Blanket Bay

An astonished Philip Jenkins, Managing Director of Blanket Bay luxury lodge, once discovered six-live crayfish nestled deep in a basket of ice when he unloaded the helicopter after guests returned from a magical day’s heli-skiing. In true Blanket Bay style, the chef included the crays on that evening’s dinner menu.

“The guests had been skiing high in the mountains,” explains Philip. “At lunchtime the pilot flew off, leaving them with the guide to enjoy a picnic lunch and returning a short while later from the West Coast with the crays. There are not many places in the world where you can combine heli-skiing with cray-fishing, but those kinds of things happen here all the time.”

Going the extra mile for guests is one of the reasons Glenorchy’s Blanket Bay is the recipient of so many international awards, most of them totally unsolicited, says Philip. These are high profile awards, such as the influential Conde Nast Traveler magazine recently naming Blanket Bay the third greatest accommodation property in the world. “It’s very gratifying and very motivating, and we use those awards in our PR and marketing.  But they also mean people come here with very, very high expectations, and that keeps us on our toes daily.”

Gourmet chefs, luxury facilities and exclusivity – a maximum of 13 couples can stay at any one time – are amongst the reasons the world’s celebrities and richest individuals recommend the luxury lodge.

“We are also recognised for our wonderful location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and the amount of activities on our doorstep,” says Philip. “These include the finest walking tracks, heli-skiing, jet boating, wine trails, Milford Sound, horse riding and 17 rivers offering the best fly trout fishing in the country. People come here for the whole experience. It’s not just about the hotel, but the support services that we can offer using the operators that work from here.

“Another key to our success is the quality of our staff. Many have worked with us right from the start and are very proud of what Blanket Bay is all about.”

www.blanketbay.com