We stayed with Mandy and Andrew during a family holiday around New Zealand in January and chose Astelia Lodge as our up-market B&B experience, far from the smells of (interesting!) Rotorua but close enough to those attractions and the airport to be very handy.
Astelia Lodge is a small enterprise run by a charming couple and with just two upmarket guest rooms on a large "small" farm it seems they have done well not to overcommit to the B&B, so that every set of guests are well cared for. This is a new Lockwood building with a gorgeous outlook over fields to a dramatic escarpment. The rooms are an interesting blend of country comfort and city chic. Our teens were very happy in their suite at one end of the building, and we felt equally private and cared for in our room at the other end of a central kitchen and common lounge room (the hosts area really). Each fo the suites have a tea and coffee making area a small fridgeand wardrobe area behind the main bed/TV/sitting area. Each room features a large luxurious shower room and comfy giant bed, outdoor patio and modern decor. The only difference between these two suites is the fact one is a twin bed setup, the other a double. Andrew and Mandy are from the UK originally so had a great way of making us feel at home without crowding us, and they...We stayed with Mandy and Andrew during a family holiday around New Zealand in January and chose Astelia Lodge as our up-market B&B experience, far from the smells of (interesting!) Rotorua but close enough to those attractions and the airport to be very handy.
Astelia Lodge is a small enterprise run by a charming couple and with just two upmarket guest rooms on a large "small" farm it seems they have done well not to overcommit to the B&B, so that every set of guests are well cared for. This is a new Lockwood building with a gorgeous outlook over fields to a dramatic escarpment. The rooms are an interesting blend of country comfort and city chic. Our teens were very happy in their suite at one end of the building, and we felt equally private and cared for in our room at the other end of a central kitchen and common lounge room (the hosts area really). Each fo the suites have a tea and coffee making area a small fridgeand wardrobe area behind the main bed/TV/sitting area. Each room features a large luxurious shower room and comfy giant bed, outdoor patio and modern decor. The only difference between these two suites is the fact one is a twin bed setup, the other a double. Andrew and Mandy are from the UK originally so had a great way of making us feel at home without crowding us, and they are both real foodies and very good in the kitchen! Dinner is available and so one night we sat down to an excellent up-market roast lamb and blue berry cake dinner (our own wine) which still felt home-made rather than mass produced as these meals can be in a restaurant. Mandy and Andrew have added various animals to the property for themselves and their guests to enjoy. After each day of hard sightseeing and thermal pool visits, we appreciated the peace and quiet with a glass of wine or cup of tea while our teens ran off to feed Elliot the goat and pet the two donkeys. Plus they have a charming dog, Daisy, who made us all feel most at home and wriggled with delight at the prospect of guests. Altogether Astelia Lodge proved a great change from a regular lodge or hotel (our hotsts gave much better advice on local attractions than you' d get from some of the inexperienced concierges at a standard family hotel). Astelia also offers many five star touches in the standard of bedding, furniture and scrumptious yet simple country style cooked breakfasts. The drive to Rotorua takes about 20 minutes, but it a lovely part of the country side to view from the car window. And it is close to the airport too, where we picked up our car and headed straight to Astelia Lodge, no trouble. Would certainly stay again at a place where you feel more like a friend than a paying guest.More
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