IBIS Wellington wins top NZ accommodation award
IBIS Wellington has beaten tough competition to achieve first place in Trade Me’s annual Travelbug awards, which
recognises outstanding accommodation operators as rated by guests.
The Wellington hotel was rated higher by guests than any other commercial accommodation provider listed on Travelbug
across the country. “It’s an award to be hugely proud of, especially as it’s a competition between all of Travelbug’s
listings nationwide, including hotels, motels, bed & breakfast providers and so on,” said Trade Me’s Head of Travel, Daniel Bridges.
IBIS Wellington’s Hotel Manager, Colin McClean, said the news of the win was very well received.
“We’ll be celebrating with our team to congratulate them all on living up to the company’s values of always putting the
customer first. We’re absolutely delighted with this win and look forward to striving to win it again next year,” he
said.
Wellington comes up trumps
Wellington has claimed more Platinum awards than any other region for the second year running.
In the ‘Top Reviewed’ award category, properties in Canterbury and the Wairarapa gained the highest number of 100%
‘thumbs up’ ratings from their guests.
It’s not all about luxury hotels
A wide range of accommodation types won Platinum awards in the 2015 Travelbug awards, including Aaron Court Motor Inn in
Hamilton, High Street Living Motel in Picton and The Cambridge Hotel in Wellington.
“The Cambridge Hotel in Wellington deserves a special mention here,” said Mr Bridges. “Famous for their free Kiwi BBQ on
Wednesdays and a breakfast menu that features $3 eggs on toast, this heritage backpacker has won a Platinum award for
the fourth year in a row.”
The Cambridge Hotel’s General Manager Finnbarr Kerr-Newell said “We’ve been in the business of providing excellent value
for money for some time now and we love it. We have a lot of repeat guests so we know we have the right model of
environment, service and value for money.”
What travellers really want
“The three things that we see consistently in reviews by travellers is that people place a high value the simple things
- friendly staff, clean rooms and comfortable beds. This applies across the board for all accommodation types,” said Mr
Bridges.
“As a member of the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand, who are tasked with providing an amazing visitor
experience as part of the Tourism 2025 framework, we’re really proud of the calibre of hotels, motels, lodges and
backpackers that we have available on Travelbug. This year’s awards prove that the standard of accommodation they’re
providing is second to none.”
The 2015 Travelbug Awards: The roll of honour
Total Travelbug winners in each category:
• Platinum Property (14 winners)
• Gold Property (72 winners)
• Best in Region (18 winners)
• Best in District (62 winners)
• 100% Guest Rating (267 winners)
Top 5 Travelbug Platinum winners:
Ibis Wellington, Wellington
High Street Living Motel, Picton
Aaron Court Motor Inn, Hamilton
Distinction Hotel, Palmerston North
Greerton Motor Inn, Tauranga
Travelbug Platinum Award winners:
Ibis Wellington, Wellington
High Street Living Motel, Picton
Aaron Court Motor Inn, Hamilton
Distinction Hotel, Palmerston North
Greerton Motor Inn, Tauranga
The Cambridge Hotel, Wellington
Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, Queenstown
Astelia Apartment Hotel, Wellington
Abel Tasman Stables Accommodation, Abel Tasman
Millennium Hotel, Rotorua
Wairakei Resort, Taupo
Quality Hotel Parnell, Auckland
Shoreline Motel, Napier
The Victoria Hotel, Dunedin
Travelbug ‘Best in Region’ award winners:
Leith Valley Touring Park, Dunedin
Copthorne Hotel and Resort Solway Park Wairarapa, Masterton
Central Park Motel, Whitianga
Parkside Lodge, Napier
Suncourt Hotel & Conference Centre, Taupo
Timandra Motel, New Plymouth
Abel Tasman Stables Accommodation, Abel Tasman
Leisure Inn, Rotorua
Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, Queenstown
Ossies Motels and Chalets, Ohakune
Heritage Highway Motel, Hokitika
Greerton Motor Inn, Tauranga
Mediterranean Motel, Kaikoura
Distinction Hotel, Palmerston North
Aaron Court Motor Inn, Hamilton
High Street Living Motel, Picton
The Thorndon Hotel Wellington - by Rydges, Wellington
Oakwood Manor, Auckland Airport
-ends-