At a national gathering of the NZ tourism industry last night, the theme of Tiaki – Care for New Zealand, the care and protection of New Zealand for future generations, was front and centre. Luxury operator The Rees Hotel, Luxury Apartments and Lakeside Residences in Queenstown was presented with the highly prestigious ‘Allied Operator of the Year Award’ by the New Zealand Tourism Export Council, for embodying ‘Tiaki’ values across all operational platforms.
The Rees was recognised by peers at the national event as the “best in the business” excelling in innovation, customer service and responsible tourism.
“Being recognised by our peers is the ultimate – as they are the ones that provide the best terms of reference. This award is testament to our culture, our convictions and the commitment of our team who have put so much effort in over the last 11 years opening,” says Mark Rose, Chief Executive of The Rees Hotel. Rose, proud to be part of such an “awesome industry”, believes upholding the TIAKI values and being innovative is, “doubly important now, given the slow down upon us”.
The Rees has a universal commitment, from the Board to the frontline team, of honouring old school hospitality values that look after the wellbeing all its people – staff, suppliers and guests, having a Green Mindset aligned to sustainable and cultural competency practices that are highly responsive and sensitive to a diverse range of needs. Initiatives include Islamic prayer mats in rooms, culturally diverse breakfast and Halal food items on request, dedicated fundraising campaigns for collective community causes, ethical sourcing of food supplies through to Te reo Māori being imbued through its operations both in spoken form and signposting. It was the first hotel in the country to migrate it’s housekeeping from ‘paper and clipboard’ to a high tech integrated IT system deployed using cloud-connected mobile devices which has dramatically reduced costs and room turnaround times at the hotel operating at the country’s busiest tourism hub.
The integrity and innovation of the independent hotel has also attracted further praise from the Chief Executive of New Zealand Tourism Export Council, Judy Chen. “The Rees is an extraordinary exemplar that has embraced the TIAKI pillars of manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, tiaki and whānau,” Chen says. “Chief Executive Mark Rose can justifiably be proud of the unique and luxurious offering to New Zealanders and international guests.”
Last year The Rees was recognised internationally by Skål, part of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation for its responsible tourism practices. In 2019 for the third time running, it retained another 5 Star Grade – Hotel Qualmark and Gold Tourism Business Sustainability Award.
