Staff was friendly but the hotel is in poor physical shape. Missing bulbs, loose door handles and a discolored toilet. No hooks in the bathroom.
Location was compelling 2hr drive from AKL and near caves, hot springs etc. but if itinerary permits, I would suggest staying in Rotorua instead.
the room was very clean. We have stayed here before and were curious as to what had been done. The new owners have only recently taken over and they certainly have their work cut out. The hotel has great potential and we are happy someone is doing it up. If you are planning to stay be aware it is a work site and does not have all the amenities of a hotel, but the owners and staff are friendly the rooms are clean and the beds comfortable. we had dinner in the bistro which was good we were able to purchase wine and beer from across the road as they do not serve alcohol. we will visit again to see how they progress.
Double room small but expected that. Noisy from the main road traffic. Recommend high bedside cabinets (the one cabinet too low and small), having flannels would have been good (none provided), replace high hard pillows with softer ones (suggest bring your own pillows). Although undergoing renovations the upstairs looks ok, suggest tidying up the reception area to match. Shower was my highlight, good flow and coukd control the temperature, always a plus if can do that.
The man at the desk was great. The hotel was completely run down and looked to be under construction. The bar next door blared music until 1am ⊠loudly!
There was an open drink and food in the fridge. The room did not seem secure. The curtains didnât cover all of the windows so we had light coming in all night.
This is not a family friendly place and I would not recommend staying here until renovations have been finished.
The staff were nice. No one was there for check-in so we had to phone and wait for 20 minutes. The entry is beautiful but the room walls need scraping and painting. The room and bed were very clean. They are trying very hard to improve and upgrade so they need more customers.
Room was neglected, still had hair and spiders in the shower, no face washers, toilet seat falls on you, bed was hard as a rock, couple in next room were fighting very bad slamming doors and swearing Loudly at 7am made us completely uncomfortable that caused major disruption in our stay.
Tea and coffee provided but no little milk?? Whole place needs some major work
Beautiful old place
Renovations coming along nicely
Good shower
Looking forward to visiting again
Donât expect luxury - but a clean, no fuss bed for the night
What a place, and not in the best way!
Built in 1952 for the Queen's inauguration and for her to stay in, she never ended up staying here however and I think I can see why, probably in 1952 it was still a dump.
We stayed in a regular room that felt more like an SRO than a hotel room.
Yes it was clean however it was super, super dated! Obviously no renovations have been done since it was built.
I would not stay here again.
My son and I stayed here after going to Hobbiton and making our way to Rotorua. When we arrived we thought the hotel was abandoned. I didn't see any cars parked here and it was dark. The front doors were locked. The front desk attendant then came out after we knocked and he was nice enough. He waited until we arrived at 9pm after messaging him (front desk hours closed at 6pm). He gave us a key and told us where to park. I asked him if the hotel was haunted and he laughed. It was a very creepy place. Run down, paint peeling off the walls and ceiling. It did not seem like anyone was staying there. The room was bare bones and not the like the pictures. It was quiet and it did the job as far as sleeping there but it was unsettling as well. I later learned it is under renovation but I didn't see anything like that. Would I stay there again? No, I don't think so. And usually I can handle your basic run down motel but not this one. Luckily it was only one night.
The entranceway was in disrepair, the inner sanctum of the door completely shattered, with frosted glass offering little privacy. The state of the room was revolting, littered with cigarette butts and an ashtray tucked under the bed, a clear indication of inadequate cleaning which is utterly unacceptable. Seeking restitution for this dreadful ordeal, as a warning to others, an honest review may be necessary. This lodging is comparable to a penitentiary and even with compensation, I would not subject myself to such conditions again. Numerous health and safety hazards pose a serious concern within these walls.