Lake Karapiro Lodge

Really nice lodge between Hobbiton and Hamilton gardens, both brilliant visits. We stayed in the Sir Tristram - huge room with everything you could want - v comfy bed. Magnificent view. Great breakfast. Colin and Jan very friendly. Helpful with visits and local restaurants. Lovely swim in pool - it was a hot day!

Colin and Jan are excellent hosts. Our room and the lodge are like treasures out of a magazine. This is truly a unique and wonderful place to stay. The view from our room was incredibly spectacular of New Zealand’s longest river. The bed was extremely comfortable, and we slept well. This lodge is highly luxurious. Breakfast was amazing and an excellent start to our day of exploring. We would have liked to stay longer.

Gorgeous view over the lake. Located about 15-20 minutes from Cambridge and 20 minutes from Hobbiton, this was a nice small B&B for our visit. The owner is very friendly and the breakfast was very good.

This is the perfect home base for exploring New Zealand's north island! The pictures don't do justice to just how beautiful the lodge, views and grounds are. We stayed in a Lakeview room and relaxed on our room's patio with coffee each morning. Rotorua, the Waitomo glow worm caves, and Lake Taupo are all within 1.5 hours driving and all are beautiful! Hiking in the area is also terrific. The town of Cambridge nearby is great for dining & shopping. Hobbiton is right around the corner, although we didn't visit it on this trip. Colin and Jan are wonderful hosts and we loved chatting with them each day. We highly recommend Lake Karapiro Lodge for anyone looking to both explore and relax in the North Island.

This is quite a difficult review to write as the new owners have been there since May last year. However, they bill themselves as a 5-star property, so I'll list what I think are pros and cons and you can make up your own mind. Pros: - hearty breakfast - spacious rooms - cute dog (Goldie) - swimming pool (not heated) and spa - close to Hobbiton - comfortable bed - nice views - a LOT of interaction with the host Cons: - hearty breakfast that does not change, so if you're there for more than a couple of days, you may choose to skip breakfast - walls are thin; you can hear the room next door and the room above - swimming pool (not heated) - nice views but you can hear the traffic from the highway below - a LOT of interaction with the host (more than you would expect/imagine at a "5-star" Lodge with prices to match) I don't generally have a problem with interaction with the host but when they are standing at the breakfast table next to you while you are seated and having breakfast and they are talking with you throughout the whole breakfast, that can be a bit much. Some guests come to difficult-to-find lodges to get some peace and quiet.

We loved our stay with Jan and Collin at Lake Karapiro Lodge. Such a beautiful setting! The scenery from our first floor room was exquisite. The accommodations were spectacular. And yet best of all was the generous hospitality of Jan and Collin. They made our stay truly special.

Booked this only for 1 night as we were on our road trip, wished we stayed longer. Lodge is beautiful, very well equipped, breakfast basket was amazing. Only negative note was the road noise, next to SH1. Attention to detail in the lodge was amazing

Colin and Jan were extraordinary hosts! The breakfasts were excellent and the view of the river from our room was stunning! Well appointed rooms and conveniently situated for our plans to visit Hobbiton and the glow worm caves. It is a beautiful property and we hope to stay again! Our family also fell in love with their dog, Goldie 💛

Felt like a second home!!