Five Star Mistake

Taken from Inside Tourism Issue 664:

Teach us to comment! We were wrong when we said that Taupo's DeBretts Spa Resort is the only holiday park to be graded five star (IT663). We were swamped with HAPNZ members who pointed out that DeBretts is the ninth to gain five stars. Qualmark was unable to confirm that DeBretts was the first to gain five stars.

But DeBretts director Barry Kirkland says: "We were the first holiday park to be given Qualmark Five stars in the very early 90s. We leased out the park for 11 years and our tenant dropped half a star. We have been working our butts off since taking back the lease 14 months ago to regain the half a star which has only just happened. It's been a major effort by the whole that has needed significant investment."