The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs named Best Hotel in New Zealand

The hotels, resorts, and cruise lines that made it onto this, the eighteenth annual Gold List, can't rest on their laurels. The contenders are tested afresh every year, in our Readers' Choice Survey, the collective result of some eight million votes cast by as savvy a group of travelers as you'll find on the planet. Many of those who do meet the gold standard hold their place year after year.

The best places to stay in the world are selected by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler. Entries include the edited comments of readers and are intended to reveal a property's character rather than to catalog its facilities. Each score represents the percentage of respondents who rated a property excellent or very good on specific criteria (Rooms, Service, Food, Location, Design, Activities). Criteria for hotels, resorts, and cruise lines vary. The Gold List is based on data collected from the annual Readers' Choice Survey; to qualify for inclusion in these rankings, a property had to receive a required minimum number of responses.

Guests "feel like royalty" at this plantation-style lodge on the North Island that collects a bevy of perfect scores. Mixing Greek revival and a South Carolina plantation house with an East Hampton summer cottage, the perfect-scoring design mixes blues and blonds with dark-oak English and European antiques. "Beautiful rooms," done in light colors with a country feel, garner a perfect score. Sip on a Kauri Cliffs Kiwi Mojito before indulging in the "divine cuisine" at the blue-and-white main dining room The staff deliver perfect-scoring service-"they made us feel like we were the only guests they had to take care of the whole time we were there." Perfect-scoring activities include "one of the prettiest golf courses in the world."

The complete 2012 Gold List The World's Best Places to stay is featured in the January issue of Conde Nast Traveler and on www.cntraveler.com/gold-list/2012

Travel + Leisure has also chosen The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs as the No. 1 Lodge in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific in the T+L 500 World's Best Awards, 2012, and No.11 in the Top 25.

"We are so honored to be recognized by Conde Nast Traveler and the readers again - the excellence of our team is undoubtedly the essence of what makes this award possible" says Managing Director Jay Robertson.

Most recently The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs was recognized by Conde Nast Traveller, UK on the Gold List 2012, Best for leisure facilities, and sister property The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Best for food.

Owned and developed by New Yorkers Julian Robertson and family, The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs is the sister property to The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay on the North Island and Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown on the South Island. All are proud members of the exclusive and prestigious Relais & Chateaux collection.

Hotel Profile: The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs