The Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title celebrates excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of 8 million listings, fewer than 1% will achieve this milestone.
The boutique B&B lodge and its owner/hosts — Garth and Angie London — are no strangers to awards, having already scored several previous Tripadvisor awards, coveted Qualmark Gold 5 Star recognition and as three-time Supreme Winners of the Bed & Breakfast Association of NZ’s Excellence Awards.
“It always surprises and humbles us as there are so many great operators in our segment,” says Angie London. “A huge thank you to the lovely guests who have supported us this year. It really is all about the people.”
So, what makes an award-winning B&B business?
When Garth and Angie decided to set up a B&B — 13 years ago now — they searched for 18 months before they found the right property. They wanted somewhere with a good outdoor lifestyle and a property that had, in Garth’s words, “the character of a flash DOC (Department of Conservation) hut”.
Whakaipo Lodge, located near the shores of Lake Taupō in an area known for its trout fishing, boating, mountain biking and walking tracks, really embraces this character. The board and batten-clad lodge is set away from the road in a lush green glade, just up the road from one of Lake Taupō’s best beaches and world-renowned bike trails.
Garth and Angie love interacting with people and make warm and inviting hosts. They believe the most precious gift they can give their guests is their time, and they say they don’t sell rooms but instead they create an experience for people to cherish. Evening canape time, and at breakfast, is when they make themselves available to chat to their guests to find out what they are interested in and help them plan their stay. They have become experts at gauging what activities their guests are likely to enjoy and make recommendations accordingly.
Food at Whakaipo Lodge
Food is a big thing at Whakaipo Lodge. Angie and Garth adore cooking and produce high-quality meals, breakfasts, and canapes for their guests.
The hosts believe in using fresh, seasonal produce, and Garth grows as much as he can in their garden. They try and source what they can’t grow themselves locally before going further afield. Eggs are local and free range; bacon is dry-cured and locally butchered, and Angie makes her own preserves, bottled fruit, pickles and chutneys with produce from their garden. Guests, who have appreciated the food at Whakaipo Lodge, often ask for Angie’s recipes, so she has created a recipe section on their website to share her cooking secrets.
Local craft beer, wine and locally roasted coffee are staples at Whakaipo Lodge. Garth and Angie say the quality is excellent, and guests often want to take supplies home with them. Favourites include Rive Gauche Pinot Gris, Karapiti Pinot Noir and Volcanic Coffee.
Sustainable living
Sustainable living is another key focus for the couple. Growing up 100 metres from the Whanganui River in the days when you could drink the water straight from the river, Garth has enjoyed reconnecting with the land where he was raised. His father once told him that the measure of a man is whether he can feed his family from his own garden. Garth took from this the importance of self-reliance, of growing your own food and living sustainably. The couple try to live by this mantra every day and the result is high quality, seasonal and mostly organic food for their guests.
Adventure Shuttles
The couple also have a side business, Adventure Shuttles, which complements Whakaipo Lodge perfectly. They have an incredible knowledge of the local trail network and shuttle clients to trails throughout the region for mountain biking and hiking or private charter sightseeing tours. Their intimate knowledge of the local area is a huge resource for guests who are looking for adventure, and it’s clear this is another piece of the puzzle that makes the experience at Whakaipo Lodge outstanding.
As the region’s tourism sector continues to thrive, this repeated global accolade for Whakaipo Lodge places a bright spotlight on the Taupō and Central North Island districts, reinforcing the area's reputation as a premier destination for high-end, experiential travel.
