A boutique lodge on the fringe of Northland's Waipoua Forest has been named New Zealand's best hospitality business.
Winning the supreme award in the 2016 New Zealand Hospitality Awards is a coup for Waipoua Lodge owners Ian and Fran Farrant, who bought the century-old homestead only six years ago and entered the awards for the first time this year, yet won a hat-trick of accolades.
At last night's ceremony in Auckland the Farrants also scooped the awards for best accommodation (30 rooms and under) and excellence in customer service.
Judges said the lodge, which has just four luxury suites, represented "the absolute pinnacle of natural and genuine Kiwi hospitality".