Well knock us down with a feather, we never expected to make the list last year, and we certainly did not anticipate being tapped on the shoulder again in 2024 – but we are beyond delighted and extremely humbled to be recognised as number 25 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 list and to again be recognised as the Best in Oceania.
But what is it exactly that makes a hotel award winning? What makes it special? Why are we and our incredibly deserving counterparts in the top 50 singled out? Well, the team at The World’s 50 Best Hotels have it clearly articulated on their website if you would care to understand the minutiae – but for us we suspect there is a similar thread running through each of the hotels selected.
We think the common thread is the people. Those that are committed to delivering quality hospitality with love and care and making a hotel a magical place for the community and guests 365 days, 24 hours a day.
That magic, for us, is something that can only be attributed to the hundreds of people involved in a hotel’s ecosystem. As any ecologist will explain, a healthy ecosystem depends on two factors: the abiotic (the environment and the place itself) and the biotic (the life and living community), a hotel is no different with both factors vital for a flourishing and healthy hotel biome.
An important part of our ecosystem is both the championing of our location and community. We have long leant into our sub-tropical climate, embracing the warmth of our location with windows that open, balconies to sun on, natural ventilation, green, shady gardens and of course our pool. But beyond the design, we believe in creating cultural discourse for our guests and community, in being hospitable by turning our place into a civic space for cultural learning, to welcome like-minded individuals into our space to both connect and learn.
The Cambridge dictionary states that, hospitality “is the act of being friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors”. We, and we are sure the other 49 of our peers, feel this in our hearts. It is at the core of what we do, and we are beyond honoured to have this recognised by the globally respected The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy.
The “Academy” is an influential group of more than 600 independent discerning travellers, each selected for their expert opinion of the international hotel scene, and the list is the most egalitarian, useful and transparent hotel ranking system ever devised. The anonymous and neutral voting members of the Academy range from hoteliers to travel journalists, seasoned luxury travellers, hospitality professionals and other experienced globetrotters. While there are no set criteria for voters, there are strict voting rules ensuring the credibility and integrity of the list as a world-leading resource for discerning travellers.
We once again, can only accredit this recognition to our people, and our place. Thank you to all that continue with us on our journey.
And, in our own little Oscars moment, we’d like to thank the “Academy” for the incredible honour.
