Waingaro Hotel
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About

#1 of 1 small hotel in Port Waikato
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Rooms
4.5 of 5 bubbles
Value
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Cleanliness
4.7 of 5 bubbles
Service
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HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Charming

Location

Main Road, Port Waikato, Auckland New Zealand

Reviews
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Detailed Reviews
stephenf71 wrote a review Jul 2020
Auckland Central, New Zealand
+1
5.0 of 5 bubbles
With Covid19 almost over...its great for countryside locations like Waingaro Hotel and Restaurant north of Hamilton and inland from Ngaruawahia making sure that the food and overall hospitality experience for visitors from far and wide..delivers on providing nutrious and affordable great country plated food with an abundance of relaxing to be enjoyed by all who visit. After a days hiking at the nearby Hakarimata Walkway that stretches from Huntly to Ngaruawahia..our large group of 33 adults from Auckland, were certainly very pleased we stopped by for dinner at Waingaro Hotel and Restaurant next door to the Waingaro Hot Springs which are under new management..and are located next door..Lloyd and his wife at Waingaro Hotel and Restaurant provided our group with hearty delicious food from their kitchen that had us all served within the hour..a worthy achievement after a busy day before our group arrived on Saturday evening to eat prior to the locals arriving for the Blues against Hurricanes game ... Ordering from the bar when we arrived..locals drinking were friendly and we then had the use of their lounge and large restaurant next door for several hours in a quiet area away from TV screens and the banter of those drinking next door. The selection of food that came from the big kitchen for my friends was outstanding..Big burgers that needed a knife and fork to eat..Salads with Fish, Steak (how you desired)..and lots of extras..I particularly enjoyed my huge stack of freshly made corn cakes with a pile high of delicious bacon..I could have sworn it was locally cured..Several of my friends were vegetarian so they had kumara rosti and equally yummy salads..all served on white plates. Lloyd and his team were clearing our emptied plates ..while more drinks arrived and we relaxed . So yeah..with the Waingaro Hot Pools next door and the relaxing experience of that..it felt like heaven to have delicious food afterwards at Waingaro Hotel and Restaurant..with the smiles returning to our faces we thanked Waingaro for a fantastic evening experience of Hot Pools and Food..and glorious rural hospitality that connects the heart and soul..and we returned to Auckland very satisfied..feeling a whole lot better..
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katherine P wrote a review Feb 2024
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Great food, friendly service and a laugh and a half with the locals. Awesome, down to earth place with salt of the earth company.
Lloyd behind the bar was professional yet welcoming. Neat place to head after a dip in the hot pool, especially if you’re after a beer, game of pool and some banter.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lyndylu45 wrote a review Jun 2022
Rotorua, New Zealand
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Went there for a meal and a drink and ended up meeting the lovely Lloyd and made to feel very welcome by him and the locals who were there for a week night catch up.
Also loved the sweetcorn fritter meal which was enough for me. Got to be part of the monthly draw as he needed someone to pull out the numbers so that was fun. :)
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Date of stay: June 2022
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Proud Kiwi wrote a review Jan 2020
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Don’t let the website images fool you. My best advice is don’t bother with the effort to get there. It’s in the middle of nowhere and very unwelcoming. The lack of signage from the main highway should have been a clue.

It is extremely tired and unkempt. Appears to be frequented by mostly locals including the added bonus of couple of guys stoned out of their minds in the carpark.

We opted not to pay the “family rate” of $52. Which equates to 4x$13 each for two adults and two teenagers. (The slide is an extra $6 per person) So no actual family rate. We assumed this was most likely due to us being white middle class. Which is also likely to be the reason for the lack of welcoming hospitality. Awesome for our tourism industry.

Certainly NOT a world class experience.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue C wrote a review Mar 2020
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Old hotel on a hill with nice outlook. Friendly staff and nice food. Lovely to sit outside on a sunny day having a beer even though furniture is a bit tired.
Good place to visit for bikers and traveller. Thermal springs next door.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tubbytankman wrote a review Dec 2015
Hamilton, New Zealand
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Located in the rural village of Waingaro, west of Ngaruawahia on Waingaro Rd or via SH22, the best little rural pub in the Waikato was built in 1885 after hot springs were discovered. While under the management of hosts Lloyd & Mary, the pub has flourished, sadly the hot springs pools next door have not (they were closed by the council) which is a pity as we used to go for a swim in the hot pools as kids like so many thousands of others.
Those with good memories will recall the pub was used as the venue for the iconic Waikato Draught chainsaw ad on TV, back in the day before the PC brigade took over NZ & you could still advertise beer.
Inside the pub is full of nostalgic pieces-and that's just the patrons and you can view images of when Waingaro was a thriving timber and stockyards town.
There's 3 menus on offer & the best thing about them is you get wot you order, a bloody decent meal where salad is a garnish not a university bloody art exam on a plate. So if you order stake egg & chips, that's what you'll get.
The accommodation's good to and you can sit on the deck and watch the classic cars and motorbikes pull in, the pub's a favourite for touring groups. When we went today the car park had a classic Morrie Minor ute, a 60 something Chevie and a couple of classic military vehicles. Give it ago, you never know, the bugger next door may even get the flaming pools next door up& running one day.
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Date of stay: December 2015
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Rooms are on the north side, are tidy & comfortable, just wot u want in a country pub
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vikki wrote a review Mar 2020
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Lloyd and Mary are the best hosts we’ve had by far
We mingled with the locals on Friday night watched the rugby and the cricket
Mary cooked us an amazing meal
Saturday we had a soak in the hot pools next door
We will definitely be back
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maggiespringer wrote a review Aug 2016
Hamilton, New Zealand
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Lloyd and Mary are great hosts. We go often for a very cheap dinner. If you are lucky enough to get the Salmon, the generous portion shames many a main st eatery. For a very good trusted regular, the steak sandwhich fits the bill. Good waikato Draught on ap, and lloyd usually has enetertainment on at the bar. Good Pool table, and darts are avalaible behind the bar. A classic Kiwi country pub.
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Date of stay: August 2016
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
2.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Have the Salmon if avalaible, otherwise the Steak sandwhich is very good
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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maggiespringer wrote a tip Aug 2016
Hamilton, New Zealand61 contributions11 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"Have the Salmon if avalaible, otherwise the Steak sandwhich is very good"
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Tubbytankman wrote a tip Dec 2015
Hamilton, New Zealand172 contributions44 helpful votes
4.0 of 5 bubbles
"Rooms are on the north side, are tidy & comfortable, just wot u want in a country pub"
Read full review
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LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandAucklandPort Waikato
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WAINGARO HOTEL | Reviews (Port Waikato, New Zealand) - Tripadvisor