World-class spot takes out top award

Neil Barber (left) and Craig Hay, directors of Masonic Hotel Napier, with their 2015 Hospitality NZ awards for Supreme Champion and Best Accommodation Hotel. Photo / Warren Buckland

For the second year running, the Art Deco Masonic Hotel management and ownership partnership of Craig Hay and Neil Barber have plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Last year at the annual Hospitality New Zealand Awards the hotel took out the title of Best New/Redeveloped Accommodation Hotel title and at the latest awards the result was even more spectacular.

They walked away with two awards - including the one Mr Hay said came as "a bit of a surprise".

They had earlier been awarded the title of Best Accommodation, which they were very happy to step forward and receive.

That happiness turned to absolute delight when it was announced at the conclusion of the 15 hospitality category awards that the Art Deco Masonic had been judged as the winner of the Supreme Award - the best of the best.

Mr Hay was modest about the wins, except to say it was "pretty good" to be able to now display three of them at the front desk.

"This is great for Napier and for Hawke's Bay," he said.

Of the 15 awards, the Bay picked up three, with Indigo Restaurant also picking up the Best Beverage List award.

"It's a good number of awards for us," Mr Hay said, effectively on behalf of Hawke's Bay.

He said for Mr Barber and himself the pursuit of creating a world-class hospitality spot had been a labour of love.

"It has been a lot of work and it is great to get the recognition for it."

And that pursuit was not exactly over yet as there were several other categories they would likely target for next year's awards.

"In the off-season we travel a bit and we make a sort of critical assessment at what other people are doing, here and overseas - sometime we will pick up on new ideas and use them."

Mr Hay said the underlying philosophy they had was to create a comfortable and genuine boutique hotel which made guests feel they were experiencing something unique and special.

He added that they were constantly looking at their "processes" - of how to do things better for customers.

"These awards are fantastic for people in industry to access what they are doing - it is important to be critical of yourselves," Mr Hay said.