Huka Lodge the only NZ hotel to appear in World’s Top 50 Best Hotels. Here’s why

It’s no wonder he plays his cards close to his chest – the late Queen Elizabeth II herself stayed no less than three times.

And now, for the second consecutive year, that status as a place fit for royalty has been recognised on the world stage: the lodge placed 82nd in the World’s Top 50 Hotels awards, appearing in the 51-100 longlist and climbing six places from its 2025 debut.

The luxury lodge’s capacity is capped at 60, creating an intimate and private atmosphere for guests. Photo / George Apostolidis

So what makes it special enough to be the only New Zealand entry on the international list?

Molloy, who has worked at the lodge since 2013, can trace the lodge’s sense of renown as far back as his childhood.

“When somebody notable was arriving in the country, they were always inextricably linked to going to Huka Lodge,” he says. “It’s got a sort of stately feel to it and a sense of time and place.”

But no one here is being asked to sign an autograph. With just 20 rooms and two cottages, the number of guests at any time is never more than 60.

Kiwi luxury hospitality, Molloy argues, is distinctively casual and unintrusive. He wants guests to feel like they are staying in their own holiday home.

“We’re not standing here in suit and ties and ‘yes sir, no sir’,” he says. “We’re on first-name basis with our guests and they are with us.”

Guests can go fly-fishing for trout along the Waikato River. Photo / George Apostolidis

Despite the money in the room, he describes a typical guest at the lodge as friendly and inquisitive – many repeat visitors over his 13 years in the role.

“I don’t think they see us as staff, you know. We’re just someone to talk to and have a chat with.”

However, a clientele known to arrive by helicopter brings its own complications. Fog once forced a guest to land their helicopter in a paddock near Piopio; a local farmer drove them the 138km distance when conditions failed to clear.

“[The guest] shouted him a beer and tried to give him money. He didn’t want it,” Molloy says. “A little bit of Kiwi hospitality.”

Beginning as a fishing camp in 1924, the lodge has all the allure of a grand estate, without the pretension. Those humble roots were preserved when Alex van Heeren transformed it into a luxury destination nearly 60 years later.

Even now, trout caught on a daytime river fly-fishing expedition can be prepared by the kitchen in time for dinner.

Several dining areas are spread across the grounds, with both fine and casual options on offer. Photo / George Apostolidis

While the fish itself may not be native to New Zealand, local food and wine are always central to the laid-back but ever-changing menu. Guests can enjoy four courses of Chef Perrin Yates’ seasonal cooking or order a burger and have what Molloy describes as a night off.

“We’re not going to say that it’s fine dining because that’s not what we’re about. There’s a formality to it and there’s also a story about every dish.”

While the grounds offer an imagined sense of seclusion, the township is just a seven-minute drive away.

“If you didn’t know any better, you could tell a guest that it’s five days into Taupō on a horse and they would believe you because it just feels so remote.”

Despite his Auckland-born misgivings about the region, Molloy has come to see his adopted home as somewhere worth staying.

“I thought it was the place you drive through to get somewhere else, so moving here has been a revelation to me.”

Huka Lodge is just a seven-minute drive from Taupō township. Photo / Rory Fuller

With bungy jumping, geothermal pools and great hikes among the long list of local attractions, he says he now looks forward to his days off.

Covid remains something of a trigger word for him, but Molloy confidently says things are on the up, and the lodge’s visitation rate is recovering since New Zealand’s borders reopened.

“It’s a very good story for New Zealand, particularly at the high end,” he says, as he looks toward a busy summer.

Even the colder low season was busy, with many returning guests eager to see the lodge’s $25 million refurbishment after it reopened in March last year.

Some, Molloy admits, were initially “petrified” by the news of the renovation.

“They’ve been coming for years, and they thought, oh here we go, it’s going to turn into gold taps.”

It didn’t. Original designer Virginia Fisher worked to retain the site’s heritage in her revamp, to the apparent relief of many.

The new wellness centre was constructed as part of a $25 million refurbishment. Photo / George Apostolidis

A purpose-built wellness ground has been constructed for full-scale spa services, and the lounge and dining spaces in the main lodge have been expanded.

“Everything’s in the same place and with that Huka Lodge feel, but just bigger and better.”

The timelessness of the spaces is only half the reason guests are compelled to return. Molloy says his team is always willing to go the extra mile for clientele, from building personalised itineraries to fielding requests that run the gamut.

Molloy admits stranger expectations arise from time to time.

“Just when I think I’ve heard it all, somebody will ask me something just so out there.”

He maintains a hard line against anything illegal.

But, as to what those requests were, his lips are sealed.

Top 10 of the World’s Top 50 Hotels

The Rosewood Hong Kong in Kowloon has been named the world’s best hotel for the second year running. Photo / Rosewood HotelsRosewood Hong Kong, ChinaCapella Bangkok, ThailandFour Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, ThailandAtlantis The Royal, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesPassalacqua, Lake Como, ItalyRosewood Sao Paulo, BrazilMandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, ChinaUpper House Hong Kong, ChinaChable Yucatan, Chochola, MexicoMandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand