Millennium Hotel and Resort Manuels Taupō

The lake view was great, but the hotel room felt dated. The carpet was wavy and loose, and the bathroom seemed old too, with a horribly noisy, buzzing exhaust fan. When the bathroom light was on, the plastic fan clicked against something, and the tile was extremely slippery in socks. The bigger frustration came after we got back from a lake boat cruise a few minutes after 9pm on a Friday in peak summer. After a long day, I wanted two brownie-and-ice-cream desserts. Room service had stopped at 9, though the restaurant and bar signage said dinner was served until 9:30. I went over before 9:10 and saw a waiter carrying soft drinks to another room. Nobody acknowledged me for a couple of minutes, so I asked a passing server if I could order the desserts to take back to my room and get a drink while waiting. The server checked with what seemed to be the shift manager, who shook her head. I was told the kitchen had closed, even for those desserts, but drinks were available until 9:30. At 9:23, I called reception, which is right by the restaurant, to ask when the kitchen closed. They said probably soon. I explained I'd been told over ten minutes earlier it was already closed, even for pre-baked or frozen desserts. Reception seemed confused and unaware. I pointed out there were still several people eating and half-jokingly said they probably couldn't order dessert either. The receptionist half-heartedly laughed and agreed. Nobody apologized or said they'd fix the menus, websites, or plaques, or talk with restaurant staff. The timing and policies between reception and the restaurant seemed very disorganized, especially at that time of year. It didn't seem like much trouble to serve hotel guests two brownies and two scoops of ice cream for $36.

We had a really enjoyable stay with friends. We got there a few hours before check-in, and the staff let the kids use the facilities. Everyone was friendly and helpful. My daughter left her bag in the lounge after we'd already left Taupo, but Anita called me and said they were happy to post it. Highly recommend!

We stayed three nights and didn't want to leave. The service was top notch, and the food was incredible. We caught some trout and they cooked it for us. Chris was super helpful and very professional. We'll be back. Cheers, guys.

It's on the edge of Taupō, so walking back into the main town takes about 40 minutes, but there's free car parking. We had a lakeside room at the Millennium on Lake Taupo with a balcony and a lovely view across the water. The room was well equipped, with a good-sized bed, though the mattress was a bit soft for me, plus very fast Wi-Fi, Sky TV, a fridge and kettle. There was also a comfortable chair with a footstool. The shower was one of the strongest we've had on this trip. The modern bar and restaurant had live music the evening we stayed. There's a pool and gym, and the staff were very friendly. Check-in was smooth.