Lake Karapiro Lodge

This establishment is totally misrepresented as 5 star! Displayed Certification expired 2009. - overgrown dilapidated grounds including treacherously slippery deck when wet due to moss and mildew slime (no safety measures taken); dirty pool area - no dinner available first night because we didn't tell them we wanted it; breakfast was sufficient but no choice in cooked - no bathrobes, minibar, or tea/coffee making in rooms (tea/coffee in shared area outside rooms and was poorly stocked); no facilities info/contact folder, took 3 hrs to get someone in to fix the TV (no cable TV), and wifi wouldn't connect - 24hr front desk? (when I went to find someone for teaspoons approx. 8pm, door to 'reception' was locked, front entrance door is locked most of the time) - concierge / porter ?; ice machine ?; room service (that's a joke right!) Poor value for money, if we hadn't prepaid would have definitely sought alternative lodgings. To finish on a positive note, the views were fabulous and bed comfortable.

Was very disappointed in my night away at Lake Karapiro Lodge, originally booked for the 10th of march for mine and my partners anniversary weekend away which was fine until i told the host i was paying with a GrabOne voucher, which then she changed her mind and said she had no room for a grabone voucher customer as the rowing was on that weekend. Annoyed but still wanting to use the voucher, booked in for the following weekend. When we arrived at the lodge no one answered the door, resulting in us having to physically go and find one of the hosts. When the host was going through the book looking for which room we were in he told us our name had been crossed off a few times, clearly because the other host had been gradually downgrading us from room to room. When we got to our "Lake view" suite the only view we had was a paddock and some dying plants, a tiny bit of lake if you stand on your tiptoes... outside. Also to mention our room didn't even have a kitchenette, so we had to use a tiny shared kitchen which for cutlery only had two teaspoons, no knives or forks or anywhere for us to eat our dinner. The plus side of the lodge was the shower was good, bed was comfy and service in the morning was ok and the breakfast was good. Nevertheless definitely would not recommend this accommodation to anyone, extremely over-priced at 550 a night for the "Lake view" suite i found was not even worth the 250 we spent for a GrabOne voucher.

Jan and Colin were exquisite hosts. They offered local advice on activities. Their hospitality was authentic and charming. The property and room were pristine and spacious. Breakfast was gourmet with the freshest ingredients. 5 star+!

My wife and I had a wonderful time at Lake Karapiro Lodge. The welcome was friendly and Colin & Jan made sure we were cared for. Our bed was very comfortable and rooms spacious. There was a separate guest lounge with tea and coffee facilities and the house was warm and welcoming for our arrival back from exploring. A great base for exploring the local region and thoroughly recommended.

Colin and Jan are excellent hosts. Our room and the lodge are like treasures out of a magazine. This is truly a unique and wonderful place to stay. The view from our room was incredibly spectacular of New Zealand’s longest river. The bed was extremely comfortable, and we slept well. This lodge is highly luxurious. Breakfast was amazing and an excellent start to our day of exploring. We would have liked to stay longer.

This is the perfect home base for exploring New Zealand's north island! The pictures don't do justice to just how beautiful the lodge, views and grounds are. We stayed in a Lakeview room and relaxed on our room's patio with coffee each morning. Rotorua, the Waitomo glow worm caves, and Lake Taupo are all within 1.5 hours driving and all are beautiful! Hiking in the area is also terrific. The town of Cambridge nearby is great for dining & shopping. Hobbiton is right around the corner, although we didn't visit it on this trip. Colin and Jan are wonderful hosts and we loved chatting with them each day. We highly recommend Lake Karapiro Lodge for anyone looking to both explore and relax in the North Island.