Hilton Lake Taupo

We liked the dining room and the people working there, and the hotel itself was nice. But it’s a bit of a trek from the lake, and the customer service elsewhere in the hotel fell short. We’d booked months ahead and prepaid for a balcony room with a lake view. On arrival, they said we’d been “upgraded,” but the room we got looked onto the hill behind the hotel. Then we were told they were “sold out.” Very disappointing.

If you’re travelling with young kids, expect to need two rooms or a multi-bedroom suite. The website says children stay free using existing bedding, but doesn’t make the room requirements clear. We contacted them and cancelled before the deadline the day before, which was straightforward. We didn’t want to pay $1,000 a night for two rooms when a luxury Airbnb was $300 a night.

The front desk service was excellent, and they managed to let us check in surprisingly early. That meant we could leave our bags, get settled briefly, and head out for our lake cruise. I can’t say whether that would be possible in high season. Our junior suite was in a recently refreshed section, with new furnishings and fixtures that made it feel like a model apartment. The mountain views from the back were lovely, and I imagine the front-facing suites look out over Lake Taupo. This Hilton has more architectural charm than most, even if it isn’t a boutique hotel. Even the welcome note was genuinely hand-lettered. Breakfast was the usual Hilton spread: fruit, health shots, smoothies, breads, charcuterie, pastries, cereals, antipasti, yogurt, specialty coffee, tea, and hot dishes for an extra charge.

The room was dirty and worn, with sticky surfaces, stained carpet, and walls marked by scratches, discoloration, and poor patching. The bathroom had mould, the shower head was broken, and the bed sagged and was very uncomfortable. I also didn’t feel safe: someone could reach the private balcony by the staircase at any time, and the room couldn’t be fully secured because the doors to other rooms served as emergency exits and opened during alarms, even false ones. After three weeks on the road, every motel we’d stayed in had been cleaner and better maintained. This was extremely disappointing for a Hilton, and I can’t recommend it.