Kangaroo Island’s iconic Southern Ocean Lodge has been named ‘Hideaway of the Year’ in the 2012 Grand Awards issue of Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report.
James and Hayley Baillie, the hands-on owners and designers of the property, said they were delighted with this result.
“To receive this endorsement from an esteemed luxury travel reviewer such as Andrew Harper is every hotelier’s ideal,” they said. “That Mr Harper travels incognito to the far corners of the planet and experiences the most luxurious in travel reinforces that what we have to offer at Southern Ocean Lodge is truly special.
“We’d further like to congratulate the terrific team at Southern Ocean Lodge, which brings a delicate balance of professionalism and personality to make each guest’s stay an unforgettable experience.”
South Australia’s Acting Minister for Tourism Russell Wortley said the award was a significant recognition for travel in his state.
“For Southern Ocean Lodge to take top honours gives the property one of the highest stamps of approval available in the global luxury travel market, and means we can expect more high-yield international travellers visiting South Australia and Kangaroo Island in the future,” he said.
“Despite this international reputation, research shows that nearly half of interstate travellers to South Australia have little or no awareness of Kangaroo Island as a destination.
“To address this, the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) is making the island the star attraction in this year’s multi-million dollar domestic tourism campaign,” Wortley said.
Based in New York, Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report is a quarterly luxury travel review available to all members of the exclusive Andrew Harper Club and is considered one of the most respected publications in luxury travel.