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The Regent of Rotorua Boutique Hotel redefines modern hospitality with a visionary blend of classic design, luxurious facilities and bespoke service. Our philosophy is to marry personalized, intuitive service with divine rooms and suites, stunning surroundings and a smart, relaxed atmosphere. Perfectly located in the heart of Rotorua within walking distance of the eating & shopping precinct, the lakefront, government gardens and the convention centres. The Hotel offers 35 guest rooms, restaurant & bar, outdoor heated pool, natural mineral pool, mountain bike wash area and secure storage, meeting rooms, and unlimited free WiFi. Our award winning restaurant can cater for up to 70 guests banquet style and meetings can be held in a choice of 3 rooms from 21sqm up to 200sqm
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Qualmark.
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Business
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Chinese, Czech and 1 more
Location
1191 Pukaki Street, Rotorua 3010 New Zealand
Regent of Rotorua
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Regent of Rotorua earns rave reviews for its cleanliness and stylish serenity, with many travelers praising its beautifully decorated and newly renovated rooms. While the location is a hit due to its closeness to Eat Streat and downtown attractions, some guests have expressed concerns about the value, highlighting unexpected charges and breakfast service issues.
Although service quality varies, from friendly to disorganized, and room sizes and natural light can be inconsistent, the hotel's atmosphere and prime location continue to be popular among visitors.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Stylish
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Limited
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I booked a 'cutie' room at this hotel, with the understanding that it would be a small room (perfectly fine for my stay). The size wasn't too much of a bother since I didn't have any luggage (only a standard backpack), but as soon as I got in the room I realized there's nowhere to hang clothes up (there are some hooks on the side/back of the freestanding mirror, but no coat hangers other than two that house very lush bathrobes), or to even comfortably put my backpack while I go out and about. While the room is probably roomy enough for two people with one tiny bag each, I'd be hesitant to advise anyone with large suitcases to book this kind of room!
Other than the size (which as I say, I booked knowing it was small, and was fine for me as a solo traveller with only a small bag), the room pretty much had everything I needed. There's the standard kettle, tea/coffee/milk, coffee plunger (1 serving of coffee for this provided each day - 2nd guest would be out of luck!), cutlery, with added bonus of a microwave. There was a small refrigerator but as it's a mini bar, there was little room for a guest to be able to put anything else in there. There's also an iron and ironing board.
In the bathroom were large dispensers of 'The George' body wash, shampoo, conditioner, handwash and body lotion, plus smaller amenities such as sewing kit, etc. There was only a shower (no bath), but with the added luxury of both an overhead rain shower head, and one on the wall as well.
In the living area, there was a small desk, a small two-person sofa, and an office chair. For heating, there was a wall mounted heatpump.
For location, this hotel is quite nicely located right in town (handy to Government Gardens for the start/end of the Rotorua Marathon, and handy to the lake which is only one block away), but in some ways better than others as this is one block back from the main road so nice and quiet. It's also only a couple of doors away from 'Eat Street', which is a kind of food court, set in a lovely atmosphere and featuring a diverse range of eateries to sit in and enjoy meals at. Outside of this, there are a few other restaurants in the blocks close to this hotel, particularly franchise outlets (Subway / Nando's) and Indian.
Like I say, I stayed in the smallest of rooms, and it was perfectly sufficient for me, but if you're going to be travelling with lots of luggage, I wouldn't recommend the cutie room, but I would still recommend this hotel as a good option in the CBD. It's well located to the lake, the gardens, and lots of food choices; it's only one block back from the bus stop where the airport bus (#10) arrives/departs from; and it is a lovely, quiet area. The pool area is lovely, and the pool looked inviting, although I didn't go in.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Be sure to ask for a room with enough space if you have lots of luggage
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We chose the Regent for its great location near downtown Rotorua.
Checkin was fast but we had trouble fitting my large SUV rental in their tiny parking lot. The other challenge was carrying our suitcases up to the second floor.
Inside our two bedroom, we had a living room, tiny kitchenette and two large bathrooms. Our balcony overlooked the pool. It was comfortable but being so close to the parking lot we were woken up very early in the AM when there were a bunch of people taking really loudly under our window.
