On arrival was left waiting at an empty reception, our room wasn't ready and they had no services (cafe Bar) open at two in the afternoon so we were instructed to go for a walk across the road and get a coffee. This is supposed to be 4-5 stars here.
After 30 minutes returned and was ignored for ten minutes as the reception staff were on calls.
Finally have room key and nobody can help us with our bags.
Arrived in room...far below average, old scratched tiny.
Slow internet, zero snacks or minibar.
Went to the Hotel restaurant (the only thing operating here) and again waited to be seated and quickly ignored.
The restaurant as well as the rest of this hotel is severely understaffed.
It is not covid or personnel shortages, it is cost cutting by the hotels.
the staff that were here were clearly doing their best considering the unfair workloads they were under.
One chef in kitchen
Restaurant seats 100
Got our food as these poor stressed staff rushed about, not a pleasant environment to see people treated this way.
Food was awful but what can we expect from one person stuck in a kitchen with all these tables waiting.
Back to room.
Not even a bottle of water in the fridge to drink (not drinking tap in Rotorua.
had to leave the premises for drinking water as after going downstairs they offered me a jug of tap.
These companies are charging for 5 star service and not offering it.
The staff are copping it, they have to work.
We know these are hard times because of covid etc, but if you cant do it right, just stop.
The Big companies are not absorbing the loss, they are passing it on to their staff and customers.

Thank you for reading

Grrrrrrr

On our way home to Auckland after three months in the South Island we decided to stop over in Rotorua. That night we decided to have our evening meal in the Millennium restaurant.
We were immediately made to feel very welcome.
We were given a table by the cosy fireplace and ordered our g and t's.
We chose our meals and were very happy with them. The steak was cooked to perfection, and the chicken roulade was delicious.
We finished our meal with a fondant and tiramisu. Both were equally great.
We were so happy with our dining experience we decided to return to the restaurant the following evening.
We were greeted by the same friendly hostess from the previous evening and asked if we'd like to have the same aperitif we'd had last night.
This time my husband ordered the chicken roulade and I chose a lighter meal, dumplings soup. It was very tasty.
We finished our meal with a light and delicious sticky date pudding.
We will definitely be back next time we're in Rotorua, not only for the great food but also the lovely people who work there.
Well done!

Our room was adequately sized for our needs and the bed was very comfortable.
We would have preferred a shower cubicle or walk in rather than an over bath one but won't complain. Some of the fittings are starting to look a bit dated (such as tarnished towel rails and chipped paint on doors frame) so it would benefit from replacing them and also upgrading to LED lighting.
Overall it was a nice stay and the included breakfast was very good.
Location is great for walking and it's really close to the Polynesian Spa.
The restaurant was a let down and i have reviewed it separately.