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- Aug 20, 2003
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Hilton Lake Taupo – July 10 Visit three days
We recently had the pleasure of visiting the very beautiful Lake Taupo region in the North Island and the opportunity to stay at the recently launched Hilton (ex DeBretts).
Check-in was done efficiently. We were upgraded to a one bedroom apartment from a King, thanks to a senior AFF member contacting the hotel. The room itself overlooked the Lake and the mountain vistas, a very stunning backdrop. While the room did also face the highway and previous reports have indicated road noise issues, this was not clearly evident and only in rare cases where trucks were (illegally) using engine braking. While it is a five star property, it is very simple and the structure supports the amount of rooms. For example the driveway is largely unattended and relies of people doing the right thing.
For parking there are a number of options, however it is easier to park yourself close by. We had Ice on the car on a few mornings but this was quickly sorted by scraping it off with the room card.
The restaurant is extremely well run (Lago) and offers fantastic value for money. It is known as one of the better restaurants in NZ with a chef that also manages a renowned Auckland property. We had breakfast there daily and dinner twice. The Bar area is very tasteful and intimate. Prices are very reasonable especially when you take into account the FX.
The property has a chequered history with a number of owners and a delayed construction of the current property. You can see what has been cut down. The pool area is quite small, as is the Spa and Gym, however functional. They could be showcased more effectively with night lighting and have a bar service. You do get the impression this was an area cut back to fit a budget. There is a great mineral spring’s area next door which offers great value for authentic hot mineral springs and if you let them know you are a Hilton guest, will get a reduced rate (not that I saw that advertised in the hotel??).
The rooms are large and tastefully furnished in that latest ‘inoffensive’ brownish colour fashion. The floors are heated in the bathroom. The AC was a bit noisy at times and there were no heavy light shielding curtains in the lounge room (sofa bed) so sun up will be light through the room. The down lights could also have dimmers attached, there was only one other lamp. Overall they are pleasant, large rooms that do their job well.
The big selling point is the staff, who are professional unhurried and competent. I tried to tip the porter and he refused!!! All sightseeing bookings and advice was obtained from the front desk in a friendly and efficient manner.
Overall a very good package and we will definitely be back. Management is very proactive in providing top shelf accommodation options in the area and that will see the property continue to be a success.
I hope others can enjoy this wonderful property and part of the world.
In terms of tourist attractions around the place there are plenty. We did go on a Jet boat ride, on the Huka River. I would highly recommend the Jet Rapids boat, as it is the only one that travails the rapids of the Huka River, which can be fantastic especially when they open the dam upstream at 10am/12pm/2pm. They also went longer than the advertised time and we got a great CD of all the pictures taken at the end of the tour (NZ$35).
8.5/10.
Regards
SPRUCE
We recently had the pleasure of visiting the very beautiful Lake Taupo region in the North Island and the opportunity to stay at the recently launched Hilton (ex DeBretts).
Check-in was done efficiently. We were upgraded to a one bedroom apartment from a King, thanks to a senior AFF member contacting the hotel. The room itself overlooked the Lake and the mountain vistas, a very stunning backdrop. While the room did also face the highway and previous reports have indicated road noise issues, this was not clearly evident and only in rare cases where trucks were (illegally) using engine braking. While it is a five star property, it is very simple and the structure supports the amount of rooms. For example the driveway is largely unattended and relies of people doing the right thing.
For parking there are a number of options, however it is easier to park yourself close by. We had Ice on the car on a few mornings but this was quickly sorted by scraping it off with the room card.
The restaurant is extremely well run (Lago) and offers fantastic value for money. It is known as one of the better restaurants in NZ with a chef that also manages a renowned Auckland property. We had breakfast there daily and dinner twice. The Bar area is very tasteful and intimate. Prices are very reasonable especially when you take into account the FX.
The property has a chequered history with a number of owners and a delayed construction of the current property. You can see what has been cut down. The pool area is quite small, as is the Spa and Gym, however functional. They could be showcased more effectively with night lighting and have a bar service. You do get the impression this was an area cut back to fit a budget. There is a great mineral spring’s area next door which offers great value for authentic hot mineral springs and if you let them know you are a Hilton guest, will get a reduced rate (not that I saw that advertised in the hotel??).
The rooms are large and tastefully furnished in that latest ‘inoffensive’ brownish colour fashion. The floors are heated in the bathroom. The AC was a bit noisy at times and there were no heavy light shielding curtains in the lounge room (sofa bed) so sun up will be light through the room. The down lights could also have dimmers attached, there was only one other lamp. Overall they are pleasant, large rooms that do their job well.
The big selling point is the staff, who are professional unhurried and competent. I tried to tip the porter and he refused!!! All sightseeing bookings and advice was obtained from the front desk in a friendly and efficient manner.
Overall a very good package and we will definitely be back. Management is very proactive in providing top shelf accommodation options in the area and that will see the property continue to be a success.
I hope others can enjoy this wonderful property and part of the world.
In terms of tourist attractions around the place there are plenty. We did go on a Jet boat ride, on the Huka River. I would highly recommend the Jet Rapids boat, as it is the only one that travails the rapids of the Huka River, which can be fantastic especially when they open the dam upstream at 10am/12pm/2pm. They also went longer than the advertised time and we got a great CD of all the pictures taken at the end of the tour (NZ$35).
8.5/10.
Regards
SPRUCE
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