Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort

The lift to the second floor was much appreciated, and the hotel is in the Holden Reserve area near a small beach, about a 5-10 minute drive from the CBD. We were upgraded to a superior suite for our 40th anniversary, and the room had a balcony overlooking the pool. The separate bedroom's king bed was extremely comfortable. The kitchenette had a kettle, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate packets, but no toaster. There's an onsite restaurant open Tuesday to Sunday, so I suppose they want guests eating there. We didn't use the pool or hot tub, and the large spa tub in our room was filthy. The hotel is somewhat run down. They warned us about thousands of tiny bugs and advised turning off lights and closing the blackout curtains so they wouldn't bother us. It was fine for the price we paid.

The chef deserves a lot of credit, the food was so yummy. We had one dinner and one breakfast at the restaurant. Staff were friendly, helpful, and happy to assist with our requests, and we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at WaiOra, as some not so great reviews had made me a little anxious. The sauna and spa pools are well used and could use some TLC. The sauna needs holes sealed, and some spa jets need repair. We still made the most of our time. I was disappointed we didn't get the 10% off our meals promised in our booking agreement on booking.com. We only noticed after checkout, when we were already on our way to our daily activity. Reception staff should pay closer attention to booking conditions. Otherwise, I recommend it for a relaxing, romantic getaway.

The food was delicious, but we were served the same thing despite ordering two different dishes. Nobody told us when the kitchen was closing, and when we asked for dessert at 9:02pm, they refused because it was after 9pm. Only then did we notice how quiet the restaurant was. We wanted to spend more and left at 9:05pm, baffled. Ice cream doesn't need cooking. It felt like the staff were focused on getting home on time rather than serving customers or earning money for the business. We'd suggest dining elsewhere.

The staff were the sweetest part of our two great nights. They made us feel so welcome during meals and even shared tips on things to discover around Rotorua. We celebrated our engagement here and loved the spacious accommodation and the lovely lake view. We had dinner and breakfast both days, and the meals and drinks were very tasty. Sitting near the open doors overlooking the pool and lake was wonderful. We'd love to come back on our next NZ trip!