This was a great hotel to stay at in Taupo! The check-in staff were helpful and friendly. The hotel…read moreoffers very spacious hotel rooms with a full sitting area, two tv's, balcony with patio furniture, heated towel rack in the bathroom, mini-fridge, coffee maker, tea kettle, and a geothermal spa and pool. The only downside was the free parking area was a bit congested since it is also the same parking area for the restaurant. The hotel does offer reserved underground parking spots for an extra $20 per day for guests.

I thoroughly enjoyed this hotel and amenities. I was upgraded as a diamond member and welcomed when…read moreI arrived. The staff were all very friendly and helpful answering all of my questions. My room was spacious and very comfortable. I loved the heated towel rack and and heated floor in the bathroom. The heated swimming pool was refreshing. The hot tub was very relaxing. They also had a sauna and steam room for your enjoyment. I ate dinner at the restaurant and breakfast two mornings. Everything was delicious. I highly recommend staying at this hotel when in Lake Taupo.

One of the nicest lakeside resorts we have ever stayed at in the US, Canada, or New Zealand. We…read morestopped here for the night and found this place wonderful. The staff was warm, friendly, and very helpful. The rooms had everything we could need. We had a multi-bedroom suite over the office with sweeping views of the lake. It was immaculately clean, with lovely facilities. We would absolutely stay again if we are ever in Taupo.

From the owner: The Anchorage Resort is a beautiful complex located right on the shores of NZ's largest body of…read morewater, Lake Taupo. The Anchorage Resort features 21 spacious units, which have recently been refurbished with new carpets, furniture, beds and a fresh coat of paint. We have a variety of room types from large studios to our amazing and luxurious 3 bedroom apartment. Our complex is also family friendly with our pool area recently receiving a spruce up including a new deck and with 2 heated pools and a heated plunge pool, we offer the perfect way for the family to relax and enjoy Taupo's amazing summer weather. We also have a spa and sauna area located within our common lounge and TV area, where the children can sit and watch movies or play games. We also offer free Wi-Fi, off-street parking and easy access to the lake just across the road from our motel. Whatever the occasion our resort can cater to your every need, and don't forget our delicious home cooked breakfasts which are available up request. You will not find a better place to stay at for that special family holiday this summer.

Beautiful relaxing spa, we had one of the private hot spring pools and it did not disappoint. The…read moreviews were spectacular and you have your own shower and it's also very private. We indulged in some massages and they were also amazing. Our visit included a fresh squeezed juice of your choice and that was delicious and refreshing. Overall a great experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lakefront pools. Each one was a different temperature and composition. I…read moresoaked in all of them. I had a wonderful 45 minute massage that was so relaxing. I highly recommend this spa when in Rotorua.

Not only is the City Lights Boutique Lodge situated at a perfect place with a beautiful view of…read moreRotorua - complete with lake, city and the occasional geyser. But the hosts, Angie and Leigh are also extremely welcoming, friendly and caring, providing a lot of tips on what to do in the area. We couldn't have asked for any better service during our unfortunately quite short stay. The Lodge itself is stylish, modern and clean on the outside and inside. Our room - Kiwi - had just the perfect size and amenities. Breakfast was also excellent, with plenty of nice things to choose from. As a bonus, some comic relief is provided by the very cute Alpacas, and a quite charming cat, Oscar. Really the only downside was the shortness of our stay, just one night. We certainly have to fix that next time we visit Rotorua, and the City Lights Boutique Lodge.

From the owner: B&B guests can relax in the large lounge which has air conditioning or a real fire for the colder…read moremonths or warm up in the sauna. Our self catering cottage and apartment both have air conditioning, garden and BBQ. B&B guests can enjoy a buffet style continental breakfast which features homemade muesli, yoghurts, fresh fruit and preserves and more! We offer free WiFi throughout the property and there is a large outdoor seating area, with a BBQ and hot tub, where guests can relax. We welcome the chance to help you make the most from your trip - bookings can be made by your hosts on request. We are here to assist you and help you make the most of your time in our beautiful city. We also have six pet alpacas and Oscar the cat - all guest friendly and love meeting new people!

