One of New Zealand's Most Impressive Stays Is Back—With 20 Suites Set Along the Country's Longest River

Travel + Leisure

15-05-2025

The lodge is set on 17 acres of wild-meets-manicured gardens, filled with birdsong and anchored by the mesmerizing Waikato River.
Arriving guests are ushered straight to seats by the river and welcomed with charcuterie platters and Louis Roederer Champagne.
The new River Room is an instant hit for its front-row water views and striking design of oversized ship's lights, brass fireplace, and window-hugging lounges.
The range and number of activities—both within the lodge grounds and in the surrounding Taupō area, one of New Zealand's top spots for adventure and nature tourism—are impressive.
The hedge-lined driveway at Huka Lodge meanders through what, at first, feels like impeccable English parklands, with checkered lawns, flowerbeds, and an ornamental pond complete with resident ducks. But as we round a bend to the main lodge, I catch my first sight of the Waikato River, a quicksilver streak of glacial green-blue rushing along the edge of the 17-acre property, and the scene is suddenly transformed into something wild and untamed—and unmistakably New Zealand.
It was this mesmerizing river, the country's longest, that first lured thrill-seekers to this spot over a century ago. In 1924, Irishman Alan Pye opened a canvas-tented fisherman's camp where keen anglers could match their skills against the Waikato's spirited rainbow trout. The camp's fame soon spread, attracting A-list anglers, including British royalty, the aviator Charles Lindbergh, and novelist James Michener.
Nowadays, the setting has lost none of its allure—nor its celebrity clientele—but Huka is a more elaborate affair of 20 riverside suites and two cottages anchored by a two-story lodge above the emerald torrent. Fresh from a 10-month, $14-million renovation under new owners Baillie Lodges, Huka now offers even more vantage points from which to admire the Waikato River. Besides an expanded restaurant and extra decking, there's a striking new River Room with walls of white-paned windows that put guests closer to the action than ever. The hotel gardens along the banks of the Waikato River.
George Apostolides/Courtesy of Huka Lodge
New Zealand's so-called 'lodge queen' Virginia Fisher, who designed the interiors when Huka became a bricks-and-mortar lodge in 1984, oversaw its latest makeover and has stayed true to what she calls its 'retro, camping-by-the-river' feel while modernizing it for the next century.
The trademark tartan has gone, but there are echoes of it in discreetly grid-patterned rugs, stylish plaids, and checked blankets. Original furnishings have been reupholstered, and tables resurfaced, and Fisher has added emphatic bursts of color—a jewel-green velvet sofa in the cocktail lounge and raspberry-hued linen drapes in the dining room. She also enhanced the lodge's art collection, mostly gilt-framed oils of landscapes and animals, with specially commissioned works showcasing New Zealand's indigenous Māori culture.
Her style is quite sumptuous but also eclectic. Everywhere I look, something catches my eye—the filigreed eel traps on the lodge's exterior, an antique leather pommel repurposed as a coffee table, hall chairs with backs twisted into Celtic crosses, and, the crowd favorite, an old Spanish cabinet she reconfigured as the cocktail bar. Its four paneled doors open almost ceremonially each evening for drinks.
Mornings at Huka are magical as mists lift from the river and cloak the gardens of tree ferns, flax, totara, and rimu pines. It's a scene I enjoyed from my canopied bed or sitting on the deck with an espresso and a shortbread from the minibar. Ideally, I'd spend my days admiring this river from every angle—breakfasting on the restaurant's terrace, walking down to the nearby falls where narrow gorges turn the Waikato into raging cascades and hiking along the opposite bank to bathe in riverside hot springs. But there are many modern distractions at the new Huka—from spa treatments and a forest-view sauna to a tennis court and workouts in the sleek gym. And there is neighboring Lake Taupō, a geothermal hotspot popular for watersports and outdoor activities in one of New Zealand's most striking natural landscapes.
Regardless of how guests spend their days, come evening, everyone gathers for cocktails and canapes, ideally in the River Room, where I like to sit on the leather fender by the fireplace and watch the river float by in the fading light.
Here's what it's like to stay at the new Huka Lodge. A deep soaking tub in a guest room bathroom.
George Apostolides/Courtesy of Huka Lodge
The number of accommodations remains the same after the renovation, but each has received such a comprehensive facelift that, despite some being over 40 years old, it's impossible to detect any signs of age. The 20 suites fan out from a fern-lined walkway and are arranged in twos and threes along the river, some with shared foyers and others with private entrances. The duplex Alan Pye cottage has two king bedrooms, an infinity pool, and a hot tub opening onto riverside lawns, while the four-bedroom Van Heeren cottage features a sun deck, plunge pool, and spa set on a bluff above the Waikato.
The 645-square-foot lodge suites are richly textured in linen, wool, and leather to create cozy retreats in New Zealand's cool climate, with walls of glass that can open to the river and gardens in warmer weather. Furnished timber decks step down to clipped lawns and sun loungers.
New suite features include custom AH Beard king beds curtained in fine linen, chaise longues, and personal bars stocked with New Zealand wines and beers, local craft sodas, and regional products, including chocolate and triple-cream Brie. My favorite treat is Huka kitchen's fat, buttery shortbread discs studded with sugar crystals.
The bathrooms, located just beyond the walk-in dressing rooms, are a highlight. Timber-floored and skylit, the centerpiece is a chrome-railed bath set beside mullioned windows looking out to fern gardens, a lovely spot for a lavender and bergamot-scented soak.
