I've travelled all over the world and have NEVER had such a good breakfast! I even found myself looking forward to the following morning so that I could eat again! Lindsay and Graeme are doing a brilliant job. Nothing is too much trouble. They offer a first rate, personal service, offering travel tips, suggestions for day trips, restaurant advice... as well as wonderful beds, a fabulous view, a great welcome and.... BRILLIANT breakfasts! What more could you want?
Prim and Chris UK

Graham and Lyndsay are perfect hosts. They just cannot do enough for you, booking trips, answering questions knowledgeably and taking a strong interest in helping guests make the most from their stay. Graham is an expert fisherman and we had a great day out under his guidance. Lyndsay keeps a smart house and provides canapes and a glass of wine in the evening and a fantastic breakfast that will see you skipping lunch.

As for the accommodation, we stayed in the Queen room which is ensuite, very comfortable and having spent three nights at the Lakeside Lodge, we wished we had booked more. Yes, Rotorua is regarded as being smelly as it is in a geothermal area and sulphar gas does smell a bit, but Lakeside is far enough outside Rotorua that the smell doesn't reach there. And despitethe smell, there is just so much to see and do in the area that you may very well regret not booking more time.

Lakeside Lodge itself sits very close to the lake with magnificent views. The residents' lounge is very comfortable.

Highly rcommended - if I come back to Rotorua, I'd have no hesitation in coming back to Lakeside.

I should start by saying we didn't visit under the best conditions -- it was gloomy and rainy, so there wasn't much of a lake view, and we didn't spend much waking time at the lodge. The hosts were not very outgoing, although they were helpful in arranging the Mitai Maori dinner and tour.

We stayed in the Wai Motu (king) room. The room itself was fine -- clean and comfortable -- but the door and the walls were thin. We could hear the people in the next room. There were some snacks left out for us, which was nice. The breakfast was good, but the host seemed put out by a request for iced coffee.

The location is indeed far enough out of Rotorua to avoid the sulphur smell, but it's not isolated. In fact, it's in a residential neighborhood with houses on either side -- not really what I was expecting. If we're ever lucky enough to be in the area again, I would try a different place -- this might be great if you're into fishing, but we aren't.

I don't really recommend the Maori tour, by the way -- it's 300 tourists all shoving each other out of the way so they can get a better picture. Also, it's very, very long, and you don't get dinner until a couple hours into the tour. The Maori cultural experience is very interesting, but it would have been a lot better with 50 people instead of 300.

Stayed in the Queen room here one day in January with my wife heading south on the North Island. We had a limited amount of time so we could only stay the one day or I would have stayed more. Lyndsay & Graham were very gracious hosts and the giant breakfast was amazing, especially the muselix. Lyndsay also arranged for a whitewater rafting trip for us the next day which was about 20 minutes away. Lastly, if you like to fish, stay here and save money because you do not need to hire a fishing guide. Graham has several fly & spin cast rods you can use or you can bring your own. Walk 50 yards outside the back of the house and there is some of the best trout fishing I have seen in my life. I woke up at around 6:00 AM and waded out about knee deep into the lake and caught three nice sized trout in an hour and lost many more. Also, if you have never fished or have any questions ask Graham because he is an expert on the fishing situation in the area.