NZ luxury lodges: A weekend at The Lindis in Canterbury's Ahuriri Valley. Video / NZ Herald
When it comes to luxury travel, longing makes the heart grow fonder.
New Zealand has landed in the top ten destinations on the Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards 2022. The magazine says direct East Coast air links and top destination spas have US travellers dreaming of Aotearoa.
The US lifestyle publication quizzed its readers to vote for their favourite holiday destinations, hotels, islands and airlines in their annual awards.
New Zealand earned a score of 89.01 out of 100 points In the Top Countries category, edging ahead of Spain and Ireland in the minds of high-end American travellers.
Aro Ha wellness retreat, Glenorchy, was named one of the best Spas in the world. Photo / Stephanie Holmes
Thanks to the first direct links to the American East Coast, more US travellers are considering a break than ever.
Air New Zealand's JFK to AKL route won praise from the judges, landing them at 11th in the Best International Airlines category.
"With some of the longest flights in the world, the Kiwi carrier pays close attention to seat comfort; legroom is ample on its wide-body planes," said the judges.
Air NZ also was praised for their wine choice in all cabin classes and the "Skycouch" for economy family travellers.
Queenstown was among the destinations that were feeling the love from this year's CN judges. Aro Hā Wellness Retreat in Glenorchy was named one of the top destination spas in the world, landing at 25 with a score of 95 out of 100.
Air New Zealand's direct flights from John F Kennedy in New York have piqued the interests of US travellers. Photo / Supplied
The top hotel in the world was named as le Cheval Blanc in St-Tropez, France.
The grand hotel on the French Rivera is the "stuff of legend", said judges. It was given the top plaudit for the graceful transition from 20th century gem up to a modern-day masterpiece by Jean-Michel Wilmotte and new owners LVMH.
The awards also awarded top cruise and train travel experiences, with Japan's 'Seven Stars' service through Kyushu named the best luxury train ride.
"Our 2022 results capture one that is enthusiastically embracing travellers again," said Conde Nast's editorial team.
"Now in its 35th year, our annual Readers' Choice Awards continues to capture the travel experiences our readers love best."
The awards were informed by a survey of 244,000 voters.
While the outlook of their readerships changed since the pandemic, it seems that US travellers are finally taking long overdue trips and visiting bucket-list destinations.
New Zealand's landscapes and wine won over Conde Nast readers. Photo / Shaun Jeffers, File
Conde Nast's top 10 countries 2022
1. Portugal 91.22 2. Japan 91.17 3. Thailand 90.46 4. Singapore 90.09 5. India 90.01 6. Greece 89.79 7. Denmark 89.62 8. United Kingdom 89.12 9. Italy 89.12 10. New Zealand 89.01
