We had the misfortune to book at this "Lodge " for one night . Cost - Room only basis $630NZD .On arrival mid afternoon, we found a gracious old home situated in a beautiful position overlooking a beautiful lake. A middle aged woman (Housekeeper ) greeted us - no concierge , in fact no other staff , in fact no staff at all as the housekeeper did not stay at the property . Interior of the house is dated , bedroom very average - no TV , no bath , cannot open the windows because of the sandflies/ mosquitos (we were still badly bitten during the night )
and then the news - no dining room , no cook or chef , no room service , no food - nada .In other words if you do not want to drive the 40Km to Murchison - tough - go to bed without dinner - which we did .
What did we get for $630 - a bog standard B class hotel room , no service at all , an adequate breakfast (nothing special) and nothing else
Why would you stay here ? I have no idea.
I thought the days of the great NZ rip off were over (there are so many outstanding resorts of world class quality now in NZ )but clearly this is not the case
Avoid this place
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Absolutely fabulous place to stay, exceptionally comfortable room, exquisite food, wonderful host and magnificent views of the mountains and lake. Wonderful walking tracks close by and definitely the best quad biking experience I have been on in NZ. Thank you Bill
The welcome we received at Lake Rotoroa was amazing. The lodge is set in the most stunning of locations and Bill and his staff cannot do enough to make your stay memorable. Our room was so comfortable with stunning views over the lake. My husband spent the time fly fishing with one of the guides and said it was a unique experience and one of the best. Bill organised for the rest of our party of 4 to go Quad biking around the farm which was great fun. There are also wonderful walks around the lake and a water taxi to help you to explore. I had the most wonderful time with my camera. The chef at The Lodge provides the most delicious dinners each evening together with packed lunches. It was an unforgettable stay and all 4 of us loved every minute of it. Karen S
We spent 3 nights at the lodge and it was sublime. The historic building is lovely but they have all of the modern conveniences that you would need. The view is spectacular and we had it from our oversized room and from our dinning room table . The food is chef driven and ample . Lunches were made for us on the days that we fished and hiked. Richard was our guide and he was wonderful in spotting the fish and helping us land them. Bill and Jenny were the best and our evening chats over sport events were delightful. A whole menu of activities to partake in is available even if you are not fisher people. Go for the ambiance , the food, the wine and to step back into time.
We have been to NZ four times in the last three years, but unfortunately did not stay at Lake Rotoroa Lodge until our third trip. We liked it so much we returned only nine months later. If you are going to NZ to fish, tour the wine country, bird watch, or just enjoy the scenery consider adding LRL to your itinerary. LRL is a comfortable old lodge (many dead animal heads on the walls), but the facilities are up to date. Large attractive rooms, unbelievable views. There is a nice bar, and stately dining room. Meals are served at large tables. While the facilities are superb, the real attraction is the Kiwi contingent managing LRL, cooking the meals, and guiding the fishermen. On arrival you will be greeted by either Brent or Sharleen who run the place for a Pennsylvania company. The food is sublime. Dean and Jo, the chefs, are world class. Great Kiwi wine list. The fishing guides are some of the best in NZ, with deserved international reputations. The fishing is on public water, but I have never encountered another fisherman. Some of the guests can be a bore at dinner, but that is not a fault of the lodge. It ain't cheap, but it is worth the price.