Winston Aldworth

checks into the Novotel Rotorua

Check-in experience: After a swift glide through my favourite stretch of road in New Zealand — the glorious Fitzgerald Glade — I tumbled into the sizeable reception and was in my room within minutes.

The room: I was in 313, a modern lake-facing suite that was trim and tidy. There’s a pair of double-queen beds, a cramped desk and a big TV screen.

The bathroom is a decent size and all facilities passed the clean-and-shiny test.

Fellow guests: The Novotel is something of a go-to spot for business visitors coming into Rotorua, and there were plenty of foreign visitors rattling around. Exercise: There’s a well-equipped gym and some lovely jogging to be had along the Rotorua Lakeside Trail. Make a point of finishing your run by coming back to the hotel past the Tudor-style Bath House building, surely one of New Zealand’s oddest attractions. Because Henry VIII, right?

Bikes are available to hire from reception, and this is a very bike-y town.

Warm treat: Like many of the hotels and motels around Rotorua, they have their own private geothermal spa. You and a buddy can get an hour in there for $55.

Food and drink: There’s a rather nice bar, with a big central stand-up counter, fire-pit thingy. I was in town for a work conference and soon settled in there with an old mate for a couple of Panheads while we tapped away at our laptops.

The morning breakfast routine was agreeable. Eggs cooked however you want them and all the expected buffet features, including a nice juicer. Box ticked.

The decor: Tidier and fresher than one or two other Rotorua hotels I visited.

What’s in the neighbourhood: This is a very central hotel, handy to Rotorua’s CBD, lakefront and (crucially) Eat Streat, which starts a stone’s throw from the hotel’s front door. Eat Streat was all right — I suspect there are better restaurants around town, but the bars were decent enough.

Noise: Not a problem.

Contact: novotel.accorhotels.com/Rotorua.

The final word: A warm welcome, a warm breakfast and a warm plunge — what’s not to like?