Reviews of Lake Karapiro Lodge

Set high above Waikato river, offering outstanding views. The couple who own this lovely lodge, are fantastic , very caring hosts. A special mention…goes to Goldie, who offers a friendly greeting each day. I had a good size ground floor bedroom, with an outside patio, overlooking the river. A great breakfast of, cereals, yogurts, fresh fruits, and a traditional english cooked breakfast, toast, and a selection of jams/marmalade’s. The guest lounge, was well set out, with coffee maker, and bottled waters in the fridge . There is a hot tub and outdoor pool, which I didn’t use, unfortunately. The views from this lodge are spectacular. Little bit of info…. The actors and director from The Hobbit movies stayed here. I would definitely comeback, when in NZ again.

Lodge has outstanding views. Room was good sized with a large private bathroom. The hosts (Colin and Jan) were great and fun to talk to. Breakfast was the same each day with yogurt, peaches, toast (with jams and butter) and an English breakfast including eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms. The lodge is for sale, but that did not affect the service. Very close to Hobbiton. In fact, Peter Jackson has stayed here several times.

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.

We had such a great time at Lake Karapiro Lodge. The room and views were gorgeous. And Ed and Ann were wonderful hosts! They made coffee and breakfast to-order every morning for each guest, and we truly enjoyed conversation with them and the other guests around the breakfast table. It was a very different, and welcome, experience after more than a week of city hotels. WiFi was a bit touch-and-go, but so was 4G. It seems like the area in general doesn't have great reception, but we were still able to get things done that we needed, like bookings for later in our trip. We highly recommend this Lodge for anyone who is unsure- it was a perfect place to get away from the city!

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.

Really nice lodge between Hobbiton and Hamilton gardens, both brilliant visits. We stayed in the Sir Tristram - huge room with everything you could want - v comfy bed. Magnificent view. Great breakfast. Colin and Jan very friendly. Helpful with visits and local restaurants. Lovely swim in pool - it was a hot day!