Novotel Rotorua Lakeside

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Semi Hwang

3/5Google· 2 months ago

Nice facilities, but disappointing service We stayed at Novotel Rotorua with our two children. Overall, the hotel has some great facilities, but unfortunately the service really let our experience down. The rooms were nice, clean and comfortable, and we really enjoyed the pool. The kids' corner was also a great touch and something our children really enjoyed. The location is convenient as well. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment was the service, particularly at breakfast. We found the breakfast staff to be quite unfriendly and unwelcoming, with very little warmth or interaction with guests. Even a simple smile or friendly greeting would have made a big difference. The front desk staff were better and were helpful when needed, but even there, the level of friendliness and hospitality wasn't what I would expect from a hotel of this standard. It's a shame because the hotel itself has good facilities and is very family-friendly. However, for us, the lack of warmth from the staff had a significant impact on our stay. We actually decided to move to another hotel for our final night because we wanted to finish our holiday somewhere that felt more welcoming. I hope management takes this feedback constructively, because with more friendly, attentive and welcoming service, this could be a really lovely hotel for families.

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Cathy chen

5/5Google· 3 months ago

Our family of three had another wonderful stay at this hotel. From the moment we arrived, Gurinder made us feel genuinely welcome with his warm and friendly hospitality. He kindly arranged the waterfront room we had requested, and we truly appreciated his thoughtful service. The room was comfortable and well appointed, with stunning views of the water and the surrounding mountains right from our window. Waking up to such beautiful scenery made our stay even more enjoyable. We always choose to stay at this hotel whenever we come here for a holiday because the service is consistently excellent and the location is perfect. The buffet breakfast is another highlight, offering a great variety of fresh and delicious options to suit every taste. Thank you to Gurinder and the entire team for making our stay so memorable. We look forward to coming back again!

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Maafalakoko

5/5Tripadvisor· 2 months ago

The location of the hotel was ideal for everything we had planned while visiting Rotorua. The amenities were excellent, and the staff were very friendly and helpful throughout our stay. And the shower pressure was absolutely fantastic—it beats any other hotel shower I’ve experienced! Excellent choice. We will definitely use Novotel again if ever in NZ.

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Lexi Lin

3/5Google· 2 months ago

We stayed here for a weekend family trip to Rotorua with our one-year-old, and overall we had a good experience. We arrived quite late in the evening, but the staff were still incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful. Their warm attitude made us feel well looked after from the moment we checked in. The location is excellent. There’s a playground directly across the road, which was perfect for our little one, and it’s also just a short walk to the lake, making it a great place for a relaxing stroll with the family. We also enjoyed the hot pools and public bath. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing, although I think the pools could be cleaned a little more thoroughly. The biggest downside was the room itself. While it was comfortable enough, the facilities felt quite dated. On our second night, the hot water kept cutting in and out while I was taking a shower, and I ended up finishing with cold water, which was quite disappointing. Overall, the excellent service and fantastic location made our stay enjoyable, especially for families with young children. If the rooms were updated and the hot water issue was resolved, this would easily be an even better place to stay.

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John Chiu

5/5Google· 9 months ago

The location of Novotel Rotorua Lakeside is perfect, just right by the lake and directly opposite the playground, which is ideal for families. As an Accor Gold member, free parking is provided, and this is a huge bonus in a lakeside area where parking is often very hard to find. The staff were warm, welcoming, and very polite throughout our stay. Our kids especially loved the hot and cold pools and had an amazing time there. The welcome drinks were generously offered to everyone in our group, which honestly made us feel very well looked after and truly valued as guests. The only downside is that the rooms feel a bit dated, and you can clearly see the signs of age. However, the handwritten card from housekeeping added a very personal touch and made us feel genuinely welcomed. Overall, a great stay with excellent service and an unbeatable location.

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Patrick Wright

4/5Google· 3 months ago

The location is great and the lake view is incredible! The room itself left some things to be desired for a 4 star hotel. The bathroom fixtures were not becoming of a 4 star hotel, the chrome was rusty and there was a drop ceiling in the bathroom as well. The breakfast option we bought was OK, the room is very big and really nice, the food was just OK. Overall, the staff were very friendly and the room was fine but nothing extraordinary. If I'm lucky enough to make it back to New Zealand and I'm in the area, I'd consider staying here again.

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mark robotham

5/5Google· 4 months ago

Is the place stay, 2nd time Executive Suite all the way. Upstairs bathroom with spa bath, master bedroom with 3 seater couch and big desk. Great buffet breakfasts. Definitely if you feel the need to treat yourselves. Won't be the last time they see us!

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Rochelle Ross

3/5Google· 3 months ago

We stayed at the Novotel Rotorua over Matariki weekend during the school holidays, and the hotel appeared to be completely full. There is a lot to like about the hotel itself. Our city-view twin room was spacious, warm and comfortable, with very comfortable beds. Even as a family of four, we had plenty of room for everyone and our belongings without constantly tripping over one another. The bathroom was quite tired, however, and could definitely do with an update. I’m also not a fan of shower curtains, particularly in a family hotel. The water temperature fluctuated between lukewarm and scalding, which was concerning with children. The bathroom wall plug and the desk lamp also did not work in our room. The kids loved the pool, spas, movie nights and the children’s play area with toys and games. The location is excellent too. It is an easy walk to the restaurants, cafés and shops in town, with convenient access to the Village Green, playground and lakefront during the day, as well as the night markets and drone show in the evening. Unfortunately, the hotel did not seem equipped to cope with being fully booked. Almost everything involved a long wait. Check-in took close to an hour, and our room was still not ready by 4pm. To the manager’s credit, they looked after us by arranging drinks in the bar while we waited. There are only three lifts, and they were incredibly slow, so there were often queues just to get upstairs. The pool area was extremely crowded, towels were frequently unavailable, and the housekeeping team appeared to be struggling to keep up with demand. Breakfast was the biggest disappointment. There were long queues extending around the room, food was regularly running out, and some dishes were left sitting and getting cold rather than being refreshed. There was food on the floor, nowhere near enough seating, and guests were eating in the bar and conference room. The layout also made things more chaotic than they needed to be. The hot buffet was crammed into one area, with people queuing for eggs, hash browns and pancakes, then trying to push back through the line after realising they had forgotten the syrup. Moving the pancake and syrup station to the end would help the flow enormously. The coffee machine was positioned right in the middle of the food area, and on Sunday morning the entire tea and coffee station was removed at around 9.20am, even though breakfast continued until 10am. Overall, the staffing levels and facilities felt woefully inadequate for a fully booked hotel, and guests really felt the impact. We enjoyed parts of our stay, especially the room, family activities and location, but we would be unlikely to return during school holidays or another peak weekend. One final positive note: the sweet muffins at breakfast were absolutely top tier.