We did not eat on site but there were bus loads of visitors filing it up. Eat Street was right next door so one did not have to go far for a meal.
One tip you can park your car on the street after 5pm until 9am for free. Hourly parking all other hours.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Awesome staff at reception, very tidy and new hotel. Great room, set out well with high quality fittings. Spacious and clean. Bathroom tidy and large. Added bonus of breakfast included in room price, both continental and cooked breakfast included with bottomless coffee. Centrally located and close to Eat Street if looking for drinks and dinner out.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had asked for a quiet room and were put in the first room of the annex and we were constantly disturbed by the main door every time someone went in or out.
The room was very large with two beds and the kitchenette was well equipped. However, it was not very clean. There were stains on the carpet, dust and dirt (especially the sofa).
The shower gel was empty so I left the lid off and put it on its side but they didn't bother replenishing it. They also left dirty cleaning cloths in our kitchen.
Parking is very limited and you have to pay to park on the street.
Overall this was very disappointing and of the 13 places we stayed in New Zealand, this was our least favourite.
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Ask to stay in the main building
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stated 2 nights in a ground floor room with a sofa area and separate bedroom. It was very dark, dank and right next to boarded up area where the building work was happening. The room was not very clean, I found a pair of socks left from previous occupants. White faux leather sofa was too filthy and sticky to sit on. I used the cafetiere but only had the bathroom basin to empty in and wash up so didn't housekeeping didn't remove it or swop it. Disappointed with the room but breakfast was of a high quality with helpful staff. Not enough parking had to park on street. With the noise from the building works right by our room, early morning workers on site not a very relaxing place.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mike Eccles, General Manager at Regent of Rotorua
Responded Dec 12, 2023
Kia ora Rachel, Thank you for your review. I am pleased you enjoyed breakfast and found our staff helpful. I sincerely apologise for the condition of your room and have followed this up with the Housekeeping Team. The New Wing under construction is due do be over by the end of December 2023 and we look forward to being able to have 12 more rooms available for our Guests. We wish you safe travels ahead and and a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Regards, Mike Hotel Manager
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To put it lightly, this hotel was an absolute disorganized mess. We are currently traveling on our honeymoon, and we checked in, the hotel receptionist said, “we have you in the honeymoon suite, but we have a request for twin beds”. When we informed her that we never requested twin beds, they said they would have to fix the room. Not a huge issue, except the solution was to just push the two beds together. Again, not the worst thing in the world, but this was just the start. From the moment we checked in, the staff was completely rude or disinterested. We didn’t feel like guests, more like nuisances. They put us in a room on the second floor, and they don’t have an elevator anywhere in the place. Then, when we get into our room, there was dirt/dust covering every surface, and the shower head was disgusting. Our two pushed together twin beds were comfortable enough so I guess that’s a positive for the hotel.
Out of this entire stay, our biggest gripe was the check in/breakfast situation. When we checked in, the manager (blonde) at the time insisted that we had the full breakfast included with our room (roughly 34 NZD per person per day). The receptionist checking us in confirmed again that we had included breakfast. We ate both mornings we stayed at the hotel with this in mind. When we checked out, a different manager and receptionist said breakfast was never included and charged us for it (over 100 NZD). This was obviously extremely disappointing/frustrating as the breakfast was mediocre at best, and after our experience with the hotel staff, we would’ve rather supported a local breakfast place in town.
We would not recommend this place to anyone traveling to Rotorua, unless you enjoy crappy/expensive breakfast, rude hotel staff, or dirty rooms.
