The Origins of Haka Hotels

Established in 2007, Haka Hotels and the wider Haka Tourism Group are owned by The Sanders Whānau Trust, which was established to a provide a financial platform for future tourism-based family projects as well as providing a support mechanism for whānau members when in need. The wider Sanders whānau is of British, Kāi Tahu, Tūwharetoa and Tainui descent.

Today, the Haka Tourism Group incorporates nine separate businesses and employs over 150 people and is one of New Zealand’s fastest growing and most awarded tourism brands.

Our Commitment to New Zealand’s Unique culture and our heritage

Proudly New Zealand owned and operated, and continually seeking to inform ourselves and our guests about best cultural practice in relation to the Maori culture, Haka Tourism Group conducts the following cultural based initiatives:

• We always look for ways to honour and respect cultural traditions and process. Our Haka Lodges and Haka Hotels are opened with a pōwhiri from the local iwi as well as a karakia (blessing). You can see pics of the opening and our Taupō Lodge here.
• We employ a Māori Cultural Advisor, Eru, whose role is to develop our team’s cultural capability and knowledge, review our internal processes and protocols.
• We believe that no visit to New Zealand is complete without an encounter with our indigenous culture, which is why the cultural education we weave into our tours is non-negotiable. Our sightseeing and adventure tour guests can learn to paddle a waka (Māori canoe), learn to carve a pendant from greenstone and bone, stay at a marae, eat a hangi, learn the myths and legends that are a cornerstone of Māori culture and a whole host of other experiences.
• Cultural based understanding and experiences always underpin our customer experience.

Find out why we are called Haka on our parent company, Haka Tour’s website, and learn more about our initiatives to honour and promote the Māori culture of New Zealand, including the Māori Tour Manager Scholarship we launched in 2018.