Lounge lifts standards higher

FIVE STAR: Jared (left) and Dave Adams, outside the new Pohutu Kitchen and Lounge, are constantly looking to improve their business. Photo / Stephen Parker

As one of just 12 five-star holiday parks in the country, the Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park owners have high standards.

So they're delighted with their brand new Pohutu Kitchen and Lounge - a communal kitchen and lounge for guests that replaces one that had been there since the 1950s.

"It's one of the first things people get to when they come to the park, closest to reception," co-owner Jared Adams said. "The other one was quite old and not to five-star level, so we knew we had to do a major change."

The new facility will be opened today at a ceremony attended by dignitaries including local MP and Associate Minister of Tourism Todd McClay and Destination Rotorua Marketing general manager Oscar Nathan.

It's one of two communal kitchen/lounges in the park and contains full cooking facilities and new comfy couches and a large screen TV.

Jared and Jasmine Adams bought into the holiday park in 2012 - he said his parents had owned it since 1991 and built it up to what it was today.

The only five-star holiday park in Rotorua and one of 12 nationally, it scored its highest ever Qualmark rating weeks ago.

Mr Adams said last summer was "off the meter" for the park, with occupancy rates high. They are expecting another big summer at the Pukuatua St grounds, with visitors comprising about 65-70 per cent international visitors, many in campervans.

The Pohutu Kitchen and Lounge was built by Uniplan Group, who specialise in the design and construction of transportable buildings for holiday parks and had previously done the Rotorua park's ablution block. It has been on site for a few months, as finishing touches were added. These included environmentally friendly LED lighting, recycled decking and an outdoor barbecue area.

Co-owner Dave Adams said the next big project in the pipeline was to look at moving the entrance way and building a big new reception area. They also had resource consent for another 10 motel units.

"Wouldn't you rather stay here rather than a motel?"