I loved this charming hotel. It's the highest altitude hotel in New Zealand in Tongariro National…read morePark and Whakapapa Village with many trails to trek nearby. My bedroom was so cozy and comfortable with a double bed and even a place to warm your towels or hang your wet towels to dry. Both Llana and Tyson took excellent care of me answering all of my many questions, recommending things to do and places to see. I used their sauna both evenings as well as a 30 minute reservation in their pool spa both nights. I highly recommend doing both of these when you stay here. I also enjoyed dinner in their restaurant both nights with Kia serving me the first night and Emma serving me the second night. Everyone in their staff is very friendly and helpful with anything that you need. They do multiple jobs throughout this facility to make your stay comfortable. I also had the opportunity to meet one of the owners Kaz who was very pleasant and nice to meet. She explained the proper way to say Nguruhoe the name of the volcano that you see clearly from this place. I think that I need another lesson.... I'll have to return!

Rustic. You can hear everyone fighting or having sex on the same floor. But wow the view makes it…read moreall okay. Sitting outside w a pint (pick any local beer) surrounded by dozens of different accents and languages - it's heaven. We visited in December where the breeze was lovely and greeting hikers returning after a long trek was a treat. Breakfast hit where I got to try marmite (less is more) and real kiwi fruit.

Grand old lady of a hotel and wonderful to see many of the original features retained. The ground…read morefloor lobby/bar and ante rooms are the jewels. We spent a lovely evening sunken in deep couches in front of the fire. Had friends with us and met some nice people we chose to have drinks there and eat as well. Drink service very slow and erratic. Had to double sign when we got a second round with good so were concerned we'd been double charged ( we weren't but that wasn't explained well). Had chicken pizza which tasted and looked microwaved - blah at $26. Club sandwich with fries much better for friends. Rooms varied. In heritage block the bathrooms are dated but clean. Good beds but mattress protector under the topper pad so not so hygienic. Clean and comfortable though. Changed first room as was musty and only had double not king bed. Newer block at back have better bathrooms but less views. Had dinner 2nd night in Ruapehu Room. Very grand. Excellent food - we had lamb for two - delicious. Overall good value. Historic venue. Stunning views of mountain. Snowed overnight do that was a plus. Staff service could be a lot better.

I just absolutely adored this historical hotel: its old, quirky, vintage, has a few creaks, but you…read morestill got love how they've kept up this place to maintain the nostalgic charm of this "built in 1927" hotel...that's right, its a 92 year old building! It has the look and feel of the old grand hotels you'd see in a 1930s movie, like a all the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. I paid for the "Bed and Breakfast" package which cost me a reasonable $170US/night for Friday and Saturday. The luxurious and elegant room was spacious and romantic, and even came with a complimentary bottle of champagne from the manager to help us celebrate our 20th anniversary. Everything seemed new and pristine, but still had a touch of its classic heritage. The vast breakfast buffet in the mornings had a great variety of food selections and drinks. At night the main lobby and lounge area becomes a lovely social setting complete with a live pianist, classic pool table, and cocktails. Downstairs is a small but free cinema that plays six movies a day. The main restaurant serves good food with great service, and the side cafe is cheaper and just as good since it all comes from the same kitchen. Some folks will complain about the prices, but relative to America I'd say its a bit cheaper for level, especially for the wine! Not sure when I'll ever make it back to New Zealand, but I'd definitely love to stay here again!

