“Being in hospitality is great. We get a kick, a real buzz out of it,” says Andrew Griffith, one half of the husband-and-wife team who run Astelia Lodge near tourist hotspot Rotorua, a luxury B&B that has hosted globe-trotting meteorologists, filmmakers, and even industrial robot designers. Originally from the UK, the Griffiths moved to New Zealand after their own extensive travels with a vision for offering visitors high quality accommodation. By capping the number of visitors at any given time to just four, Astelia Lodge is able to ensure that all guests have an unforgettable stay tailor-made to their interests.

Since most people research and book their holidays online, having a website is a no-brainer. But how do you do justice to such a rich experience on a website? That’s a tall order, one that hasn’t always been easy. To accurately convey the B&B requires the ability to update content, as menus and seasonal activities are an important part of the Astelia Lodge experience. But the original website was difficult to keep current. Updates could only be performed by the site provider, which entailed additional cost each time. The result? “It quickly became aged. It became static over time. There’s nothing worse than coming back to a static website.” The search was on for a new website, one that could be kept up-to-date with a minimum of fuss.
Andrew initially tried out a few other well-known options, but it wasn’t until he came across Rocketspark that he found the right fit for Astelia Lodge. Being a New Zealand-based company was a major asset. He had experimented with offshore website options before, but being able to communicate easily and directly with a local firm has proven to be a big plus for Andrew.