VR Rotorua Lake Resort — Hotel in North Island

We had a grabone deal. Worth checking out the amazing deal on that site. Alternatively, have posted a video on tiktok if you search for the accommodation name should find it 🙂

Firstly, thanks so much to Nick? I think his name was who did check in and answered a lot of my initial questions. He was warm and welcoming. Very helpful when it came to room enquiries. Also accommodating when I did not have a dinner reservation the first night. The rest of the staff onsite were pleasant also, great when it comes to hospitality.

Secondly, the cleaning crew. Appreciate that the bathroom and beds had been serviced during our stay.

Thirdly, the buffet breakfast!! Probably one of the biggest highlights of our time here. Impressive spread, surpassed expectations, love, love, love!!

Fourthly, the welcome platter and bottle of water! Such a nice touch and a lovely way to begin ones stay. (Would have appreciated a little sweet treat, would have been an additional special touch!)

A couple of notes for general feedback: The room we stayed in had some water staining on the ceiling close to the lake side door entrance. (We were in room 108) Looks like there may be a leak somewhere in the room above. (in case you weren't already aware) While a verbal explanation of most of the facilities on site was given at check in, an offered walkthrough of where everything is would have been great. To know that there is a bar (and where it is), the pool/spa/sauna entrance (and how to use the sauna), the gym, the restaurant/where breakfast is served. (being advised that room service is an option). I know this would not always be an option dependent on how busy it is, however I believe this would be an extra step that would add to the customer experience. Additionally, an information folder supplied in the room that contains this would be amazing. There was (at the time of our stay) a bunch of blonde hair clippings in the 108 outdoor area that is not a good look. Some of the outdoor seating seats had rips/wear that not make it safe for people to sit in and needs to be placed. The grab one deal said there was an option for 3 nights, however it was capped at two nights. We travelled from Auckland and did not want to leave, a 3rd night would have been amazing! If you renew your listing please add an additional night, very very keen to return to your location and service. An itemised invoice at checkout. While checking out we were told the bill would be $183ish dollars. I asked what the charges were for and was advised it was for room service twice. We only had room service once and the charge was to be about $68. The issue was resolved the $68 paid. However, an itemised invoice with an accurate record of the charges would assist with the checkout experience and make it clearer where/when/what the charges are for and the date/time they occurred.

Overall, a great experience. A couple of little alterations would make it even better. Keep up the great work! I hope to return again in the...

The accommodation is situated beside a beautiful lake, but sadly, the service is ungracious.

Liked · The room is decent sized. I liked the wooden blinds dividing the bath tub and the room. We could see TV from our bath tub.

Disliked · There is a list of things that were unpleasant.

1. The head lamps in the room were dusty and it makes me wonder if they cleaned the surfaces and furniture inside the room.
2. We requested our room to be serviced. We left the room at 1000hrs and returned around 1600hrs and found the sign that I had placed outside for the room to be serviced disappeared. Upon entering, the room was in the same state as when we left. No fresh towels were left and nothing was done. I approached the receptionist about it and all she could do was to apologies. She did not attempt to view the room or offer any incentives. She also mentioned that many guests have been complaining about the rooms being unmade up. She gave the reasons of employing new cleaners who did not do their job.
3. There is a "The Grill restaurant' attached to the resort that does not priortise motel patrons to dine in. After the bad incident with the receptionist, we were exhausted and decided to dine in the restaurant. I arrived at 1850hrs and asked for a table for two pax. The waitress mentioned that they were fully booked and that I could return at 1900hrs. I replied back to her, it is just in another 10 mins, isn't it? She looked lost and said it would be 1930hrs and that even at 1930hrs, we would be served last and that we wouldn't get our meal till 2000hrs. There were plenty of empty tables without a reservation sign placed on the table. We left and drove to Rotorua town centre for dinner.

The whole experience has been underwhelming and the management doesn't seem to care about their guest's comfort and experience. There was no attempt of any service recovery from the staff. This resort is overpriced for the experience you would...

Lovely location on a quiet arm of Lake Rotoiti, around 20mins north of Rotorua Central.

Grounds are lovely, with loads of room to move around and enjoy the lake views.

Complex itself is dated, but maintained. Service at the front desk was friendly, although quite slow. Only one staff member on and there was a long line.

Room overlooked a small patio and grassed area by the car park. It had two beds in it which seemed odd as I had requested a King room given it was just me. Had been assured I had been booked into one, but not the end of the world. The room was quite tasteful, with a nice bathroom. Shower pressure was absolutely dreadful. Worst I have ever encountered in a hotel.

General cleanliness was pretty sub standard. Was loads of dust in the room, and mould in the bathroom. Plus quite a bit of general wear and tear like cracked tiles, chipped paint and missing bits and pieces.

TV had the basic freeview, as well as a few select Sky Channels. WiFi was excellent, with no lag or issues.

Slept really well, bar a little bit of road noise from the State Highway. Rooms seem to have quite a issue with condensation, with the windows and doors coated with it, my friends room upstairs having the same issue.

Breakfast in the restaurant was excellent, with a really decent spread and good quality food. Really friendly attentive service in the restaurant as well. Lovely view from the table out over the frosty lawns to the lakeside.

All in all, a good stay here at the VR Rotorua Lake Resort. Good value for money. Cleanliness does need to be addressed, especially the dust and stuff. Will definitely stay again if the price is right.

Be warned for people unfamiliar with the Rotorua area. The resort is 20mins North of the City, and apart from the restuarant on site, there is very limited options around for eating. The restuarant seems to have quite a limited menu, however prices did seem on par for other restaurants...