This is a hotel with "history" in a fantastic location (IF the weather is cooperative).
My room was just average. Food was fine but not memorable.
Was only here for one night so didn't check out anything else.
Don't know the alternatives so cannot compare but suspect this is the best available.
I've been here-done that so won't return, but it's a perfectly reasonable place to stay.

We've just come back from a weekend at the Chateau. We'd stayed before in Winter a few years ago and enjoyed it, so booked the wotif.com deal of one night in a premium room and breakfast for two for NZ$195 . Even though we'd been before I was concerned reading some of these negative reviews. Fortunately our stay exceeded all our expectations.
Our room was the premium style in the older part of the hotel. It was spacious and very much in-keeping with the hotel's 1920s-style charm.
We asked for a mountain view and late check-out and both were granted with no fuss at all.
We booked dinner at the Ruapehu Room at the time of making the room reservation as we'd been disappointed before when the restaurant was fully booked.
The restaurant is one of the key reasons we love the Chateau and it did not disappoint. The food is of the standard (and better) than many of the top restaurants in Auckland and Wellington. Innovative food, beautifully cooked, and good value for money. The service isn't like a fine dining restaurant - it's polite but not polished, and we had to chase our first drinks. Apart from that the evening was impeccable.
The buffet breakfast is also good - and great value when included in the special price.
We had a wonderful relaxing weekend there and will absolutely be visiting again.
It's not a hotel for those who want ultra-modern furnishings and infinity pools - it's a 1920s style spa hotel, which fits perfectly with the environment. Long may it stay that way.

Our experience at at the Bayview Chateau Tongariro was quite disappointing. The basic problem is that service is well below standard for a four star hotel like this, and staff are nowhere near as friendly as the majority of other similar standard Hotels we have stayed at in NZ (Millenium Hotel in Taupo and Hilton Hotel in Auckland).

Right from the start the service was seriously below average. Wotif.com.au was offering a bed and breakfast package for $195 NZ and when I called the hotel to check the status of this, the attendant said this was not the case - and the cheapest rate was $235. Most hotels I've called over the last 12 months have been happy to match the wotif.com.au rate to secure the booking over the phone, but the Chateau staff were not willing.

When we arrived my wife and I were put in a room with two single beds (despite specifying a king or queen size bed). We called the reception and were then moved to another room - which lo and behold also had two single beds. Eventually we agreed simply for them to put the two beds together but the new room was nowhere near the standard of the first room and we were left feeling given the short shrift.

All in all not a good experience and arguably the worst place we have stayed during our 2 week trip.

After an initial problem finding a parking space (there was a big wedding going on), we were delighted to hear that we had been upgraded (ruby wedding) to a suite. Our accommodation was enormous, with a jacuzzi in the huge bathroom. Decor was very modern - stylish and sophisticated. The lounge, bar and main restaurant were all more traditional, though well maintained. The views from the lounge area were fantastic.
Our room was very clean, and maintenance staff took less than 2 minutes from our telephone call to replace a lamp bulb. The breakfast buffet offered a good selection of items, though staff could have been more welcoming. In contrast, the waitress in the informal bistro type cafe was extremely pleasant, and very knowledgeable about the dishes on offer. Our dinner was excellent and good value for money.
A very memorable visit to a hotel in an outstandingly beautiful area.