Solitaire Lodge

Beautiful scenery and the staff was absolutely wonderful!

Wayne & Ingrid - Lodge Owners - incredibly attentive. The lodge is very clean and comfortable. The towels are super plush and the bathroom amenities Molton Brown. The beds are luxurious and very comfortable we all slept VERY well.Every time we came back to the Lodge - Wayne met us at our car to see how our excursion was and to see if we needed anything. We felt so well taken care of.Food - 5 star outstanding. Chefs here are top notch. We went trout fishing and the chefs made us trout sashimi, baked trout and smoked trout.You are on the lake - I highly recommend the Thermal springs, swimming in the lake and Trout Fishing with Bob. We caught 15 pounds of trout. Bob was funny, informative and probably the best fisherman in Rotatura. The boat is big, comfortable and has excellent fishing equipment and technology.Our preplanned cycling tour got canceled. Wayne stepped up and planned a replacement cycling experience for us and I must say it was the highlight of our trip so far! The bikes were top notch! I looked to see if I could buy one at home - The mountain bike trails in the bush are incredible. All levels are available.

Totally blown away with the quality of this Lodge, we had some wonderful tours booked and coming back to the hotel was fantastic. The rooms were so large, airy and there were spectacular views of the lake. Dinner was 5 courses of the highest quality tasting food. The host was friendly and everyone couldn’t do enough for you. This is a definite place to stay at when visiting Rotorua.

Friendly welcoming team. Excellent meal and service at their restaurant. Lovely position and views. The lodge and accom are about 20 years - overdue for an update so I think the value isn’t there as it’s a very tired 80s vibe. But overall we enjoyed it.

If I could give more than 5 stars I would.Wayne, Ingrid and team provided the most amazing, caring and thoughtful service through out our stay - we have never been so well looked after in our lives!Food and drinks were amazing - the set evening menu was phenomenal.Accommodation is extremely clean, comfortable and silent, we especially enjoyed watching the native birds outside our rooms windows.Highly recommend the early morning swim in the thermal pools, walk to the Tarawera falls which included a lovely packed lunch!Thanks you Wayne, Ingrid and Team!

Solitaire Lodge is an unbelievable experience. It is a perfect distance removed from Rotorua proper, providing a sublime sense of solitude yet still access to Rotorua's many activities. Wayne, Ingrid, Ian, and Michael were so kind to us, accommodating a late arrival after a long drive and helping us with recommendations for activities around town. The food at Solitaire is phenomenal (be sure not to miss the drinks and canapes!), and the Lake is impossibly serene. We thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor bath with views of the lake. It, unfortunately, rained one of the days of our stay so we were not able to take the kayaks out, but we hope to return one day so we can experience the Lake from the water!

We stayed 4 nights in December. Remote location with outstanding views. Very good if looking for a secluded break. The lake setting is amazing and the staff wonderfully attentive. The chefs and dinners were very well presented with good ingredients. Although dinners are at a set time, the staff are flexible to accommodate individual requirements. Rooms are comfortable but nothing special. This is a relaxing getaway lodge so don’t expect fast Wifi. The managers are super attentive and make every effort to make your stay special. We enjoyed our stay very much.

Great example of the best of a real 5 star full board luxury lodge in a spectacular location. I would recommend a booking of at least 3 nights to give you time to explore the area as well as enjoying the facilities offered by the property.Truly a great place to stay offering wonderful food served by a great team managed by Wayne and Ingrid.

We called up at the last minute at the end of July and got a great deal on an off season package. Met some fabulous new friends at dinner first night and the staff were actually amazing. Treat yourself to this historic luxury experience at least once in your life if you can. Just fabulous.

Rooms are solid but not exceptional - a remodel is probably overdue. The location is gorgeous, though, and you are right on the lake. And the food quality is very good at breakfast and lunch, then a bit less good at dinner.The service is where everything falls apart. It is woefully uncoordinated with many missed details. Nobody congratulated us on our honeymoon despite us telling them well in advance. Nobody gave us a tour of the grounds. Food service forgot menus, forgot to take food orders, forgot dietary restrictions multiple times... They even forgot to fill water glasses! You will probably find better food service at your local diner. Our excursion booking was promised to us by Ingrid and then forgotten about. The impression one comes away with is that the staff do not speak to one another to make proper handoffs, and it shows.The result is a holiday that left us feeling more stressed than when we arrived. We couldn't wait to leave and we deeply regret paying so much for our stay here. It's definitely not worth it.