Review: The Millennium Hotel, Rotorua

The first things that come to mind about the Millennium Hotel in Rotorua, New Zealand are authenticity and a distinctly personal feel.

Situated next to the beautiful Lake Rotorua and very close to the city centre, the hotel is cozy despite its size, boasting 227 rooms with residential-style decor, each showcasing spectacular views of either the lake or their very own native garden.

There’s also a whopping seven meetings and events spaces that can hold up to 400 people.

The stand out feature though has to be the heating which is provided by harnessing the natural geothermal resources surrounding the hotel. Plus, it’s got plenty of eco-friendly features including an Enviro-Silver status for its sustainability practices.

They’re also one of Rotorua luxury hotels members of the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter.

Service: 9/10

The lobby is warm and inviting with high wooden panelled ceilings and a stunning Maori wood carving.

lobby

The hotel manager Tony Moore is accommodating, playful and hilarious. If you have the pleasure of meeting him you’ll get what we mean. Every staff member we encountered was lovely and an absolute treat to talk to.

The room: 8/10

The room we stayed in was the Hope Lewis Suite, named after Dr. Thomas Hope Lewis, who was the first western doctor appointed to the township as part of the agreement between the government and the Maori people of Rotorua, which we thought was a nice touch.

Room on fifth floor, club level. This is not the room reviewed.

With a huge 58 Sqm x 624 Sq feet of space, the suite had everything we needed and more including beautiful entrance area, a separate lounge room and marble en-suite bathroom. The art was tasteful and the furnishings, though slightly dated, were comfortable and added to the cozy-yet-specious vibe of the hotel.

The room was also located on the club floor, meaning full access to the club lounge. The club floor is also off-limits to guests below 18 years of age, which we saw as a bit of an unexpected extra.

Food and drink: 7/10

As for dining and drinking options, Restaurant Nikau more than does the job, capturing the flavours of New Zealand using fresh local produce in a very relaxed setting.

Bar Zazu is cozy and has a very log-cabin-esk vibe. Perfect for sipping a whiskey or wine at the end of the day.

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And finally, the Brasserie Poolside Restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy a buffet style breakfast with a poolside view. You can also opt for an alfresco experience, but we decided to stay indoors, as we made our visit in the wintertime.

Overall review: 8/10

We honestly wouldn’t want to stay anywhere else in Rotorua. The hotel’s beautiful, log cabin vibe perfectly suits the rugged, volcanic lake-side destination.

5th Floor room view of Sulphur Point 50%

View from a fifth-floor room

The whole experience is incredibly immersive and personal.

It really is so much more than your average cookie-cutter hotel experience.

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millennium hotel new zealand rotorua