Set aside the automatic doors that didn’t work, the newly appointed concierge who didn’t know that the non-Tesla EV charging point was defunct, and the lift that refused to take me to my room no matter how many times I tapped my key card … and the Novotel Rotorua is a joy!

My room had a view over the lake and that was a daily morning enticement to a brisk walk on the lakeside. The hotel’s proximity to Eat Streets meant I had ample choice of cuisine and was not limited to the less than creative breakfast and gluttonous dinner buffets. Eat Streets was less than a five-minute stroll from the hotel’s main entrance.

Speaking of the main entrance, that is also where the reserved parking lots for Accor members are located alongside a solitary charging point for the EV owner who dares arrive in anything other than one of Musk’s vehicles.

The highlight of my three-night stay at this hotel was the outdated kidney-shaped swimming pool warmed to a most comfortable temperature.

The 3 hot pools heated to 31 degrees C eased all my sore and tired muscles while the one plunge pool of 16 degrees C was a refreshing way to end a morning soak. I always felt so relaxed and revitalized every morning so I didn’t crave a caffeine wake up throughout the day. I finished every day with a swim and then an indulgent soak in one of the hot pools.

There was a rumor I heard of a room with its own private spa but I did not have time to look into it. It may be well worth investigating for my next visit which I hope will not be too long from now.

I would highly recommend a stay here just for the use of the pools but you would want to do it during the off peak winter months and make a bee line for the pool area at the very early hours of morning and late at night if peace and restfulness is the goal.