Proudly Qualmark 5-Star and Gold Tier — Top Sustainable Hotels

We are proud to hold both Qualmark 5-Star accreditation and the Qualmark Gold Tier Sustainable Tourism Business award — and we wanted to take a moment to share what these mean to us, and why they matter.

Qualmark is New Zealand’s official quality assurance mark for tourism. It is independently assessed and represents a rigorous evaluation of every aspect of a visitor’s experience. The 5-Star rating is the highest level Qualmark awards, recognising accommodation and hospitality that meets the most demanding standards of quality, comfort, and guest care.

” A Gold Award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand, with the delivery of exceptional customer experiences an integral part of everything they do. A Gold Sustainable Tourism Award identifies those businesses leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.” Tourism New Zealand

Top Sustainable Hotels in New Zealand

The Gold Tier Sustainable Tourism Business award goes further. It recognises operators who demonstrate an exceptional and verified commitment to sustainable practice — protecting the natural environment, strengthening connections with local communities, and providing a high quality, safe experience for every visitor (manuhiri) who arrives. Qualmark’s sustainability criteria have gained official recognition from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) — the international body that sets the global benchmark for sustainable tourism — meaning our Gold Tier accreditation is not just a New Zealand standard, but a globally verified one.

For us, sustainability has never been a box to tick. It is woven into the way we run Pīhopa — from the heritage trees we protect and the native plantings we tend, to the relationships we hold with local producers, suppliers, and our wider Nelson community. We are carbon positive certified, a signatory of the Tiaki Promise, a Kaitaiki member of the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary and committed to ensuring that this remarkable corner of New Zealand remains just as beautiful for future generations as it is today.

We know that more and more travellers — from New Zealand and from around the world — care deeply about how they travel, not just where they go. The Qualmark Gold Tier is our commitment to you: that choosing Pīhopa is a choice you can feel genuinely good about.

Alongside our Qualmark accreditation, Pīhopa Retreat is honoured to also hold a perfect 10/10 on Booking.com, TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best, and recognition from Condé Nast Traveller in both the UK and US. Each of these reflects something a little different — but all of them are grounded in the same thing: the experience of being at Pīhopa, and the care our team brings to every single stay.