel insights provided by Booking.com reviewers. This selection of accolades highlights the incredible breadth and diversity of the reviews, which includes Best View, Best Freebies, Best Towel Origami, Best Infinity Pool and Best Cocktails.

Whether it’s a ‘Singapore Sling’ or a ‘Rhubarbara Streisand’ that tickles your taste buds, the Booking’s Best Awards, as voted by over 40 million reviewers in 2014, will tell you where to stay to sample the best cocktails the world’s accommodation can offer.

-ENDS-

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