Very relaxing and as I have chronic neck and shoulder pain I can now attest to the healing/relief…read morepowers of the sulfur hot baths. Highly recommend booking a private room. It's quite affordable and has a great time ;) Don't sweat the smell, yes city smells like sulfur but once you're in the relaxing heat t ofvthe pool, you don't even notice. Will return.

Beautiful relaxing spa, we had one of the private hot spring pools and it did not disappoint. The…read moreviews were spectacular and you have your own shower and it's also very private. We indulged in some massages and they were also amazing. Our visit included a fresh squeezed juice of your choice and that was delicious and refreshing. Overall a great experience.

Wonderful, relaxing setting. A variety of pools ranging from 37-41C. Some are covered which…read moreprovided coverage from sun and rain. Clean and well maintained. Take the walk up to the spring to see where the hot water starts. Another tip: do buy a piece of the carrot cake to go. Make on site and delicious! Enjoy!

This is a wonderful facility with well-maintained hot pools, situated right next to the hot spring…read morewith the largest discharge of boiling water in New Zealand. Service there was excellent too. Staff are friendly. The iced chocolate is delightful. The private pool option is worth trying as well.

Magical city! Rotorua is located alongside a volcano crater lake, and a bunch of geothermally…read moreactive hot springs and geysers. This place is unlike any other town I've ever been to! How many other cities have steaming pools along the main road? The whole town smells of sulfur, mildly like rotten eggs. It's that volcanic activity! There's even a Best Western hotel along the main strip that has a fence that unexpectedly sprays hot steam out of it. The geothermal activity is everywhere here! Rotorua knows how to capitalize on it too- there's ample parks, Maori villages, Zorbing, a cable car, bungee jumping, and museums! This little town is quite the tourists' paradise. There things to keep everyone entertained on their trip to NZ. Rotorua is in the middle of Maori country, where there are lots of villages set up to receive tourists, feed them, and put on a bit of a show! There's plenty of spas, and places to relax in the hot springs, or go swimming in the lake. At the center of town, under the big clock tower is the tourism bureau where you can get info on what there is to see and do around town. They'll even book your tour for you. The city is clean, and felt safe.

I'm going to use this review as a proxy for much of New Zealand, and especially for my American and…read morevegan audiences. Rotorua, despite having a certain tourist aspect to it, is very similar to much of New Zealand (except perhaps Auckland) in terms of facilities, and the expectations you should have about NZ. The stereotypical NZ motel offers a mini kitchen with microwave, stove top and fridge. In fact, we didn't eat out at all during our stay here. There's numerous supermarkets, and almost everything you find in most of them (but go to Pak 'N Save for a great NZ supermarket experience) will be very familiar to an American traveller, and very easy for a vegan to find things to eat and prepare in their motel. Just don't make the rookie mistake I made of buying frozen pies, which needed cooking in an oven (I managed in the end to do an OK job with the saucepan). You'll find the prices of food very much on par with US prices. Whilst we're on the subject of pies, if you are *not* vegan, an essential NZ food to try is the petrol station pie. No, not the frozen one from the supermarket, and definitely not Georgie Pie (now served by McD's), but one out of the warming cabinet with the fluffly pastry. If you are vegan, then that same petrol station is quite possibly able to offer you a hafl-decent soy latte. Yes, that's right. In NZ, coffee has reached such an art form that gas stations have baristas. Take that, America! Also, if you are driving through the country side, you definitely want to try and stop at one of the numerous farm stands to pick up some produce (but make sure you have some NZ cash). As for Rotorua itself - well, it is cheesy, but not perhaps quite as much as I remember. And the nickname "Rotovegas", whilst superficially deserved, is not really fair. As for the specific attractions, certainly Rainbow Springs and The Luge, and possibly the Arogdome, although there are many many more things to do here. The motels by and large no longer offer real hot mineral spas, due to over-use, but do have more regular spas. The downtown area is nice enough - there are obvious tourist shops, but aren't overly tacky. What I can't really recommend though is the Maori experience stuff here. I'm not Maori at all, but like many NZers, it is in some measure part of the NZ culture we all share, and I feel like what's on offer in Rotorua is a caricature. In my opinion, go almost anywhere else, for what I think is a more genuine representation of Maori culture Also, if you came to Rotorua for an idea of what the NZ lifestyle is like in general, you probably won't see that either. Try spending some time in a small town for that. But you should go to Rotorua if you're in NZ. But there's more more to NZ than just this one tourist city.

