Polynesian Spa — Attraction in North Island

Original Experience：ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. We were rudely asked to leave the lounge just because our kids were having some takeaway food. Only at that moment did I notice the small sign saying “no outside food” — fine, I respect the rules. So I immediately took my 5-year-old kid outside to eat by the road — in the cold and rain, and left the other 2 kids in the lounge. The staff showed zero empathy, not even a basic understanding that young children need to eat and be kept warm.

What’s worse, before leaving the pool, we had clearly confirmed with the front desk girl that we could temporarily leave and return after feeding the kids. However, when we came back, a Chinese lady (staff) aggressively told us to get changed and leave immediately, refusing to listen or show any flexibility.

This was an awful, humiliating, and completely unacceptable experience. The staff were rude, unprofessional, and clearly poorly trained. They treated us without respect, understanding, or even basic human decency.

I hope the management seriously reflects on this incident and provides better training to their staff — especially in how to treat families and young children with empathy and basic courtesy.

Response to the owner‘s reply：

Thank you for your reply, but I must express my deep disappointment with how this situation was handled — both during our visit and in your response.

First of all, I fully acknowledge that I missed the “no outside food” sign. As soon as your staff pointed it out, I immediately tidied up the table and took one of my children outside to eat — while the other two had to stop eating and stay behind, because it was cold and raining and all of us were wearing wet swimsuits. The issue here is not the rule itself, but how your staff communicated it. We were spoken to in a cold and dismissive manner, with absolutely no empathy for three small children (wearing wet swimsuits) who simply needed food.

Secondly, regarding re-entering the pool: my husband clearly asked the Kiwi girl at the front desk before we left whether we could return later, and she said yes. But when I came back alone with our three kids, we were abruptly told by the Chinese lady, “The pool is full, but you can go get changed, pack up all your stuff, and leave.”

It wasn’t until my husband returned 30 minutes later and spoke to the same staff member that she changed her story, saying, “It was full before, but now you can return.”

Check your CCTV if you want to know what actually happened!!!

What frustrated us most was not the capacity rule — but the lack of any flexibility or compassion. She could’ve said, “The pool is full now, but you can wait in the lounge, and we’ll let you in when there’s space.” Instead, she gave us no option, and showed no understanding of the situation, even though we had young kids and had already confirmed our return with your staff.

This is not just about rules — it’s about basic human decency and respectful communication. Your team may have followed policy, but they failed in customer service and empathy. I sincerely hope you take this feedback seriously, instead of continuing to respond with standard policy explanations that miss the...

This was very good, but we encountered three problems to interrupt our relaxation vibes!

The spa is way too bright at night. I had read that it would be lovely to soak in the tubs at night and look at the stars, but it’s really too brightly lit for that. I know that the spa requires a certain amount of lighting to make sure that nobody falls getting in and out of the pools, but they could light up the footpaths without making it as bright as it is. it really diminished the nighttime experience to have so many bright lights. Perhaps somebody fell once and there was an issue and so they started really lighting it up? I know that there’s some older clientele there. I would love for them to consider lighting the footpaths and the areas around the tubs only so that people can get in and out without making it so bright that the lights are annoying. (See photos).

We were met with a lot of rudeness by one person on the staff. We purchased the package that allows you to go into both the Pavilion Pools and the Lakeside Pools areas, and we would spend a couple of hours in one area and then go to the other area. We preferred the area that was much less crowded, but we wanted to see what the other pools were like. In order to go back-and-forth, you have to cross through the lobby, and we also went to get a smoothie which was included in our package. We peeked into the family pool area because it was on the way to the smoothie and the lifeguard there was very upset with us. He asked what we thought we were doing, and I told him we were just looking at the family area. And I commented that the slide looked fun, and he was very rude and said we weren’t allowed in the area and certainly couldn’t go down the slide and made us feel like we weren’t going to kidnap children or something. Later, we saw him rushing around and having a conflict with another patron. Hd made us feel like we were doing something wrong when we were just on our way to get a smoothie and looked into the family area.

The last reason for a three star review instead of a five star review is that… speaking of kids…one of the areas was supposed to be child-free, and it was not. A family came in with two little kids, probably about a year and a half and three years old, and they started screaming; where was the grumpy lifeguard then? It would’ve been nice if he was around to get the children out of the adults-only area if he was so concerned with us not being in the family area. We finally just left, because it was about time to go anyway, but the grumpy lifeguard and the bright lights left a bad impression. And, keep in mind that I have enjoyed a lot of spas around the world, and although the setting here is lovely and the front desk people were wonderful, and they had a couple of nice cold plunges, I really felt that these other elements detracted from our stay. It was hard to relax with the kids and the...

I don’t usually go in for spa packages. The word “pamper” makes me itch. But the Pair & Pamper Package at Polynesian Spa? It got to me.

Maybe it was the crisp air off Lake Rotorua. Maybe it was the rare chance to unwind with my dad—who usually prefers his thrills on two wheels, not wrapped in a towel. But this place delivered.

Check-in was painless—quick, kind, no frills. They offered juice on arrival. Not the usual spa pretentiousness—just a decent gesture. They even gave us an extra voucher. Small thing, but it set the tone: you’re not just a booking reference here.

The Lake Spa Pools? Let’s talk about that. You’ve seen the glossy photos, right? Filtered to oblivion. But here’s the surprise—it actually looks better in real life. Steam rising off naturally heated water, the lake stretching out like a painting someone forgot to frame. It was quiet. Peaceful. The kind of silence you only notice when your shoulders finally drop.

Then came the massage. It started with a body brushing—which felt like someone gently exfoliating my dignity—but hey, I survived. The oil massage that followed? Magic. Firm, fluid, intuitive. Like the therapist had a PhD in muscle memory. Not too strong, not weak. Just right.

Afterward, they led us to the private spa pool. It wasn’t huge. Cozy, if we’re being generous. But my dad? He was in his element—half boiled and blissful. Give the man heat and water and he’s good for hours.

Then came the surprise hit: the grazing platter. I expected a few sad grapes and discount cheese. Instead, we got a legitimately beautiful spread—fruits, cheeses, nuts, crackers. Balanced, fresh, even elegant. Maybe it was the post-massage hunger. Maybe it was just damn good. Either way, I devoured it like a man who hadn’t seen real food in days.

The only hiccup? The wait times between sessions. After the massage, we sat around for 20-plus minutes waiting for the private spa. Not sure why, since the area wasn’t exactly overbooked. That part felt like a scheduling afterthought.

But honestly? I’d do it again. The massage, the setting, the food—it all worked. No pretense, no cheap shortcuts. Just a thoughtfully assembled experience that did what it promised: helped you breathe again.

If you ever find yourself in Rotorua, and your body’s begging for mercy? This is...