Colonial Lodge Motel

8.6

Excellent

296 Guest reviews

8.6

Excellent

296 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness8.8/10

Service8.8/10

Comfort8.4/10

Condition8.2/10

location8.6/10

Neighborhood8.6/10

Value8.4/10

Amenities8.6/10

Lovely room and the manager was so helpful. Highly recommend

Great innkeepers, provided a wealth of information on what to do in the area. Was within easy walk of the town and had good on site parking. Family unit was clean and up the back of the property. Property was a little tired and dated but had all we needed for a short stay for three adults.

Very comfortable.

Horrible parking situation. The parking space is first come first serve kinda basis, avoid parking on the top of the property its super tight my car is a small hatchback and I had a anxiety trying to get out of the parking space. Had to wait for the 2 cars next to me to evacuate until I can come out. We booked for a 1 bedroom 3 bed room and its okay. The rooms are outdated. There is not enough towel rails only one. The free shampoo and body wash dispenser was empty, good that we got some back ups. Our rooms bathroom door wont shut, the doorknob wont lay flat against the frame. Overall its an okay stay. Nothing impressive for me.

The room was good , but the car park was pretty bad

Hands down the best place we've stayed

This place was definitely the best place we've stayed so far. The service was really good and the cleanliness was incredible, not a spec of dust or sand or anything anywhere. Spewin we didnt stay longer

We stayed in room #1 & it was an impressive size. Both bedrooms had more than enough space. Bathroom also pretty roomy, but definitely dated. Clean & seriously great shower water pressure, but the shower box was on its last legs. The downside was when guests moved in upstairs. Every footstep, every trip to the bathroom, every time they turned the water on, it echoed through our room. It is just one of those things when you are away from home, but maybe some additional insulation in the ceiling might help to dull the noise a little. All in all, I would stay again, the location was excellent & the stay overall was really good value.

Staff was exceptionally helpful. Parking very tight. Loved kitchenette, cream for tea, shower water pressure and excellent bath. Terrific location and sitting spot to watch lake. Thx Ruth

Location

Clean unit, lousey parking.

Nicely appointed unit. Parking was difficult, bed was hard and pillows quite flat. Cannot fault the cleanliness or space of the unit. One large SUV parked in the middle park meant the parks other side were useless on the level our unit was on even for our small car.

The staff were very helpful and accommodating. The rooms have recently been renovated - spotless, well presented, comfy bed, smart TV, well-equipped kitchenette. Perfect quiet location for exploring Rotorua and surrounding areas.

I thought i was booking a room with a hot tub not a spa bath so be careful when you room.

Very organised

The unit was very comfortable and had everything we needed.

The heater was extremely loud. Parking challenging.

Helpful staff and efficient check in. Warm, clean and great location.

Quiet. Not far from town. Easy 10-to-15-minute walk. Competitive pricing. Comfy bed. Netflix etc. Opposite the lake. Friendly host. No dramas.

Our first stay and very pleasant surprise. Got a free upgrade to a better room. Polite staff, clean room, adequate to the motel's rating, jacuzzi bathtub in the room a big bonus. Excellent location close to the lake and restaurants. Would definitely come back.

Adequate Motel. No lake view in our unit but enjoyed the spa bath .

Loved Antony

It was nice and close to the lake but still quiet. The Manager was very friendly and helpful and even called me by my first name ahen he saw me. I liked that touch.

Good size room

Lovely hosts. Room was spacious and quiet. Beds were clean and comfortable m, although starting to sag

A perfect stopover location. Friendly staff and service. We were made to feel very welcome

Four Days before arrival I rang to make sure all was good with arrival I was assured everything was in order for our arrival One day before I got a email saying the price had changed being 120 dollars more I rang reception to explain we had booked and payed for room 6 months before the person we talked to would not look at my itinerary number and started to abuse me because I was trying sent gummy original email and he ended up handing up on us We got in contact with Expendia They assured us we had payed and they actually rang them When we arrived we got our room By the way people there is limited and tight parking bays also the room was supposed to have a heat pump and air con it’s is not working also rooms had cob webs kitchen utensils unclean ceiling fan very loud and apparently they don’t like people booking though agents Beware people avoid this place

Neil and Anthony were welcoming and gracious hosts, the hotel is across from the beach on lovely Lake Taupo, and the room was nice and comfy. The parking was free but pretty tight and required some fancy parking skills. Great value. Lovely spot.