Free outdoor and natural hot springs to enjoy. Go to the Spa Thermal Park to get access to the…read moreOtumuheke thermal stream that feeds into the Waikato river. From here, you can also do an easy hike to Huka Falls (50 mins one-way) or Aratiatia Rapids (2 hrs one-way). There's a car park at the intersection of Spa Road and County Avenue, but to get closer to the thermal stream, you can continue down County Ave to the end and park at the car park inside the park. From there, you'll do a short 10 minute walk down to the thermal stream. You'll see a bridge with the main pools near the river. This is where most people will be, but if you up a little further uphill, you'll hit a second bridge where it's more private. This area is fenced off though, so it's probably not encouraged to bathe in this part of the stream, although a lot of people still do. The water is pretty hot, so make sure to bring a towel, water to stay hydrated, and a change of clothes for afterwards. Note that there are toilets at the car park, but no changing facilities near the thermal stream itself. Even if you aren't interested in visiting the thermal stream, Spa Thermal Park is well worth a visit to see the stunning scenery of being high up a hill looking down on a large, curved river.

Tons of people, but don't let that discourage you! It's a must-visit free natural hot stream with a…read morebeautiful view/swim of the river. The park's been beautifully designed for enjoying the stream, which is a nice hot 38-39C right under the bridge, and pools down to cooler temperatures further down. It's a great place to relax in a natural setting and meet some people!

Comfortable room. Good size with nice large bed, good pillows and blankets. Bathrobes provided…read morewhich is a nice touch. Two comfortable chairs in the room and balcony looking into park across the street. We arrived late and they had turned on the heater so room was cosy. Bathroom a bit weird - large deep spa pool - but shower is over it so have to be agile to climb up into and out of it.

Great experience. This hotel/motel provided an excellent center point for our North Island…read moreadventures. Centrally located Easy to find Super friendly staff willing to answer any and all questions. Exceptional room quality with endless hot water ( thank you hot springs ). The bed was magnificently cozy. Parking was a non-issue and close to the room (free too). What else to say .... STAY HERE !!!

This was a great hotel to stay at in Taupo! The check-in staff were helpful and friendly. The hotel…read moreoffers very spacious hotel rooms with a full sitting area, two tv's, balcony with patio furniture, heated towel rack in the bathroom, mini-fridge, coffee maker, tea kettle, and a geothermal spa and pool. The only downside was the free parking area was a bit congested since it is also the same parking area for the restaurant. The hotel does offer reserved underground parking spots for an extra $20 per day for guests.

I thoroughly enjoyed this hotel and amenities. I was upgraded as a diamond member and welcomed when…read moreI arrived. The staff were all very friendly and helpful answering all of my questions. My room was spacious and very comfortable. I loved the heated towel rack and and heated floor in the bathroom. The heated swimming pool was refreshing. The hot tub was very relaxing. They also had a sauna and steam room for your enjoyment. I ate dinner at the restaurant and breakfast two mornings. Everything was delicious. I highly recommend staying at this hotel when in Lake Taupo.

I agree with other reviews that its a little shabby and could do with a lick of paint. I think a…read morebetter shop and perhaps an upgrade on the changing rooms. Maybe its not popular to bring thru the money needed for the upgrade. The price is good and relevant for what it is. I wouldn't be happy paying more though. The pools could have done with one being a little hotter, there seemed to be very little difference between the two hotter ones so I just stayed in the hottest one the whole time. The main pool will be popular in Summer for the campground. I don't think I would go back when I think other hot pools in the North island are much better.

