It was countless examples of sacrifices made for guests that won Mawley Holiday Park in Masterton the AA Traveller Spirit of Hospitality Award last night at the Holiday Parks Conference in Auckland.

AA Tourism Publishing General Manager Moira Penman says the staff at Mawley Holiday Park demonstrated they were willing to go out of their way to make their guests feel at home.

“Rodney and Jelena Algie have made how employees relate to guests part of the holiday park’s core priorities, which has translated to a number of examples of staff creating great experiences for their guests.

“This not only embodies what the AA Traveller Spirit of Hospitality Award stands for, but it makes accommodation providers like Mawley Holiday Park truly memorable,” says Ms Penman.

Last Christmas the team noticed that many of their guests were from Germany, so they prepared a traditional European breakfast for Christmas morning complete with freshly baked German breads, bagels, croissants, mortadella and a variety of other dishes in addition to their regular Kiwi fare, all to make their guests feel at home.

Beating out four other finalists, Rodney and Jelena Algie were announced as winners after the Governor-General, Lt Gen the Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae presented each of the five finalists with certificates.

Holiday Parks Association New Zealand (HAPNZ) Chief Executive Fergus Brown says the AA Traveller Spirit of Hospitality Award is a coveted award and highly recognised by HAPNZ members.

“The AA Traveller Spirit of Hospitality Award recognises excellence in customer service in a competitive accommodation sector,” says Mr Brown.

“Both domestic and international guests are demanding and deserve an outstanding visitor experience and this award truly recognises and rewards holiday park operators who have done a great job,” he adds.

The judging panel was made up of representatives from AA Traveller, Qualmark and Inside Tourism.