Treetops Lodge and Estate

I really fell in love with New Zealand on this trip. I was pretty certain it would be a favorite destination, but I was blown away by the kindness and sincerity of everyone who lives there, amazing food and wine, and the scenery that really can't be described with anything other than stunning. The exchange rate is at its lowest in 6 years for the NZD vs USD, so it is a great time to go and check out the luxury properties.

Alright, back on topic. Treetops Lodge and Estate is a quick 25 minute drive from Rotorua and is nestled back on 2,500 acres in an 800 year old native forest. It is a hunting and fishing lodge with seven streams, on-site trout fishing, and over 40 miles of adventure trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The lodge is also known for its hunting. They have many animals, including trophy's, including duck, water buffalo, several types of deer, goats, and more. The rate includes pre-dinner drinks with canapes and a multi-course dinner.

This lodge in particular, you must understand what it is if you want to stay at it. It is very isolated with virtually no cell phone reception. My biggest complaint about this property is the owner needs to invest in improving the cell and wifi service. Wifi is only available in the main lodge with no access at all in the villas. The wifi in the main lodge is so slow that it is almost not usable. But, with this remoteness, is a great sense of quiet and peace.

Since it is a hunting lodge, they really focus on the estate to plate concept. Most of the meat served comes from animals on the property. It is quite common to have boar sausage for breakfast or deer or trout for dinner. In terms of food, this lodge was my least favorite because of the game meat. I have never been able to develop a taste for it. The food was good, just not my preference.

The main lodge has 4 guest rooms, a library, bar, billiards room, dining room, and a few other rooms. Meals are served in the main lodge. I did not get to see the guest rooms as they were occupied by other guests while we were visiting.

Main lodge from the back:


More of the main lodge - I couldn't fit it in one picture:


The "lobby" of the lodge is the bar and fireplace. First up, the bar:


The bar and fireplace face each other with couches and chairs in between them. This is the room we had drinks and canapes:


Billiards room:


Library:


Dining room - this is the formal one where we had evening dinner. There is a more casual room next door with an open view into the kitchen, where we had breakfast:


I loved the villas at Treetops. We had some showers and with the rain, the remoteness with the forest, and the rooms, I was a secluded heaven. The rooms had real fireplaces as opposed to gas, which the staff have set up to all you need to do is light a match.

The villas are all set up as a duplex and their are 8 total or 4 duplexes. They share one wall but I do not think they connect. It was drizzling when I took the outside picture, so it isn't the best:


The rooms were spacious:




The double doors off the right are a closet:


The mini bar has complimentary tea, coffee, beer, water, and soft drinks. Wine and liquor have a charge:


The bathrooms were the largest of any lodge or property we visited:


The shower was a bit annoying though. With how the towel racks were placed, I always got water on the floor. They did have heated towel racks, which many of the lodges also had:




The property and surroundings were stunning. This waterfall feature is beside the main lodge front entrance:


This is the road leading up to the property. The fall colors were gorgeous!!


We did one of the hikes up to Bridal Veil Falls. The property has boots, ponchos, trekking poles, etc if you need to borrow them:


Any hike with bubbles is always rewarding!

General thoughts: I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this property. Unless you want to disappear and disconnect, the lack of or very slow wifi is frustrating. The food was not my favorite. But I loved my room. I would happily go to this property for a long weekend and enjoy the nature. Turn down service was nice with chocolates and "sleep salts" placed by the bed. With the villas being a bit from the main lodge, if you do not want to walk, you call the lodge from the villa phones and they come pick you up.

The lodge has a heavy emphasis on Maori culture. One unique aspect they offer is a Maori welcome - one of the staff performs a traditional welcome before pre-dinner drinks. It was fantastic and authentic.