Name: Nicara Lakeside Lodge
Address: 30-32 Ranginui Street P.O.Box 327,Ranginui Street, Rotorua, Rotorua, Rotorua, 3010, New Zealand
Rating: 10

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Rotorua International Airport

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Nicara Lakeside Lodge

Rotorua

We stayed with Mike and Heather for 3 nights. Despite the bad weather we had a surprisingly fabulous time! Mike suggested us a lot of things. 
Rotorua is extremely beatifull. We went to see the thermal springs, and watched a maori show wich ended with a walk through zoo by night ( and of course looking for the Kiwi).
The lodge is very cozy. It is decorated in style, a lot of beatifull art with amazing view over the lake.
Mike an Heather, thank you for having us in jour beautifull lodge.

Surprising

This is a tricky review to write because our hosts were very kind and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. Also there are some very good things about the Lodge - it’s a short drive from Rotorua but far enough out to be free from the sulphur smell! It is beautifully located on the lakeside in a very peaceful street. The room we had Scotch Poacher (or something like that) was spacious, comfortable and spotlessly clean.

The issue is - as others have identified- the website, marketing and price suggested to us something more akin to other lodges we stayed at for example Resurgence on South Island. In reality this is a bed and breakfast in a nice family home. Breakfast is a communal affair if you happen to eat at the same time as others. The rooms are accessed through the main front door and hallway of the house.  Some people would love it but if you are a more independent traveller it may be a little too intimate.

Our room was advertised as having a 180 degree view of the Lake - we did have this however one window was a high narrow affair over the bed, the main window view was obscured by a large tree directly outside the window and the other window looked down into the kitchen and so we ended up needing to close the curtain.

I think if the website was a little more realistic and the price point more reflective of a good B and B it would probably be a lot fairer to people booking.

At the end of the day we should have read more of the reviews before we booked!

It was nice but not what we expected. 

Case of expectations management 

Mike and Heather are committed to making their stay in Rotorua perfect, the house is modern and everything is very well maintained, they take great care of the details, the breakfast is very rich.

Like at home.

We arrived late at the Nicara Lakeside Lodge and Mike Johnson was up to see us safely in.  It is a truly beautiful Lodge in a stunning location and the room we occupied was the comfortable and swish.  Mike and Heather really helped us to plan our stay whilst in Rotorua and provided us with great suggestions of where to go and what to do.
The views of the lake are so relaxing and every morning - Heather provided us both with delicious breakfasts (vegetarian) before we set off on our next big adventure.
Mike and Heather run a really great lodge and I hope we will be able to return there and stay with them again before to long.

Jonathan and Sarah Gough

A wonderful stay at the Nicara Lakeside Lodge

We Americans stayed here on Christmas seven years ago, and the Johnson's treated us like family. Now we are back with our grandson, celebrating his 16th birthday.  Heather keeps this refuge on the lake immaculate and is the consummate host.  Her breakfasts are wonderful and the tidbits with the afternoon wine are tasty.  Mike is retired from the travel industry and knows everything and everybody around Rotorua, not to mention most of New Zealand.  A great peaceful base from which to explore the sights and adventures around Rotorua.  Ours was one of two rooms overlooking the lake and the patio garden. Again, we left wishing we had scheduled a longer stay at Nicara Lake Lodge.  Not sure when, but we'll be back, even if it is on the other side of the world.

Friends at Nicara

Nicara Lakeside Lodge is perfectly situated in a peaceful lakeside location. It combines every modern convenience with a tasteful art collection by local, national and international artists to enhance the beauty of the Lodge.  The hosts Mike and Heather are both attentive and sensitive to the needs of individual clients. We could not have wished for a better welcome for our family and celebration of our successful fishing trip to nearby Lake Tarawera. Simply outstanding. 

Idyllic location with world class hospitality

My father and I were on a New Zealand tour of Heather & Mike to visit the Nicara Lakeside Lodge, a villa right by the lake with 3 B&B rooms. At 6pm you sit with the hosts for a glass of wine, breakfast is top notch and varied and the view of the lake is wonderful. The beds are also very comfortable. You feel instantly welcome and like friends, and in the end it is. You come as a guest and go as a friend. I can absolutely recommend the Nicara Lodge of Heather & Mike to anyone, would come back anytime. Many love greetings to Heather & Mike.

One-time accommodation - great hosts

We really enjoyed our stay. The rooms are very nice, spacious and bright with a view of the lake. Heather and Mike are really great hosts and give very helpful tips regarding sights and short trips. It was a very successful and wonderful stay.

An incredibly beautiful location with family connections

As part of our trip to New Zealand, we spent 2 nights with Heather and Mike. We were very warmly received. The room was very comfortable with a bath en suite. Unfortunately, we couldn't enjoy the magnificent view during those 2 days because it was raining in torrents. Heather and Mike were very helpful and gave us a lot of information about the area. We had a very nice time with the two of them and thank you very much, thank you very much!

Very nice place to stay

During our trip to New Zealand, we spent two nights at the Nicara Lodge. The furnishings in the room were very comfortable and tasty. Most of all, we enjoyed the view of Lake Rotorura. Heather and Mike's hospitality was excellent. We got all the information we wanted. We will not forget the cozy afternoon with the two of us at a wonderful glass of wine. Once again, thank you to Heather and Mike.

Nicara Lakeside Lodge

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