When it comes to outstanding customer service, three motels have proven they’re the best in the industry and are now up for a national award.

Far flung Stewart Island’s Bay Motel, Radfords on the Lake in Te Anau, and Astra Motor Lodge in Hamilton are all finalists for the AA Traveller Supreme Host of the Year award.

The coveted award, now in its eighth year, recognises and celebrates motels with exceptional standards of customer service and hospitality.

This included examples of placing hot water bottles in beds 10 minutes before guests with medical conditions arrived, to helping a husband surprise his wife on her birthday by organising a romantic waterfront dinner with a personalised cake and chocolate and bubbles for the couple’s room.

In addition all three motels proved to be the go-to expert on tourism information for their towns, and also provided the means to get to where their guests wanted to be.

As online accommodation reviews increasingly make or break businesses, AA Tourism Publishing General Manager Moira Penman says often the choice between staying with one motel over another comes down to what customers can read online.

“Now more than ever moteliers need to understand the impact good customer service has on the long term success of a business,” says Ms Penman.

“Good customer service isn’t just about being nice, it’s also about the way you respond to and manage customer complaints and what kind of impression you leave, which can make all the difference to a businesses’ reputation,” she adds.

The winner of the AA Traveller Supreme Host of the Year award will be announced at the Motel Association of New Zealand (MANZ) Conference in Dunedin on Thursday night, August 27.

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

AA Traveller is an expert in domestic tourism in New Zealand and publishes and distributes almost three million maps and accommodation guides every year to assist motorists and visitors as they explore the country.