Strange reading the above mentioned review. Ross and Pip do not have a restaurant to complain about. In fact that particular review describes another AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT establishment in Turangi. We have stayed with Ross and Pip on many occasions and will keep going back there to enjoy their establishment, what better endorsement can I give?

Tongariro River Motel is not new or flash, in fact the rooms have seen better days. Despite this I highly recommend this motel, especially if you are a trout fisherman, and afterall, Turangi describes itself as the 'Rainbow Trout Capital of the World'. The key to this motel is the fantastic service that Ross and Pip provide. Ever helpful, they can recommend things to do, places to see, and (most importantly) places to fish. Prices are very reasonable with discounts for longer stays. There are studios and 2-bedroom units and all have cooking facilities (fridges, stoves, microwaves etc) with parking and free wireless internet. There is even a smokehouse on site if you wish to smoke any trout you catch. Fans are provided for hot weather, and heaters and electric blankets for cold weather. There is also a friendly dog (Boof) who loves going for walks on the riverbank with guests. If you are not intested in fishing there are amazing walks in the area and the Central North Island snowfields are not too far away. It's not 5 star in quality but 10 star in value, friendliness and service.

We stayed for two nights at the lodge. Loved the quiet location and the setting near the river. We had two adjoining rooms which may have been smaller than some on the property. The rooms were fairly basic although there was ground coffee and tea available. The bed springs were not adequate and both my husband and myself had sore backs as a result of this. We did not find the food in the restaurant to be great at dinner although the breakfasts were very good. The TV was tiny and hard to see from the bed. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our stay, due mainly to the friendly staff and the lovely location.

When planning my family's North Island driving vacation, I concluded we had one night to spend in the Lake Taupo area and debated whether to spend it in the city of Taupo, or at the south end of the lake in the much smaller village of Turangi. I chose Turangi for the opportunity to learn more about and observe the world famous trout fishing there, and the possibility of visiting the geothermal pools nearby. (If it had been summer, the neaby National Park would have been a major draw as well). If you face this same choice, I highly recommend Turangi.

Although the Tongariro River Motel wasn't my first choice for a place to stay in Turangi -- probably because Tripadvisor doesn't list it as being in Turangi, but rather Taupo -- I consider myself extremely lucky to have wound up there. Although there are motels and lodges elsewhere that I have rated highly on TripAdvisor for a variety of reasons (value, location, etc), this is a rare one that I am giving 5 stars because my whole family wholeheartedy loved it.

After repeatedly, over several weeks, trying to contact the Creel Lodge or the (much more expensive) Oreti Lodge and receiving no reply from either, I e-mailed the TRM and almost immediately received an absolutely delightful e-mail back Ross and Pip. Reservations were easily and quickly made and confirmed, the Bakers not even demanding a credit card to hold our place. So I knew even before we got there that a stay at the TRM would be a treat.

Upon arrival we were greeted by Ross and Boof, the Wonder Dog (a local celebrity). Ross, as expected, was gregarious and a source of all sorts of useful information. Boof may be the sweetest, best mannered canine I've ever met. When I mentioned my plans to take a late afternoon stroll to observe folks fishing along the river, Ross offered to let us (and my 13 year old son in particular, who was drooling at the prospect) take Boof with us. We did so, and this was a huge hit with the family.

As for the accomodations, the unit we were given was enormous, with two bedrooms (and an extra bed in the living area if needed for a fifth adult), a large bathroom, a dining room, a completely equipped kitchen, and a good sized living room. Like many places we stayed in NZ, the heating was provided by an electric wall unit (in this case with an accurate digital temperature control), supplemented here by an additional floor-standing electric heater which could be used if needed. The unit had a DVD player in addition to a TV, and a modest selection of DVDs were available at the office for free viewing. Lighting in the living room area was a bit dim, but no problem. In general the furnishings were a little old, but well cared for and comfy. The whole place was extremely cozy. It would be easy to spend a week, or several weeks, there (and the modest cost would make this feasible financially).

The location of the TRM is wonderful for anyone with plans to fish in the river (most likely the biggest draw to Turangi), which is just a very short distance away, perhaps a hundred meters. (By the way, do NOT use Google Maps to locate the motel, which Google places nowhere near Link Road, the actual address. We were using the Google map to find the hotel and wasted about 20 minutes hunting for it, til we figured out the problem. If you're coming from Taupo, look very carefully to your left right after you cross the bridge, the motel sign is easy to miss -- at least we did!)

Dining options proved somewhat limited in Turangi, but there was a good grocery store within walking distance. With such a well-equipped kitchen in our unit, we decided to enjoy a home-cooked meal, a pleasant break from restaurant food.

Thanks again Ross, Pip, and Boof, for a wonderful stay. We hope to be back someday, and do some fishing the next time!