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Ngāti Awa’s Awa Motel in Whakatane has won a prestigious Hospitality New Zealand award for the best motel over 25 rooms category.
Ngāti Awa Group Holdings chief executive Tracey Hook says it’s a tribute to staff and management – and it also shows Maori business can compete with the best.
The other finalists were highly-regarded operations based in popular South Island tourist destinations.
“I just want to acknowledge those other finalists. There’s a hotel in Cromwell, and one in Queenstown – I did stalk them a little bit and had a look at what we were up against. We are so stoked to win this award,” Ms Hool says.
She says the Awa Motel’s riverside location next to the Mataatua meeting house, variety of rooms, popular on-site cafe and competitve pricing probably contributed to the win.
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