{"id":601908,"date":"2026-09-16T07:44:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T07:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/601908\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T07:44:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T07:44:17","slug":"huka-lodge-the-only-nz-hotel-to-appear-in-worlds-top-50-best-hotels-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/601908\/","title":{"rendered":"Huka Lodge the only NZ hotel to appear in World\u2019s Top 50 Best Hotels. Here\u2019s why"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no wonder he plays his cards close to his chest \u2013 the late Queen Elizabeth II herself stayed no less than three times.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s Top 50 Hotels awards, appearing in the 51-100 longlist and climbing six places from its 2025 debut.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe luxury lodge’s capacity is capped at 60, creating an intimate and private atmosphere for guests. Photo \/ George Apostolidis<\/p>\n

So what makes it special enough to be the only New Zealand entry on the international list?<\/p>\n

Molloy, who has worked at the lodge since 2013, can trace the lodge\u2019s sense of renown as far back as his childhood. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen somebody notable was arriving in the country, they were always inextricably linked to going to Huka Lodge,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s got a sort of stately feel to it and a sense of time and place.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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

\u201cWe\u2019re not standing here in suit and ties and \u2018yes sir, no sir\u2019,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re on first-name basis with our guests and they are with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GuestsGuests can go fly-fishing for trout along the Waikato River. Photo \/ George Apostolidis<\/p>\n

Despite the money in the room, he describes a typical guest at the lodge as friendly and inquisitive \u2013 many repeat visitors over his 13 years in the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think they see us as staff, you know. We\u2019re just someone to talk to and have a chat with.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The guest] shouted him a beer and tried to give him money. He didn\u2019t want it,\u201d Molloy says. \u201cA little bit of Kiwi hospitality.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

\"SeveralSeveral dining areas are spread across the grounds, with both fine and casual options on offer. Photo \/ George Apostolidis<\/p>\n

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\u2019 seasonal cooking or order a burger and have what Molloy describes as a night off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to say that it\u2019s fine dining because that\u2019s not what we\u2019re about. There\u2019s a formality to it and there\u2019s also a story about every dish.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the grounds offer an imagined sense of seclusion, the township is just a seven-minute drive away. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you didn\u2019t know any better, you could tell a guest that it\u2019s five days into Taup\u014d on a horse and they would believe you because it just feels so remote.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his Auckland-born misgivings about the region, Molloy has come to see his adopted home as somewhere worth staying.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was the place you drive through to get somewhere else, so moving here has been a revelation to me.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"HukaHuka Lodge is just a seven-minute drive from Taup\u014d township. Photo \/ Rory Fuller<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Covid remains something of a trigger word for him, but Molloy confidently says things are on the up, and the lodge\u2019s visitation rate is recovering since New Zealand\u2019s borders reopened. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very good story for New Zealand, particularly at the high end,\u201d he says, as he looks toward a busy summer.<\/p>\n

Even the colder low season was busy, with many returning guests eager to see the lodge\u2019s $25 million refurbishment after it reopened in March last year.<\/p>\n

Some, Molloy admits, were initially \u201cpetrified\u201d by the news of the renovation. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been coming for years, and they thought, oh here we go, it\u2019s going to turn into gold taps.\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t. Original designer Virginia Fisher worked to retain the site\u2019s heritage in her revamp, to the apparent relief of many.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe new wellness centre was constructed as part of a $25 million refurbishment. Photo \/ George Apostolidis<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything\u2019s in the same place and with that Huka Lodge feel, but just bigger and better.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Molloy admits stranger expectations arise from time to time. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust when I think I\u2019ve heard it all, somebody will ask me something just so out there.\u201d <\/p>\n

He maintains a hard line against anything illegal. <\/p>\n

But, as to what those requests were, his lips are sealed.<\/p>\n

Top 10 of the World\u2019s Top 50 Hotels<\/p>\n

\"TheThe 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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s no wonder he plays his cards close to his chest \u2013 the late Queen Elizabeth II herself…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":601909,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[13212,12642,1558,3390,156,305,26098,6735,20285,61024,78,173,5338,10136,111,139,69,2847,6507,6943,11547,1962,223,61,3010,6923,4276,17450,80],"class_list":["post-601908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-13212","tag-appear","tag-been","tag-best","tag-entertainment","tag-have","tag-heres","tag-hotel","tag-hotels","tag-huka","tag-in","tag-lodge","tag-makes","tag-named","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-only","tag-overnight","tag-paris","tag-recognised","tag-special","tag-the","tag-to","tag-top","tag-what","tag-why","tag-worlds","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/601908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=601908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/601908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/601909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=601908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=601908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=601908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}