Beautifully kept little campsite and holiday park. The real treat is the private hot springs-…read morenestling down at the bottom of the park, a bamboo surrounded pool is available at next to nothing with hot hot lovely bubbling spring water. Also a pool available. its a perfect stopover on way down from Auckland to Rotorua, after visiting Matamata for the Hobbiton set. Highly recommended

Hmmm Probably was really good 30 years ago…read moreTired and very dated now, I'm sure it is clean but looks very grubby and jaded. Plus it's waaaaaay overpriced for a pool. Nice water though even though it looks murky. Limited facilities and a small shop selling ice cream etc (kiosk really don't think WalMart) Off the beaten track a bit which means not too crowded but really could do with a complete overhaul and revamp. Tired but has potential

Feeling like time travelling into retro NZ? Come to Miranda Hot Springs!…read more This place looks and feels as though it has not had one thing done to it since it was built back in the 50's or 60's!! Don't let that stop you from coming though. Miranda Hot Springs is lovely, it is a bit off the beaten track but worth a detour if you have an hour or two to kill on your way to or from Coromandel. It is not one of your big fancy swim parks with hydroslide and wave pool. It is very low key. The main pool is quite big - jumping and diving are not allowed as most people just want to soak. There is a smaller pool for young kiddies and a very hot pool for adults only. If you stay in that for more than about 15 minutes you'll be well and truly cooked. There is one of those large inflated bubbles sticking out of the ground (not sure what the correct name for that is) and children can bounce, slip and slide over that. There is a smallish playground and there is a number of barbecues and covered eating areas. The changing rooms are extremely retro. The ceilings are corrugated plastic in a weird shade of green and their reflection makes your face look a sickly mauve colour while you are standing under them. This changing area seriously could do with a major overhaul but I suppose it would cost a bomb and then the entry price would increase. Having said all the above, it is clean and adequate as it is. I recommend taking a pair of flip flops to wear inside and to and from the change rooms though There is a takeaway shop there with the usual hamburgers, chips etc. The food is quite good there. All in all Miranda is a good spot to go for a nice hot swim. Best time to go is during any week day - the place will be practically deserted - or else in the late afternoon. There seem to be more people around 6pm onwards.

5 stars for the service and 3 stars for the room itself. When we walked in to the room, I liked the…read morevery clean and cool feel (linens and furniture were white in color). Nice initial impression. But I then noticed that the bedside table was not wiped, I could see the residue of a cup that was previously placed there, so we wiped that up. Not a big deal, the reason why I'm giving the room 3 stars was the bathroom. And really, it's my own personal preference. There was no separate shower, meaning there wasn't a bathtub or a wall to seperate the shower from the toilet and sink so when you showered, over half of the bathroom floor got wet which was aggravating. The service at this hotel though was excellent. The people are very pleasant. We had dinner and breakfast at the hotel restaurant, (Breakfast was included in the cost of the room). The food was pretty tasty, the prices were very reasonable, and the service was excellent - everyone was so nice, helpful, and pleasant. If you're not picky about your bathroom, I do recommend Okoroire Hot Spring Hotel. We had a nice experience here.

Incompetence at its finest…read more I booked for April 8th which ended up being during covid level 4. I never got a confirmation email. I emailed (on a thread they had previously replied to) that I needed to cancel my reservation on March 23rd. I emailed again on April 6th. I have since been attempting to get refunded. I only got responses after complaining on Facebook posts. I emailed them and said I was about to get very vocal if they didn't refund me well over a week ago. They asked for my bank details and I told them that was shady and there was no way I was doing that, that they could refund my credit card. I never heard another peep. I've just reported them to The Commerce commission along with all our correspondence.