Solitaire Lodge — Hotel in North Island

We had a lovely 2 night stay at Solitaire Lodge. The property is beautifully set on the lake within the lush flora and fauna of the area. There is only one road in and out from Rotorua (20-30 minute drive depending on traffic or road works), with no other amenities along the route.||We pulled up to the gated entrance and Wayne buzzed us in, after which he met us outside to greet us and help with our luggage, however not before a quick tour of the property. We were also immediately offered some lunch or a platter to our room which was greatly appreciated.||The room itself was simple but elegantly designed, with fantastic views from the large windows out across the lake. The minibar was nicely stocked with drinks and snacks that we greatly enjoyed, especially the homemade biscuits. The bed was very comfortable, and it was a treat to have a bath outside on our balcony. The bathroom itself was simple, with a bidet, but the shower was consistent and powerful- one of the best we have used in NZ.||The communal areas were simple but comfortable, but could do with a refresh or some modernisation. Food was wonderful, and the chefs were had were greatly accommodating with any dietaries (or pickiness) we had. The lunch meal we had was our favourite of the visit. A special thanks to Ian for his service in the evenings and for making the best espresso martinis we had in NZ!||We could only find a few minor points with our stay: our room had a TV, but it was so small and the signal was so poor that we felt it actually detracted from the quality of the room, and it would have been better without. We would also have loved to have seen some local soaps/shampoos/conditioners in the bathroom, and the skylight in our bathroom was looking very old, mouldy and the paint was beginning to peel so this could have done with some TLC.||Finally, the decor and offerings feel well suited to an older clientele. However, the guests (including ourselves) at the time were all around their 30s. With that said, the stay would be enjoyable...

We had a lovely 2 night stay at Solitaire Lodge. The property is beautifully set on the lake within the lush flora and fauna of the area. There is only one road in and out from Rotorua (20-30 minute drive depending on traffic or road works), with no other amenities along the route.||We pulled up to the gated entrance and Wayne buzzed us in, after which he met us outside to greet us and help with our luggage, however not before a quick tour of the property. We were also immediately offered some lunch or a platter to our room which was greatly appreciated.||The room itself was simple but elegantly designed, with fantastic views from the large windows out across the lake. The minibar was nicely stocked with drinks and snacks that we greatly enjoyed, especially the homemade biscuits. The bed was very comfortable, and it was a treat to have a bath outside on our balcony. The bathroom itself was simple, with a bidet, but the shower was consistent and powerful- one of the best we have used in NZ.||The communal areas were simple but comfortable, but could do with a refresh or some modernisation. Food was wonderful, and the chefs were had were greatly accommodating with any dietaries (or pickiness) we had. The lunch meal we had was our favourite of the visit. A special thanks to Ian for his service in the evenings and for making the best espresso martinis we had in NZ!||We could only find a few minor points with our stay: our room had a TV, but it was so small and the signal was so poor that we felt it actually detracted from the quality of the room, and it would have been better without. We would also have loved to have seen some local soaps/shampoos/conditioners in the bathroom, and the skylight in our bathroom was looking very old, mouldy and the paint was beginning to peel so this could have done with some TLC.||Finally, the decor and offerings feel well suited to an older clientele. However, the guests (including ourselves) at the time were all around their 30s. With that said, the stay would be enjoyable...

In 1988 (or so) my husband and I had saved our money so we could take a vacation to New Zealand. It was the only place on Earth we wanted to visit! A dream vacation for sure! After making reservations for two nights, we found ourselves driving to Rotorua with no reservations. We passed the entry to Solitaire and picked up a brochure. Well, we thought, let's count our remaining vacation money, hoping we could afford to stay there the remaining days of our time in NZ, we COULD!!!! Words can never express our delight in the welcome we received from the owners. I'm sorry I don't remember any of the names of these gracious people. Our accommodations were unbelievable. Over these many years, (we've been retired to Oregon since 2005) we have remembered our time spent at Solitaire. We fished with a great guide, and I caught a huge fish that the chef prepared for our dinner that evening. The meal was shared with other guests and their family. I seem to remember one of the guests was a Bank President from another country and his family. Another couple was from America and had a large ranch. We went to bed that night giggling how we were among such wealthy, prestigious people and we had about $200.00 left of our vacation money. The end result of this once in a lifetime travel experience, is that we have have re-lived those days and shared them with many friends and family. I would have written a review of Solitaire but we didn't have internet those many years ago!! My belated thanks to the folks that helped to make this time in my life one that has NEVER been duplicated. If you are reading this review, start right this minute to save your money and get to NZ and Solitaire! You...