Imagine going out on a holiday with the entire family! Yes it can be logistically challenging - everyone comes from different places, everyone has their own personalities and preferences and budget restrictions.
Certainly, the key is, how could it be possible to satisfy the needs of the most number of people? I hope these top 2 tips help:
1. The first idea that comes to mind is to look for a central destination. Rotorua fits this requirement. It's a leisurely drive from Auckland and Wellington being in the central part of the North Island.
It's a well-known adventure paradise. The tourism destinations in Rotorua are well-developed. There are tons of adventure activities for the energetic younger adults and beautiful gardens and walking trails for the older generation. Most importantly, there is a huge selection of cafes and restaurants that have competitive pricing.
2. Choose a clean, spacious, affordable and air-conditioned accommodation. I can not stress this enough. Summer in NZ can be humid! It would be uncomfortable for everyone in high humidity and tiny spaces. However, the costs for comfort need to be reasonable. This is where Cleveland Apartments in Rotorua comes in. Check out their room rates on their website and pay attention to the quality of rooms they offer. The owners of Cleveland Apartments in Rotorua pride themselves in making sure that their accommodation is clean and comfortable. They regularly in improving their facilities and appropriate renovations to ensure that guests have the loveliest stay and most relaxing sleep. And of course, the room rates are affordable giving the guests the best value for the level of service, size of room, amenities.
Taupo is a very popular holiday town for Kiwis. However it is an overlooked holiday destination for many international tourists. I’ve been to Taupo several times, each time I admire the majestic lake view and snowcapped mountains in the backdrop.
However, it’s only when I stayed at Asure PRINCE Taupo that I understood why locals consider this a special town.
Taupo represents the ideal life for many Kiwis. It’s carefree, casual, close to nature and relaxing. It has a vibrant cafe and restaurant district - healthy, hearty and beautifully prepared food made from fresh ingredients. Good food, great nature, that feeling of peace and gratitude is what Kiwis want to share with their loved ones. This is why they go to Taupo. This is what I understood when I stayed at Asure PRINCE - the value of relationship - sharing the good life with family and loved ones.
Asure PRINCE is a beautiful hotel located at the heart of Taupo. It’s clean, cosy and comfortable. It’s a minute walk to the Great Lake and the cafe district. Aside from its fantastic location and improved facilities, it is a professionally-run hotel with a very warm and friendly atmosphere. It’s an affordable place to stay and particularly perfect for a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 young kids.
However the main reason I will be back in Taupo is to visit the lovely owners of the hotel. They make you feel like family and that means a lovely holiday home to me.
We stayed at The Clan Terrigal for 1 night on our way to a Sydney conference. We thought, the beach location (direct access) was handy so I can get over my coughing. The sea breeze in the morning worked its wonders. I would just usually tell my friends and family about a nice, quaint little place I get to visit. However, the Terrigal Clan deserves a blog post.
When I checked in, I was greeted by a really friendly lady at the desk. I wasn't expecting so much because I have read one recent review which wasn't appealing. So I told my partner, let's just stay one night, walk on the beach and just appreciate the place for what it is. When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised:
1. Very clean - my #1 pet peeve is an unclean hotel room. It's more stressful to travel if the accommodation is not clean.
2. The King Bed - just the right firmness, at least for me. The lady at the desk said there's no view from my room but it was not an issue at all.
3. The location - The Clan Terrigal is EXACTLY at the beach. No need to cross busy roads! I walked barefoot from the hotel to the sandy soil. It's an incredible experience to watch the sunrise. Australia you're truly the lucky country.
4. The restaurant - My partner said - "This is literally the best breakfast I've had in long while". No explanation needed. :)
As our context, my partner and I cherish our breakfast mornings. It's the most important meal of our day especially when traveling. We would always try to visit unique, local places and surprise ourselves. We love being surprised with healthy and tasty options.
5. Lastly, the people at The Clan Terrigal.
When I checked out, I told the lady at the desk that I loved my stay. I slept from 9pm till 7:30am. Uninterrupted. This was important as I needed all energy for a digital conference over the weekend.
That's my top 5.
There are more little things I loved about this place but the most important is the way I felt at the end of the stay. Thank you for a memorable experience.
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I've been a digital marketing consultant to high end accommodation providers since 2011 in New Zealand. I have worked closely with business owners who have near zero digital presence and assisted them in taking their business online. I may have done a lot of coaching and strategy planning but these business owners taught me so much more in terms of life and business. Let me take the opportunity to give them credit.
Owning and managing a motel / accommodation business in New Zealand / Australia is incredibly challenging.
The moteliers have put a huge investment in their properties. They live in it, they work hard for it, they re-invest in it continuously. To say that they put in so much work is an understatement.
They consider their business an extension of themselves -- it's a conviction.
There's so much competition and industry disruptions that moteliers are also now required to keep up with what's going on with the tech industry:
Air BNB
Booking aggregator websites like Booking.com, Agoda, Hotels.com, Trivago etc that spend over a billion dollars in digital marketing advertising
The customer reviews and increasing expectations - Tripadvisor and Google Business Reviews are relevant to tourists. The trend is that customers research, on average 7 times, before they make a purchase.
Innovative online and social media marketing
Amidst all these and on top of operations and service requirements, moteliers and their staff greet you with a smile. You can see passion in their eyes albeit sometimes tired. You can see persistence in their hands. It's amazing to watch these business owners in action, especially in the service industry. Thank you for the inspiration.
