Hotels Near Cottage Flair in Rotorua

I stayed in the Sudima Lake Rotorua Hotel for three nights while attending a conference. The Sudima was selected as it was the cheapest of the four listed by the conference organisers. The accommodation and buffet breakfasts were standard and wouldn’t in themselves warrant a review, either positive or negative. What did warrant a review, however, was the check-in experience. This is the reason for the level-two rating. Having stayed at a range of accommodation – from higher end to backpacker - I cannot recall anything like it, either here in New Zealand or overseas. There was one person at the reception desk and only one other guest checking-in before me. That check-in took a seemingly interminable time, but that can happen for whatever reason. My check-in appeared normal, but thereafter the experience ‘went to custard’. Assigned a room on the third floor I duly went with my bag to the room. Arriving there the magnetic door card wouldn’t open the door. I then returned to the reception desk, explained the situation and was provided with a new set of door cards. I then proceeded back to the third floor and, yes, the door cards this time successfully opened the door. However, upon entering the room I was surprised to find evidence that someone else was using the room. Material around the room showed that this person was also a conference attendee. (Interestingly there was a half drunk bottle of whisky on a table, but alas it was a blend and not a single malt so there was no temptation to take a few swigs.) Using the room’s telephone, I called the reception number but there was no response. Anxious that the room’s inhabitant may return I returned once more to the reception desk to be provided with a new room and corresponding door cards. Another ascent to the third floor finally eventuated with valid room occupancy at the Sudima Lake Rotorua Hotel. The time lapse since first entering the hotel stretched to about 40 minutes.

We just had an amazing 5 day stay! We had a family group of 8 (multi-generations) and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The cabins were perfect, with comfy beds, nice linen, small kitchen with all the essentials, and a bathroom. The communal areas were lovely and clean and well equipped. Nice communal lounge with a fire place. The big pool was heated and the thermal hot pools were awesome! Kids had fun on the trikes and the bouncing pillow. The staff were very helpful, the housekeeping staff were fantastic. Thanks Tasman Bay!

I stayed here for two nights in May 2023. The hotel is located on the main street in Rotorua, about a 10-minute walk from the main shopping centre. Just up the road, about a 5-minute walk away, there are a couple of supermarkets. The airport is a 10-minute drive away. The hotel has plenty of parking. The room was very big with a small kitchenette, large bathroom, table and chairs etc. However, the room was showing its age and could do with an upgrade. Unfortunately the room was cold. I had the heating on but, given the size of the room, it took a long time to heat up. It was uncomfortable. There was no extra blanket for the bed. The wifi worked well. The service at the front desk was good. For what I paid, this hotel was good value. However, for my next trip to Rotorua, I would be prepared to pay a bit more for something warmer and more up to date.

When we booked the cheapest motel we could find for the short stay of two nights, we were not prepared for such an interesting experience. The rooms were scrupulously clean. Top marks for that. Towels changed every day. But oh what a strange place. There are two parts to the motel. We were put in what had once been a very expensive 1950's house converted into motel rooms. Up a very steep staircase, into the room, which has been decorated in what can only be described as someone's idea of art deco come 1950's. We had such fun figuring out what parts of the house had been altered to accommodate our space. The bathroom is very adequate and rather quaint. The toilet stall is housed in what would have been the homes original shower, with all the original pipework covered up by pictures. Access to the bathroom from the bedroom - step onto a mat - check under the mat and start laughing, because the pipework for the original toilet is still there. But hey, it was clean, the rooms large and after all, it's only to sleep in.

First stay was 3 years ago when it was still a Holiday Inn. We enjoyed the pools and nearby attractions. Came back this time around for the same reasons. Kids enjoyed the heated pool. And we adults find it soothing after a long day out. When pool towels run out, reception was glad to replenish. We were at a deluxe queen queen room facing the carpark. Room looked tired. Bathroom was even worse. Mould on the grouting and sink had lime scale. Turning the tap was bound to give you a splash. Other than than, room was clean and tidy. Staff were friendly. And doing the best they can on a busy long weekend. Carpark can get full on a busy weekend, you almost dont want to go out for dinner.

Newina is a medium sized hotel, located 5 minutes away from towns centre The manager was very helpful and had excellent knowledge of tourist attractions in the area. The room was spotlessly clean and we were delighted to see a private courtyard with a huge spa. There is also a swimming pool and small conference room. Full laundry facility located on the ground floor. Very affordable and we will definitely stay again

Was one if the cheaper options for our dates, we were pleasantly surprised. It looked and smelt new, had elevators to our floor. Room was small but practical, had fridge and jug. Bed was a double and quite small and for some reason seemed short but we slept OK. Very clean and well kept. Had small full length widow that looked into small atrium of the other rooms. Only negative was when the toilet was flushed, a sewerage smell came up through the drain. Easy parking, bottle store and restaurant on site but didnt use. Situated almost opposite luge. Had a car so location to town was not an issue, however, there were fast food outlets within walking distance that we noticed anyway. Overall, was good for our needs and would stay again.

Expectations were pretty high for this place as it has ‘Resort’ in the name. The pictures made it look lovely online, that is where it ended. Unfortunately our expectations were not met. I already knew the hotel was not in town so the location did not bother me. But if you are not wanting to travel much stay closer to town, as this place is 15mins away from the main drag. The view outside is stunning, unfortunately with all the rain there was mud everywhere which made it hard to walk outside of the hotel for a nice picture. You would think being a resort this would be a priority to fix up as soon as possible, even put gravel down instead of grass. The rooms were nice and big and the heat pump was lovely. Cleanliness is a big problem. Taps were still marked with water stains and dust, I wiped it and it came off straight away. Bathroom wasn’t mopped and the floor was not vacuumed. Toilet had marks in it that I could clean away, toilet brush was old and dirty (you know what I mean :() The ‘Spa’ area wasn’t the best either. 2 lonely spa pools sit out the back, with a grotty looking cold pool. The main pool looked lovely, but it was cold so wasn’t being used by anyone. The bar here is great, has a great UK British pub style, however someone is not always there to serve, we had to cancel drinks as they took the girl 30mins… The bed was comfortable and the overall area was nice and peaceful, couldn’t hear other rooms or anything. The staff were very friendly and helpful too. However, for us there were too many downs and we will not be returning.

Many people come to the Blue Lake in RVs and yachts. Needless to say, the scenery of the Blue Lake is so beautiful. Sitting by the lake relaxes your teeth and scalp. The resort has separate toilets and shared toilets/bathrooms. Mostly locals come for water sports and swimming/camping, very few Chinese tourists. It is recommended to bring a swimming ring or surfboard from January to March. There are no restaurants around, so we brought instant noodles and tomatoes on our backs. After eating a few days later, we took a 10-minute taxi to the Landing Cafe next to Terawera Lake to eat. The beach was very lively on a sunny day, filled with children and adults with dogs🐶 Come and play in the water. The lake is crystal clear and opposite is a volcano. You can talk to local people with yachts and let them drive to the hot water beach at the foot of the volcano for a hot spring♨️.

We had our dinner at the in-house restaurant (The Grill). It was fully booked and was really busy. There was only 1 lady looking after the bar and the restaurant. Despite being busy, she delivered an exceptional service to us and even to the other customers. We will definitely come back for the service, though the hotel needs some TLC.