NZ’s best hotels revealed: Cordis managing director recognised for service to industry

The Cordis Auckland's spa pool and swimming pool.

The country’s biggest hotel will have a new general manager just before Christmas, and its managing director has been recognised in Australasia’s leading hotel awards for his service to the industry.

Craig Bonnor will start at the 640-room Cordis Auckland as GM on December 18.

He has worked in hotel properties in Japan, Thailand and Australia.

His previous roles include significant positions with renowned brands such as Carlton Hotels and Hilton, where he served for 12 years, with his most recent leadership role being at the Hilton Petaling Jaya in Malaysia.

Cordis says his appointment marks a “strategic move” for the property.

He will report directly to managing director Franz Mascarenhas, who has been honoured with the Ashley Spencer Service to Industry award at the HM Awards.

He has worked in the hotel industry for more than 35 years.

During this time, he has held senior leadership positions across three global hotel companies - ITT Sheraton Hotels, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and the Langham Hospitality Group.

He’s been managing director of Cordis Auckland for the last decade, navigating the hotel through the pandemic (when it didn’t take MIQ guests) and the building of a luxury tower on the site.

At the awards in Sydney, Mascarenhas paid tribute to his colleagues and his wife, Lena.

“I have to talk about my wife,” he said, HM magazine reported.

“We both passed out of hotel management school together. She gave up her career to let me focus and she looked after the family – she has done such an amazing job, and she has constantly been the rock in our family.”

Cordis Auckland’s Sarwan Singh won the Top Sales Associate - NZ/South Pacific award, long-serving concierge Martin Dunlop got the top honour for the same areas and the hotel was highly commended in the categories for Best Australasian Hotel and NZ Luxury Hotel.

Cordis Auckland was also highly commended in the categories for Best Australasian Hotel and NZ Luxury Hotel.

Rydges Latimer Christchurch was named winner of the New Zealand Upscale Hotel award, and general manager Craig Wood was highly commended in the NZ general manager spot. Chris Ehmann of Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa and Doron Whaite of QT Auckland and Rydges Formosa were both named the top GMs in NZ.

New Zealander Sean Hunt, Marriott International’s area vice-president for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, was named HM Magazine’s Australasian Hotelier of the Year.

Hunt, 57, was recently back home in Auckland scoping out more opportunities.

Marriott, the biggest hotel operator in the world and a near-$100 billion company, wants to expand its footprint quickly in New Zealand. It has a luxury JW Marriott, the former Stamford Plaza in Auckland, a Four Points by Sheraton in the city and two more “high-energy” Moxy hotels coming, one in Auckland and the other in Queenstown. It wants more.

NZ HM award-winners included:

Midscale Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown

Upscale: Hilton Auckland and Rydges Latimer Christchurch

Luxury: Park Hyatt and Sofitel Queenstown

Lodge: The Landing

Individuals for NZ/South Pacific

Chef: James Laird, QT Auckland

Rising Star: Jacqui Paurini, Accor NZ

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