Solitaire Lodge

Ingrid and Wayne own and run this beautiful lodge with spectacular views Lovely spacious rooms. Pre dinner drinks and canapés. David the chef cooked brilliant meals each evening, beautifully presented and wonderful taste. All staff were outstanding and nothing was too much for them. Always with a smile. Happy to recommend this.

An exceptional stay in a wonderful location. Friendly personal service with special little touches that make for a very unique experience. Feeling like a truly valued guest at all times, whether that’s the advice for what to do, the fantastic food and drinks quality or the great room service - standards are high and delivered consistently with warmth and care! A rare find not to be missed!!

Second time staying at this lodge. Glad we returned. A very comfortable and tranquil place to stay.|It continues to have impeccable service and outstanding food.|We walked around the beautiful Blue Lake – a short drive away. |Amazing views of the lake from our room. Felt very well looked after and would highly recommend.

Fantastic place to unwind and relax. Genuine friendly service from Wayne, Ingrid and staff. Amazing views of the mountain and lake from our spacious room. The food was the absolute highlight and I would stay again just to eat more of it!

There could hardly be a more beautiful place than Lake Tarawera and the location of Solitaire Lodge on the peninsula overlooking the lake. Wayne and Ingrid were fabulous hosts. The room was lovely. The food was incredible and the staff could not have been nicer or more helpful. If you are lucky enough to visit do get over to the geothermal hot bath for a soak. The hike to the waterfall was a very pleasant afternoon.

In all my years of travel I have never patronized a hotel which was better in any aspect of hotel service. Ingrid and Wayne and the entire staff make the extra effort to make the stay better than enjoyable. The meals are excellently prepared and they make sure they accommodate any food issues.. They accommodate all your touring and transportation needs. The cost is high but the value is higher. I would have no problem recommending Solitaire to anyone.

Charming as can be! Beautiful secluded small hotel adjacent to Lake Tarawera so a bit outside of the city but fully worth it. There are 9 individual bungalows. My room overlooked the lake. ||I had a two bedroom bungalow for those with a family. A entry way opened up into a beautiful living room with a refrigerator with fresh cream, breville espresso machine, and a hot pot for water, with multiple options for coffee, tea, and biscuits as well as fresh fruit. The living room had a full view of the lake. My bedroom has a king bed, spacious and comfortable also with a continued lake view. ||The bathroom in the adjacent bedroom had two full sinks, and a bathtub, all in sparkling white granite. ||My bathroom, was modern in a gorgeous slate gray with a wonderful shower (perfect after a day of hiking). Heated towel racks are a plus. ||Cocktail/canapes at 7pm are a must! There are books, chess set and other games with a full bar. The wine selection is fantastic. Rolando and Graham were lovely! The food is incredible whether it is breakfast or dinner. PLS eat a croissant and have a carb day. The croissants are incredible and is a MUST!!!!!!! ||Wayne and Ingrid are the kindest and they have truly created a treasure. It is a wonderful place to go solo, couple or for a family.

Very overpriced for what it is. This is a mid level hotel with basic toiletries and furnishings. The food is fancy but uneven. Many of the rooms face a very developed part of the lake. For this price, activities should be included, but they charge very high rates - $395 for a taxi boat ride to the waterfalls hike that they advertise. Really the only place in NZ that we felt ripped off.

What a wonderful place to stay while in the Lake Tarawera area! The Solitaire Lodge is exclusive with 10 beautifully furnished suites that all offer spectacular views of the lake and the volcano in the distance. There is a private swimming and sunning area down by the water, a beautiful back deck to enjoy daily cocktails and canapés on, and a gourmet restaurant that serves amazing foods and wines each night. The room I had was lovely . . .like being at someone's summer house where your every need has been thought of in advance. The bed was amazingly comfortable and featured crisp linens and a duvet and plenty of plump pillows. There was a seating area that looked out to the water, with a balcony beyond. And the bathroom had a huge tub underneath a picture window with views of the lake. The mini bar is complimentary as is wifi and coffee in the room. Your room rate comes with wonderful meals custom prepared for you like a warm breakfast, satisfying lunch and gourmet dinner all prepared by chefs who love their craft! A special shout out to Chef David for making my stay a truly amazing experience. And if you love wine, Graham, the host in the evening, works to pair the perfect wines with the foods to make your experience even nicer if you so desire to purchase that option. The owners, Wayne and Ingrid, go out of their way to make you feel like a valued guest. I was only there for two nights, but I felt like I was a member of the family, they were so nice to me. Little things like towels for the beach, getting breakfast earlier than scheduled, getting my laundry done, and even getting me lunch when I got to the Lodge were quickly accommodated and they offered to do even more. I felt bad as while the wifi worked great, cell service is a little challenging due to the mountains and when I mentioned this to Wayne, he gave me a hint that it worked better on one side of the lodge than the other, but I felt like if he could, he would have built me a cell tower to fix the problem! That's how great these people were. I also liked that they were out front to greet me when I arrived and were back out there to personally say goodbye to me when I left. Who does that anymore? It was wonderful and so appreciated. A stunning location coupled with outstanding service make this THE place to be when in this area.

From the moment we pulled in to the cast iron gates of this hidden treasure we knew this trip was gona be one for the books. A handsome local leads you to your bungaló and gives you the grand tour of the campus. The rooms are superb, not only do they include FREE/COMPLIMENTARY umbrellas, these umbrellas are up to my standard of sturdiness (and my standards are really high). Fool me once. Every morning we would each grab our designated 'brella. And we'd stroll these puppies up and down the grounds. If you're wondering why an umbrella should be sturdy just know I had to learn that the hard way. I'm saving you from one of the worst weather induced accidents of all time. I had duck confit at the restaurant that was really small because it was an intimate place and I kid you not spilled it on my shirt. I was wearing a light colored shirt. It was my fault and I place no blame on solitaire lodge. Because that wouldn't be fair. I admire the staff for the dedication to service and I am in awe of the chefs. So all in all, if you're looking for a little getaway, put on your heels, pack your chapstick, curl those locks, snip those hairs, widen those eyes, buy a snakeskin purse, stretch your hamstrings, turn on that essential oil diffuser, and get your ass down here.

Beautiful setting, perched on a hill overlooking Lake Tarawera. Our room, number 5, was large and well furnished. There was a mostly private balcony which also looked out over the water. The staff was terrific and the food beyond fantastic. The only issue I might have with Solitaire is its isolation. The road, though paved, is very twisty turny. I would not let that dissuade you, however. It's an excellent two or three night stop, though a bit on the expensive side.Take advantage of the hot pool trip by boat and the hike to the falls.