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bruce Garrett, General Manager at Regent of Rotorua
Responded Oct 1, 2024
Dear Explore46526174878 We are extremely concerned to hear your recent stay with us did not meet either our usual standards or your expectations. The issues you have highlighted regarding the service you encountered have been actively addressed with our team and we will carefully monitor them moving forward. We do apologise for the confusion that occurred relating to your breakfast. While your package did not include breakfast, we totally accept responsibility for giving you incorrect information at check-in. If you could please email me directly we will arrange to refund you the breakfast charges. We sincerely apologise for the frustration you experienced during your time with us and your resulting disappointment. Kind regards Mike Eccles Hotel Manager
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We arrived and were shown to our room. No parking available so had to park on street. Room was nice but very much like a motel not an hotel. Reception pleasant. Breakfast was a really poor experience both days having to keep asking for things to be refilled and then having paid a lot for room and inclusive breakfast was amazed to be asked to pay extra for a latte when all they had was Luke warm filter coffee. Dining staff generally uninterested and just no personal service at all. There are no facilities and the indoor pool is a hot tub that we couldn’t access.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were allocated an absolutely horrendous room for a two night stay for a couple celebrating our Ruby wedding anniversary in Rotorua. The only good thing about this tiny and dirty room was it’s location next to Eats Street with a wide range of restaurants where we ate both nights. I would highly recommend you do not stay at this hotel. There are lots of other places to stay in Rotorua. The view out of the window is shown in the photos below. There wasn’t enough room to get into both sides of the bed. The furniture was dirty and stained as well as highly uncomfortable.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Find somewhere else to stay.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mike Eccles, General Manager at Regent of Rotorua
Responded Nov 5, 2023
Kia Ora Chris, I am pleased you enjoyed our location to Eat Streat. Congratulations on your Ruby Wedding Anniversary. Our Cutie rooms are compact but do still have all of the amenities of our other rooms. These are ideal for those on a budget. Thank you for bringing to my attention the condition of the furniture as this has now been rectified. We have a designer frosting on the windows of the small number of rooms which don't have views to retain the Boutique feel of the Hotel. Regards, Mike Hotel Manager
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We have enjoyed dining at the Regent in the past but were very disappointed with our latest experience. On this occasion there were only a few diners in the restaurant and we enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. However Bread rolls arrived at the same time as our entrees. When the entrees and mains arrived the staff forgot who had ordered which meal. I had to search for staff and knock on the kitchen door to request steak knives. We finished our meal before 9pm and my friend asked for a coffee. We waited for some time(now after 9pm)and I then had to remind the staff about the coffee. While my friend was drinking her coffee the staff turned half of the restaurant lights off, leaving half of our table unlit. This was a not so subtle hint it was time for us to leave and the final straw for me. We could also hear loud clanging noises at reception. Turns out Cutlery was being taken from the dishwasher and chucked rather than quietly placed into trays. During the second half of our meal staff were setting up tables for breakfast. The peaceful environment was disrupted. This is an upmarket boutique hotel but the standard of service has declined and needs to be urgently reviewed by management. My friends commented that the experience was like being in “FaultyTowers”
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mike Eccles, General Manager at Regent of Rotorua
Responded Dec 23, 2024
Kia ora Mr. Cameron, Thank you for your detailed post. I am pleased that over all you enjoyed your meal. I do apologise for the lapse in service on this occasion and can assure you that this is not our usual standard. Your feed back has been taken on board and has been passed on to the to Team to ensure it is not repeated. Regards, Mike Hotel Manager
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On arrival we were allocated a room in the Annexe, which although comfortable and adequate, it was not what we expected. Unfortunately, the only outside view we had was of the rear bumper of a car which had reversed into a car parking space outside our window which was set really high . It appeared that our room window was on a level with the car park surface. Housekeeping did not replenish coffee, milk etc at any point during our 3 night stay ! Unfortunately there was en enforced evacuation of the annexe when the fire alarm sounded (turned out to be a false alarm) , staff ran round checking each room and unfortunately left all room doors wide open, including ours. We were shocked to return to our room to find our door wide open and everyone else’s too leaving their possessions at risk. I did convey this to Reception staff who said they would attend to this. On the positive side , the room was clean and comfortable and staff were friendly and helpful . The hotel was in an excellent location. Car park was wholly inadequate for the size of the hotel and we had to pay for on street parking on a couple of occasions
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Ask to stay in the main building
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Rotorua area.
PRICE RANGE
$131 - $201 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
regent of rotorua hotel rotorua, regent rotorua, rotorua regent
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandBay of Plenty RegionRotorua DistrictRotorua
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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