Anthony was lovely to deal with, so friendly and made us feel welcome.

Friendly service and good accommodations. The host was very friendly and eager to help with things to do but since we only stayed one night we didn’t have much time but did venture up to the thermal spa and had a nice relaxing time there.

Anthony is an amazing host! Knowledgeable and hospitable. We felt so welcomed and had a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips. If ever in Taupo again, Colonial Lodge will be our first choice!

Host was very welcoming! Room clean and tidy. Spa bath was a bonus too!

Waterfront, nice and clean property.

Our unit was quiet, clean and spacious. Great motel location. The hosts are welcoming and accommodating, we would stay here again.

Comfortable & clean. Good location. Friendly staff and very helpful.

Great service and friendly people. Comfortable beds and lovely towels. Dated bathroom and average kitchen.

Great hosts and location. Small and simple but good value for money. Nice and clean. No road noise. The owners were so friendly and helpful. The room was cosy and warm.

My room was well equipped - comfy bed, big TV, outdoor seating, kitchenette with adequate utensils, jug, toaster..., good sized bathroom. Location was great: lakefront and within walking distance to cafes, restaurants and harbour.

Very clean, and rooms were nice and bright as the sun streams in beautifully

Nice place

Excellent location and a good comfortable room. Nothing fancy but I wasn’t expecting it to be so was quite nice. The hosts were extremely warm and welcoming - would stay here again.

Motel is tired & needs a makeover

The room was lovely and clean and the bed comfortable. My late arrival was not a problem, the key and milk was left ready for me.

Little bit old school, good location, nice staff, warm and clean, price was right.

Lovely staff, room a little tired but clean and tidy.

Cheap furniture n poor decorating finishing. Broken light plates, terrible painting of room.

Beach across the road tidy room very friendly staff

The room we had was nice, the jetted bath tub was quite big which was nice to have plenty of room. The worst part of this property was by far the parking. You have to be a fairly confident driver to be able to navigate your way out in the morning if the property is full.

great time

great help from the hotel owners

Great location by the beach

Service and room was Great 😃😎👍 Parking a bit limited but lots across the way in front of the beach.

nice place to stay, with good service. good price to.

Very clean and comfortable. The host is very knowledgeable about local activities. We received a lovely welcome. Overall a great experience.

Lovely friendly people running the motel. Had everything we needed for our stay

Enjoyable stay

Hosts most welcoming and provided great information regarding sightseeing. Room clean and comfy

Motel staff very friendly and helpful. Great location. Unit was quite roomy, and good facilities.

Marathon weekend accomodation

We stayed for two nights in a one bedroom unit. There was a double bed in the bedroom, two singles in the lounge area. The unit was clean and tidy and had everything we needed. There was a heat pump in the lounge which kept the room warm, also in the kitchen area there was a powerpoint with USB charging facility which was handy. And a big TV! Not too far a walk into town - under 2km - and restaurants easily within walking distance. Check in/check out easy, the Host was lovely, very approachable, and had some good chats! Parking could potentially be a bit tight,and I see some reviews have commented on this, but we have a big car and had no issues at all. I'd stay here again.

Reading the guest book it said the WIFI was not requiring a password but I had to go to the reception to get a password. The Tea and Coffee for the room was missing everything. It was only stocked with 1 chocolate pouch and salt and pepper. I had to go back to reception to get tea and sugar. The shower mixer was diabolical. It was not easy at all to figure out how to get warm water for a shower. Turn it left and it was all hot water and turn it right it was cold water. I had to fill the bath to wash myself. Just before bed I had a wood roach on the wall. To people who could not tell the difference may have thought otherwise. I know pest control for outside insect is hard. Otherwise the room and bed were very comfortable and I had a good sleep and I was greeted by a very nice gentleman who was looking after the place while the owners were away the care and attention on the facilities is were it went down hill for me.

Locality

A reasonable walk to the town centre and my two grandsons enjoyed that they weren’t too isolated.

Clean room, handy location and very pleasant and helpful host.

Roomy, clean and comfortable

We stayed 3 nights at the Colonial Lodge and really enjoyed our stay. Our room was clean, well equipped and quiet. The hotel is very well located, right across from the lake and only a couple minutes drive to “downtown” Taupo, or maybe a nice 10 minute walk along the lake if you feel like it. Unfortunately I forget the gentleman at the front desk’s name but from our arrival he was the most pleasant, helpful and informative host we’ve ever had. The only downside to the colonial lodge is the parking isn’t ideal. Half the parking spots are fine but the other half are located in a very tight car park at the rear, if you’re a good driver there’s no issue but it is a bit sketchy not knowing who’s going to try to squeeze in beside your car! Overall I give top marks to this hotel and staff, I highly recommend it and would stay there again.

