Booking.com has launched its first-ever one-of-a-kind holiday home in New Zealand: The Kina Cottage. Nestled on the stunning Tutukākā Coast, this luxury clifftop stay includes a private mermaid pool, ocean-to-table dining by top Kiwi chef Kia Kanuta, and a hands-on kina diving experience to help combat reef destruction. One lucky guest and their plus-one will score the entire three-night experience for just $20.11 – but you’ll have to be quick when bookings open on October 23!
Picture this: You’ve scored a once-in-a-lifetime escape to a remote clifftop cottage where you’ve been diving for your own seafood – and then one of Aotearoa’s top chefs has turned into a gourmet feast.
Dreams CAN come true, kids – but you’ll have to be in quick!
A heads up on a very cool competition via booking.com – they’ve launched its very first one-of-a-kind holiday home experience in New Zealand and honestly, it might be one of the coolest (and most delicious) travel experiences we’ve seen. Say hello to The Kina Cottage: a luxe, oceanfront hideaway perched above the Tutukākā coastline in Northland, where one lucky guest and their chosen plus-one will get to spend three unforgettable nights eating, exploring, and helping the planet at the same time.
Why is this all about kina? Well, aside from being a delicacy in Japan, China, Korea and of course right here in Aotearoa, kina (that spiky sea urchin with a bright orange centre) is now at the heart of a growing environmental issue. In Northland especially, there’s an overabundance of kina wreaking havoc on local reefs. These little guys are overgrazing the underwater landscape, creating what scientists call ‘kina barrens’ – basically areas where the kelp forests have been munched into non-existence. It’s a serious ecological challenge, and one that marine experts are trying to fix by encouraging the sustainable removal (and eating!) of kina.
That’s where this unique Booking.com stay comes in. They’ve teamed up with legendary Kiwi chef Kia Kanuta – known for his modern take on Māori cuisine and mad seafood skills – to create a one-off travel experience that’s all about honouring the ocean, protecting the environment, and making our mouths water. During the stay, the chosen guests will head out on the water with local dive team Dive Now to sustainably hand-harvest kina from the coastline. Their fresh catch will then be transformed into a multi-course dinner by Kia himself, right back at the cottage – ocean to plate in the most delicious way possible.
Kia says the experience hits close to home. “Some of my fondest memories are of school holidays spent gathering kina with my whānau, enjoying them fresh from the ocean. Those experiences shaped my love for ingredients that connect cuisine and culture. Teaming up with Booking.com on the Kina Cottage experience is meaningful to me because it brings together kaimoana, tradition, and the chance to share New Zealand’s coastal flavours with the world.”
But the stay isn’t just about food (although, let’s be real, the food sounds epic). The Kina Cottage itself is pure Northland luxury – a private clifftop haven complete with its own vineyard, olive grove, panoramic ocean views, and a deck that’s basically made for enjoying kina with a glass of wine in hand. And yes, the rumours are true, there’s also a private mermaid pool on-site. With a resident octopus. As if this place wasn’t magical enough?!
The prize includes return flights (domestic or international, depending on where the winner is) car rental or transfers, daily breakfast and snacks from local producers, and all the kina you can responsibly harvest. And if you win it, the whole thing will cost just $20.11, in honour of Booking.com’s founding year. That’s it. Twenty bucks. For all of it.
It’s a pretty timely experience too. According to Booking.com’s 2025 Travel and Sustainability report, 67% of Kiwis want to leave the places they visit better than they found them. And with more than half of travellers now looking for food-focused getaways (and even farm or ocean-to-table experiences), this stay hits all the marks: sustainability, culture, luxury and kai.
If you’re keen, make sure your fingers are ready, because this is a one-time-only booking opportunity. The Kina Cottage stay will be available to book globally from 12pm NZDT on October 23, 2025, and it’s first come, first served. The actual stay will take place from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 November, so start prepping your out-of-office email now.