Two of Ōamaru’s luxury accommodation options are officially gold-standard. 

Casa Nova House and Pen-y-bryn Lodge have received the first and second Qualmark 5-Star Gold Awards for the town this month in the Boutique and Lodge Accommodation Category. 

Following a painstaking three-year restoration of the 1861-built Oamaru stone building, at a cost of close to $1million, Casa Nova owners Katrina McLarin and Brenda Laverick said the award recognises all the effort which went into it. 

“We are so proud of this,” Katrina said.

“The renovation has not been without its challenges, particularly working through the Covid-19 pandemic and dealing with the difficulties that has brought, but we hope bringing this gold standard to Ōamaru invites more tourists, both domestic and international, to this beautiful town.

“We have been so lucky with the support we’ve received from the community, but we have also worked exceptionally hard to over-deliver on every aspect of the visitors’ experience. 

“We want visitors to understand the historical significance of Casa Nova House, which is intertwined with Waitaki’s rich story,” she said.

In its evaluation, Qualmark refers to Casa Nova as an example of best practice for top-tier hospitality. The building is an “immaculate Category One protected historic building”, with outstanding decor and cleanliness. 

Katrina and Brenda’s local knowledge and use of local products was also commended, along with their gold-standard tourism sustainability. 

Katrina and Brenda have also leased the Criterion Hotel since 2022 and plan to elevate the hotel to a similar world-class standard, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing Ōamaru’s hospitality.

Pen-y-Bryn Lodge on Towey Street, Ōamaru. Photo: Supplied

Not to be outdone by the Waitaki’s oldest stone building, Pen-y-bryn Lodge, thought to be the largest single-storey wooden dwelling in Australasia, also received the same, top Qualmark rating.

This was the first time accommodation providers have been assessed under Qualmark’s new criteria, which consider not just the comfort an accommodation business offers its guests, but also its sustainability across five categories, including environment, people and culture.

Pen-y-bryn Lodge co-owner and executive chef James Glucksman said he and partner James Boussy are “extremely proud that Qualmark continues to recognise all that we do to ensure that our guests experience the absolute best that New Zealand has to offer when they stay with us”.

“We have always dedicated ourselves to making this unique part of Oamaru’s heritage the pre-eminent destination for visitors to the area, and this Gold award signifies that our efforts put us among the very best places to stay in the whole country,” he said.

James Boussy said it is great Qualmark now conducts its assessments across a range of sustainability issues, including how staff are treated, and what accommodation providers do to improve their community in general.

“We have always put a tremendous amount of effort in those areas and think it’s important that all tourism businesses in New Zealand factor those into their operations, so that tourism benefits not just our visitors, but our fellow New Zealanders, too.”

Built in 1889, Pen-y-bryn has been welcoming guests since 1994.

Tourism Waitaki consumer and trade marketing manager Krissy Griggs said the organisation is incredibly proud of both accommodation providers and the recognition of “their utmost dedication to service, sustainability and comfort”.

“To be able to offer 5-star accommodation to our local and international visitors will open doors not just domestically but also to the US, UK, and European markets.

“For the region to gain this type of recognition is game-changing, and evidence of why we are one of the most exciting regions to explore in Aotearoa New Zealand.”