Great place ....

Check-in was easy, located adjacent to Lake Taupo shoreline. Parking is somewhat limited but adequate. And we were referred by hotel check-in fellow to a small hot spring running into the edge of the lake where you could soak your feet (lay down if not too busy with other people). Very clean, comfortable and stylish motel.

Good lakefront location

Quick and easy check in. Enjoyed the spa bath and rainfall shower. Nice and quiet but still close enough to the lake front and shops/restaurants.

Check in was a breeze . we were given a map and lots of information about the area of which we did all things that were suggested and had a wonderful time. Even a small local restaurant that served great food at local prices..The motel is right on the lake unfortunately for us it rained most of the time but Im sure the views would have been amazing. It was a very comfortable stay.

Not Nice Motel

Paid $300.00 per night. Woke up to cockroaches in the bedroom. Next day there were ants and horrible trout flies. Owners said because we left our window open with lights on but it was 29 degrees. Left a day early due to too many bugs. Wondering about bed mites as well?????

Good

It was very enjoyable The staff is very friendly and helpful

The host are excellent, friendly!!! The rooms are very very clean. I would stayagain there and can recommend this place. Big Appartements with good cooking opportuinities. SKY TV and good laundry service Twenty Meters to the Lake. …............................!!!!! ...................…......................................................................................

Comfortable Accommodation With Pleasant Outlook

On arrival at the hotel we were greeted in a very friendly manner and escorted to our room, very rare these days. The gardens are beautiful with obvious time and effort being put into making this not just a carpark and building. Our suite had a small window with a view to a blank wall. Mindful of this, Anthony had installed a colourful hanging garden on the wall.

Brilliant location Friendly and thoughtful hosts

Better to be upstairs if you are a light sleeper. A bit noisy if a family is upstairs and you are downstairs

Lovely owners, lovely quiet stay

Arrived on Friday, lovely owners made us feel very welcome. The room one of the cleanest Ive ever experienced (my wife is an ex housekeeper and was also very impressed) The best wifi I have ever had in any hotel/motel anywhere, and, free. Left Monday morning after a very restful weekend, spa bath was great as well, so totally relaxed. Good value for the price as well.

Good value for money

A motel in a great location, right on the waterfront for a very good price. Comfortable, clean and friendly.

Great stay - comfortable beds and pillows, well equipped kitchen. Totally would recommend and would stay here again. The owners went out of their way to ensure we had everything we needed. Thank you Anthony and Noel.

Staying at Colonial Lodge Motel - Taupo

Our stay was cosy, Motel very clean....lovely chairs to sit in....staff were very friendly and obliging....enjoyed all the plants in the surroundings.....motel very colourful....especially the reception area...

A M A Z I N G S T A Y

This has been one of the best places we have stayed at in Taupo. Anthony & Noel are very polite and approachable hosts. Extremely well appointed, clean and spacious rooms - has almost everything one could ask for - was a home away from home. Even though the motel is close to the road there is absolutely no road noise - we slept like a rock lol!! Loved the spa bath :). This place will definitely be our first choice to stay at on our future trips.

Friendly Hosts

Very friendly hosts. They could not be more helpful. Handy location as well.

Not altogether happy with this stay

We booked this motel a while ago to stay in Taupo for an event and when we checked into the Motel we were met by a gentleman who probably shouldn't be at the front desk of reception. He handed us over to another gentleman who was very helpful and courteous. He took us to our room and while it was ok it was rather dated, the facilities were tired (Pots losing their non stick into your food) While the very basics were there they were near the end of their useful life cycle in a motel. The bathroom was functional but the toilet was stuck right behind the door and you felt very claustrophobic when using the toilet. The shower was the redeeming feature of the bathroom. The bed was HARD and quite small, the wall are thin and you can hear everything happening around you. I would find it hard to return to this motel or recommend it to anyone. The price paid for this motel is the same as others with far superior facilities. It seems that the owner/manager was trying to squeeze every bit of life out of everything before replacing it. This is only my opinion but !!!

Quiet Motel

even though motel is on main road, there was no traffic noise. Good location with laake just over road.

