Location: New Zealand, North Island

Published: Centurion Magazine

Blessed by the local Maori tribe during a traditional housewarming ritual, Pakiri Point Boutique Lodge opened in late 2009 high atop a stretch of isolated coastline on New Zealand’s North Island. Owners, Rae Ah Chee and Billy and Evelyn Chong, retired from hectic Auckland careers with an eye on creating an inn to rival the country’s famed Huka Lodge, albeit on a smaller scale.