An outdoor saltwater swimming complex using seawater from the nearby Pilot Bay, the Mount Hot Pools is located in Tauranga, right at the base of Mount Maunganui in New Zealand. It consists of 3 distinct pools (none of them too deep), and 2 spa pools (one with jets turned on, the other not), full locker room usage, and massage services. It might be the first time for me using a salt water spa, and I did notice how much better my skin felt vs using a typical chlorine sanitized spa pool. My brother and I were here in Tauranga for the day, coming in via the cruise ship, Celebrity Edge. Our plan was to hike the mountain in the early morning before it got too hot, and then spend the afternoon at the Hot Pools getting a massage. Reservations and payments are all doable on-line, so it was just a matter of finding the place (we had seen it while exploring the trails around the mountain in the morning). To use the pools for the whole day is NZ$27.30 for adults. My massage was for 13:30, so we arrived after lunch around 1. They ask you to be ready 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment. The 90 minute 'Relaxation' massage was with Vivian, and she was very good. The hour and a half went by really quickly (though I didn't fall asleep for once). My brother got a 'Sports Recovery' massage with Sergio, and he stated that it was extremely effective, with an end goal of reducing the number of 'knots' in the muscles. Cost is NZ$140 for the 90 minute session. There is a dedicated indoor wing for massages just off of the main pool (next to the women's locker room), It's best if you come to the appointment dry (i.e. not wet from the pools), with your things already stored away. There are a lot of cubbies for your dry belonging storage throughout the complex, though you can also rent a locker (with lock) for NZ$5. As mentioned, the facilities uses heated ocean water, distributed across the complex. The pools themselves are modern, just like what you would see at any community swimming pool in the States. But of course, the common smell of chorine is not there. There are also large sun umbrellas throughout the pool area, so it is possible to find both sunny and shady spots, based on your preference. Since we couldn't get our massages together Because the facility is located right next to the mountain, it provides very unique scenic views while lounging around. Paragliders were circling around the mountain, and it was cool thinking we had climbed to the summit that morning. read more

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Right soooo the Mount Hot Pools are I assume volcanically heated waters that vary in temperature from pool to pool. I don't know why I expected nature. It looks like any other public pool, or maybe the kind of pools you'd see at an amusement park. The pools are fine, with various shapes/sizes/types. I've only ever tried the private pools, which are I think about $25 for 30 minutes. My friend and I found that reasonable. The private rooms are okay, but they are not ventilated and they seem a bit dirty to me. I'm not really sure how clean this kind of thing usually is, but I don't get the impression that these pools are cleaned often enough. The water feels a bit lukewarm at first, but after about ten minutes you start to sweat. I wish they had a wider variety of jets/fountains inside them because I don't find the faucet-type things all that relaxing. Also, they are kind of loud somehow. There's a warning on the door not to bring in any food or drink, which we sometimes ignore by bringing water in. They also warn you that someone can come in at any time, which is actually terrifying. Though, I might mention, no one has ever bothered us. I was hoping to bathe naked but I guess that's not the point here. Anyway, nothing special to report! read more