Rumor has it that our B&B on Chestnut Lane was used to host a member of the cast during the filming of the Hobbit, but that was not the best part of our stay. The hosts, Kathleen and John are the nicest and most accommodating people we have ever stayed with. Regardless of our request, they found a way to help. The welcome freshly baked scones were a nice touch.

The property offers two exceptionally good options. Stay in the very cute cottage, adjacent to the house, and have your own private retreat or stay in one of the two bedrooms on the first floor or the main house. Our friends and their daughter enjoyed the cottage and my honey, Edie, and I stayed in the house with the private bedroom and bathroom with tub next to our room. Regardless of your choice either option is excellent. We even watched a Lord of the Rings movie on their home theatre system with the warmth from the fireplace in the background.

A fully cooked hot breakfast, good WiFi, off street parking, and the use of their family room is part of the deal. The house and cottage are first class construction and immaculately clean. We stay at lots of five star properties and this may be our best stay ever thanks to the hosts. Book directly with Kathleen for the best rates and pay in NZD cash to avoid any extra charges.

Chestnut Lane may be the perfect location for an extended stay in the area because there is so much to see and do. The Hobbiton movie set is down the road, the ocean is 40 minutes away, and Rotorua and the thermal activity is a day trip. Excellent hosts with fairly priced superior accommodations are rare, so I wished we would have stayed longer so we didn’t need to move our bags.

We had the most amazing time with Kathleen in her beautiful home! When you book (which you should) you should CALL OR EMAIL directly. You can't book her on Tripadvisor and I thought that her place was originally booked but it wasn't. Make sure to reach out with her contact information directly.

Also she takes cash or a bank transfer so best to plan for that.

Kathleen is the kindest host and genuinely loves taking care of her guests. She even brought us special cookies since we checked in on Anzac Day. Breakfast and afternoon scones were just perfect and we enjoyed chatting with her with a bottle of wine in her gorgeous gazebo while the sun set. The cottage is spacious, the bed is comfortable and it has everything you would need.

Make sure to ask her about what it was like during the filming of the Hobbit movie. (-:

One of the best places we have stayed during a holiday!

We really enjoyed our stay at the cottage as Kathleen and John really made us feel at home. The cottage is nicely decorated with a beautiful view, giving a tranquil feel. The afternoon treat of yummy scones and cookies was a wonderful surprise and my two young boys really enjoyed them. The breakfast was also really special as Julie made us feel at ease in her dining room while she cooked delicious breakfast. Thank you for a wonderful and memorable stay!!

While we have stayed at a number of hotels, we don’t often stay at a bed and breakfast. What a great experience! The cottage is beautiful and had all the conveniences of home with the “away” fun of a hotel. Kathleen and John were perfect hosts and made us feel so welcome! The warm scones when we arrived were amazing! The view from the back porch of the cottage is so tranquil. We appreciated the ample closet space, luggage racks, fan, and hair dryer in the cottage. Everything we needed for a terrific stay was provided. The blackout curtains in the bedroom were especially wonderful as well. Breakfasts were plentiful and delicious. We had a bit of rainy weather when we visited and ended up completely soaked after a hike. With a flight scheduled for the following day, we would have been in real trouble had Kathleen not generously allowed use of her dryer! Thank you again! As others have noted, the Cottage is very close to Hobbiton. This is especially convenient if you have an early morning tour or the evening dinner tour. The stay was truly wonderful, don’t hesitate, book now! Thank you, Kathleen and John!

Kathleen and John made us feel right at home. The property is beautiful, clean, tidy, and comfortable. We enjoyed our stay, and would definitely like to stay again.

Breakfast was delicious, and we really appreciated the bottle of bubbly for our wedding night.

Thank you.