Great staff who went the extra mile, we

Anthony and Noel were exceptional hosts and made us very welcome with advice about local activities. They booked our trips and directed us to lovely pub/restaurant Quality staff. Well done

lake front, friendly staff

downstair rooms can be very noisy because we can hear upstairs guests talking, walking, showering...etc. Beds are not very comfortable. Staff is very friendly and give us very good guidelines where to go in Taupo.

Cosy, clean lovely large bathroom, quiet.

Older Motel but everything we required, very pleasant Staff

Don't judge a book by its cover

Clean, well appointed modern rooms and very accommodating management.

Last minute check in please!

A friend and I decided to stay over in Taupo at the last min so jumped on wotif and booked this place. Thing is we didn't click we were booking AFTER the last check in time! So I called up and Anthonie very kindly helped us out, unlocked our room, turned the heater on and left the key on the table for when we were finally ready to get to the room - such a star, thanks so much!

Disappointed with the faculties in relation to the rates. Staff very friendly though.

Lovely spot

Lovely friendly people. Very welcoming and ensured we were comfortable after a bad experience we had in Rotorua. Would definately go back there.

Lovely stay, very easygoing and accommodating hosts. We felt welcomed from the minute we arrived, we would definitely stay here again.

friendly staff. Central Location

Helpful staff, genuinely want you to enjoy your experience. Plenty of advice on local attractions and activities. great advice on dining.

Their biggest asset is themselves

Upon your arrival it is immediately evident that the colonial is immaculate. From the moment you drive in and notice the flower beds full of colour and well maintained to the moment you walk into the reception. The personalities of the owners are immediately evident with their collection of owls and piglets. Even in the rooms this becomes evident when you notice the artworks on the walls. Anthony is a very good cook - if you are tired and don't feel like preparing your own meals I suggest you really try the indian dishes prepared by him. The roti is to die for! We stayed for eleven days and they were even able to advise us on where to go, what to do in NZ and things to see. Added to that , we received vouchers, which saved us a pretty penny.

Okay, good location but needs a deep clean

Stayed here for two nights in the Nee Year weekend. Location is good, on the lakeside and a short walk to main shopping, food, drink areas of Taupo. Room was a good size, with television (including film channel), kitchenette, and en suite (including 'spa bath'). The bed was very uncomfortable unfortunately. Also the room was only superficially clean. There were lots of cobwebs, including dead insects, dust & some longstanding dirt. Room was advertised as partial lake and city view. In reality from our room one could see a slither of the lake through the window. Parking available on first come, first served but we always managed to park.

Easy to find along the lakeside road

Good welcome. Whe they realiser we were a mother/son combo they responded promptly to change the bed configuration by bringing in a foldaway bed.

Stay here!

Lovely owners, lovely accommodation. A little bit of a walk to town, but some restaurants drop you off.

It is ok!

Just one night stay. Close to everything.

Comfortable stay

Great location just across from Lake Taupo. Clean and tidy studio with everything you need. Would stay again when passing through Taupo next.

Other than the mosquitos in the room (I assume previous guests left doors and windows open?) and a noisy heater, this has the potential to be a very comfortable stay.

Clean, relaxing & sunny spot.

Very close to lakeside and short walk to town. A real sun trap so lovely to just chill and relax. Very friendly staff.

Close to beach

Had a good experience in taupo for doing Bungy and much more. Good place to visit.also mount ruapheu had good weather

A bit dated and noisy. Also didn't make the bed for second night.

wonderful taupo

Had a great stay in Taupo the room was clean and had everything needed. The biggest problem was not enough car spaces to park and very small we only had a small rental and still unable to get out of the car if you got the middle car park as spaces not allocated to your room.

Great location

This is a nice cozy hotel located just across the road from Lake Taupo. The room was very homely, spacious and clean. The room comes with a fully-equipped kitchen which was nice when we didn't feel like going out for a meal. The only downside was that the wifi signal didn't reach as far as our room and there was barely any phone reception either. This made it a bit difficult to plan our day activities while we were in the hotel room. We had a very pleasant stay at this hotel.

great

Awesome view accross lake, motel is opposite main swimming beach. Great service from the hosts, comfortable clean rooms, would stay again any time. Loved it

concert goers from the naki

fabulous stay, rooms were clean, comfortable and quiet, hosts were very friendly and even dropped us into town. Would definitely stay again

Lovely view to the Mountains

great value hotel

great value hotel, really really nice staff, really clean room and kitchen. highly recommend