Pampered or Punked?/Adventures in Spa Land…read more Comment: Let's start with what Villa Donna is not: it's not a villa Under the Tuscan Sun. It's not a resort. It's not what one might typically associate with a spa. Villa Donna consists of a single-story brick house in Tauriko. Just follow the sign set against a bicycle and head for the carport to get inside. Two friends and I have driven here from Tauranga for a day of pampering, combined with a cooking class. I'd encouraged my fellow running mates to spend $60 for a voucher on deal website Treat Me. http://treatme.co.nz/. The retreat was billed as a 'healing, relaxing, enlightening and fun day...' with '2-3 hours in the kitchen making and sampling ridiculously tasty food that's extremely good for you...' Two other women are waiting when we arrive. We'll have at least five hours from start to finish. We spend 45 minutes in the kitchen. We make no food. Instead, we listen to owner Donna Bodell tell us 80 percent of diseases are caused by eating acid-forming foods such as meat, sugar and dairy which promote inflammation. She says eating alkaline foods - vegetables, fruits, seeds, beans, nuts... can stop or reverse these conditions. Wasn't the acid-alkaline diet 2013's fad? Donna asks if it's okay if her dogs join us in the kitchen. Two fluffy Pomeranian-style pooches enter from the pantry. One of them jumps up beside me on the couch and starts pawing. Donna tells us running will eventually ruin joints. "Those marathoners are crazy. I always ask if they're running to something, or running from something," she says. My friend replies, "Actually, the three of us are in a running club. We all run marathons." Donna continues, undeterred: "If a client wants a running plan, I send her to a friend up the road. I won't do it." She delivers a five-minute rhapsody about food steamers before serving us steamed pumpkin and broccoli mixed with chick pea curry she squeezes from a packet. "I bought these two for five dollars," she says. I duck into a 1970's or 80's-style bathroom to use the toilet. Cobwebs dangle from the ceiling and a slightly damp bath-sized towel hangs from a rod by the sink. I wipe my hands on my jeans. For the next part of our pampering day, we can choose an hour sauna and spa or personal training session. We try the sauna first. Next, we step into the spa pool, where a brown film clings just beneath whirling white bubbles. I snap a picture as we ponder the gunk's origin. "Maybe they don't use chemicals, and it's natural, like what washes up from the sea?" asks my friend, Paula, with hope in her voice. Our pampering day ends with a 45-minute massage. Donna and her husband, Gordon, take turns massaging the five of us. My friends are wary of man massage. I've been kneaded by at least a dozen therapists, about a quarter of whom were men. I volunteer for Gordon. His business card says, 'Body Wizard.' Gordon asks me if I have any trouble spots. I mention a dodgy shoulder and say my legs are tight, thanks to running. "Oh, I hate running," says Gordon. "It's great," I insist. "I got out on the beach before sunrise this morning at low tide and it was beautiful." "Well, joy to the f***ing world," says Gordon. Do they teach that at massage school? Instruct your client to lay face down with her head in the cradle and say 'f***.' A lot. Gordon searches the cause of my sore shoulder, first around my neck, then, in my forearm. "Bingo," he says. Then, "F***, yeah." I stop counting after eight 'f****s.' I have a three (spoken) 'f***' massage maximum. Any more than that, and I'll out you. Like this. "Alright, beautiful. I'm going to hold the towel up and have you roll over," says Gordon. He ends with a head and neck massage, pauses at the end, then says, "You are beautiful. Take your time getting up." Beautiful, like in a Zen 'life is beautiful way,' right? A Buddha figure sits atop a corner desk. Four-foot-tall Shrek and Donkey plush toys adorn another corner. Siddhartha and DreamWorks are battling for my mind. Or my body. I quickly pull the robe back on and Gordon re-enters the room. "I want to see if I can fix that shoulder, once and for all." He steps behind me and asks if the robe is closed at the front. It is. "Good," he says. "You know, this job would be a hell of a lot easier if I were blind or gay." He kneads my shoulder, then kneels before me, his palm parallel to mine. I'm guessing he thinks he's channeling some kind of energy. "Bingo," he says. "F***, yeah." My dodgy shoulder got some relief that day. Still, I question the wisdom of spending $60 and five hours with strangers at their home in the boondocks. At least my friends and I have something to laugh about. Joy to the f***ing world. (read the unedited post here): http://pickendawn.blogspot.co.nz/2014_06_01_archive.html

Nice pool at a good price. We enjoyed the sauna and steam room. What's there not to like?read more

Wonderful, relaxing setting. A variety of pools ranging from 37-41C. Some are covered which…read moreprovided coverage from sun and rain. Clean and well maintained. Take the walk up to the spring to see where the hot water starts. Another tip: do buy a piece of the carrot cake to go. Make on site and delicious! Enjoy!

This is a wonderful facility with well-maintained hot pools, situated right next to the hot spring…read morewith the largest discharge of boiling water in New Zealand. Service there was excellent too. Staff are friendly. The iced chocolate is delightful. The private pool option is worth trying as well.

After a tire blowout the day before on our NZ cycling adventure, we hobbled our way from Taupo to…read moreTurangi and made it to the Thermal Pools on Christmas Day when it was closed. So never actually made it into the pools, but walked around the area, saw the bubbling thermal ponds. The best part was deciding to take a swim in the cold river below. Once we found a thermal hot spot, it's a relaxing place to sit and relax on the borderline of the river and hot spot. Be careful when walking along the edges of the thermal hot spots, the mud becomes very hot and will burn your feet. I had the idea of giving myself a mud bath, took the thermal hot mud and started covering my body. Definitely have to be careful picking up a handful of the hot thermal mud.