The magazines annual readers choice awards were conducted via an online questionnaire that resulted in over 25,000 reader responses.

Blanket Bay Lodge located on the shores of lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, was New Zealand’s only accommodation provider to make the top 100 list.

Previous New Zealand entries in the prestigious top one hundred have included the North Islands Huka Lodge located on the Waikato River, Taupo.

In the last few years Huka Lodge has been noticeably absent from the list. Having stayed at both properties Blanket Bay is clearly the superior accommodation of the two lodges.

The luxury niche end of the industry has not been immune to the down turn and have responded in a similar fashion. However one particular lodge is currently marketing their discount in a very unorthodox manner.

Blanket Bay Lodge located on the lake edge outside of Queenstown, is one of New Zealand’s premier properties catering for high net worth individuals. Voted as one of Forbes Traveller top 400 hotels and top 20 International Hideaways in Andrew Harper’s acclaimed “Hideaway Report“, Blanket Bay has been very successful in promoting its accommodation to a global audience.

Blanket Bays latest vehicle to promote its “locals discount” comes in the form of live broadcasting from the lodge, by a local Queenstown radio station. The station spent the night at the lodge broadcasting their luxurious merits and this morning continues with interviews with the general manager and exuberating commentary about the food and service.

Radio stations often do live broadcasts to promote businesses like garden centres, hardware, furniture and electronic stores, but luxury lodges…. go figure! For a business that is targeting a very niche market, this form of advertising appears to be a very broad based down market mistake. It is akin to seeing an advertising campaign for Bentley, promoting their latest car and targeting South Auckland bus stop shelter bill boards.