Lodge dining leans heavily on New Zealand's pristine produce and the easy sophistication of Pacific cuisine, whether it's the breakfast honeycomb cut straight from the estate's hives or Mount Cook alpine salmon from the country's purest streams.
At breakfast, the buffet is arranged on and around the kitchen pass with baked bread and pastries, including flaky croissants and pains au chocolat, fresh fruits, cereals, charcuterie, and cheeses. Start here, then order off the menu, featuring classics such as eggs benedict and pancakes with lodge marmalade.
The restaurant is an elegantly relaxed, split-level space with a riverside terrace. There are fireplaces inside and out and heated gazebos that allow for riverfront dining in any weather.
Lunch offers upscale comfort foods such as pappardelle with prawns, Lake Ohau sirloin, and chocolate fondant, while dinner comprises four-course menus adjusted to taste and dietary requirements. Highlights from my dining included an heirloom tomato tart with local Cranky Goat cheese and sturgeon caviar from Rotorua, and Mount Cook salmon with yuzu and nori tapioca. Wines were well chosen for each course, but for something special, there's a cellar list of 4,500 bottles showcasing 90 percent New Zealand wines plus benchmark vintages from Australia and France.
Guests staying three nights or more are treated to dinner in one of the lodge's specialty dining spaces, which include an al fresco 'green room' walled by hedges and warmed by heaters and blankets; the sunken wine cellar; and The Library, where the late British Queen Elizabeth II dined during her four visits here. Aerial view of the spa tennis courts.
George Apostolides/Courtesy of Huka Lodge
On-site lodge activities are concentrated in an extravagantly hedged enclosure containing a tennis court, croquet lawn, and petanque pitch. There is also a compact pool, two hot tubs in a terraced garden setting, and a yoga lawn for personal practice or private classes with an instructor (by appointment).
It's a short walk to Huka Falls, a two-tiered cascade where I watch intrepid kayakers plunge over the drops and survive. Staff can also arrange jet-boating journeys to the base of the falls.
Guests can borrow a mountain bike or e-bike and tackle more than 60 miles of trails along the Waikato River. The lodge supplies rods for catch-and-release fly fishing, but if you're serious about snaring a rainbow trout, then book an excursion to Lake Taupō. Huka partners with local tour company Chris Jolly Outdoors for fishing, hiking, and biking adventures centered mostly on the lake. I spent a half-day with them on a refurbished 1970s timber boat, cruising the lake, visiting contemporary Māori rock carvings, and dining on barbequed steaks and salads. One of our group caught a trout big enough to bring back to the lodge, where it was served finely filleted on blinis with sundowner cocktails.
High-flyers can charter a helicopter to explore the volcanic landscapes of Tongariro National Park and Rotorua, as well as the prized vines of Craggy Range in Hawke's Bay for a private tour of the estate and cellars, wine tastings, a gastronomic lunch, and your pick of six premium bottles to be packaged up and delivered home.
The 2025 renovation has added a two-room spa housed in cottages inspired by typical New Zealand 'bach' holiday homes. Accessed via a woodland path, the spa also offers twin ice-bucket baths, a soaking hot tub set among ferns, and a sauna with calming rainforest views.
The spa treatment menu incorporates Indigenous elements such as manuka honey, energizing greenstone (a type of jade), and thermal muds drawn from the surrounding volcanic landscape. Small-batch Verité Spa skincare products are made locally from organic plant extracts such as blue tansy and kiwifruit seed.
Treatments range from hour-long Kanohi Radiance facials that combine thermal-mud face masks and collagen-boosting face serums to the two-hour signature Aroha Goddess ritual of aromatic massage, back exfoliation, and anti-aging facial with rosehip and sandalwood. There are more than a dozen indulgence options to choose from, most incorporating some elements of Māori beliefs or rituals; therapists recommend choosing one that 'resonates with your mood or desired focus.'
The newly installed gym next door is a glass-walled pavilion equipped with medicine balls, ropes, and a punching bag by the cult German fitness brand Artzt, overlooking a tranquil garden.
The lodge is open to children 10 and above but does not offer any special activities or menus for younger guests. They are treated as small adults and expected to behave as such.
There is one adapted suite (number four) for guests with limited mobility. The main lodge building is partially wheelchair accessible except for the lower dining room and upstairs lounges.
Huka is on the national grid which generates more than 80 per cent renewable energy largely from hydroelectric power, including the Waikato River. Transfers and local transport is by Mercedes Benz electric vans, and water is drawn straight from the river and purified for lodge use.
Huka Lodge is on the edge of Taupō, a geothermal region in the center of the North Island known for its therapeutic hot springs and a vast lake the size of Singapore popular for watersports, sailing, trout fishing, and forest hikes. There are also leading golf courses nearby and the Tongariro National Park for epic walks and winter skiing and snowboarding on Mount Ruapehu.
Taupō is a three-hour drive from New Zealand's largest city, Auckland. The lodge can arrange transfers, or guests can choose to rent a car and drive themselves. Major agencies, including Avis, Budget, and Hertz, operate from Taupō airport.
Once clear of Auckland, the roads are uncongested and easy to navigate for those comfortable driving on the 'opposite' side of the road. Alternatively, guests can book a 30-minute scheduled flight with Air New Zealand or charter a 70-minute helicopter hop. There is parking for five helicopters on Huka's 18-acre greenfield site next door.
Huka Lodge and Baillie Lodges do not currently participate in any loyalty program. Lodge rates include a hearty country breakfast, pre-dinner drinks and canapés, and a four-course dinner with paired wines.
Nightly rates at Huka Lodge start from around $1,700 per suite, with a minimum two-night stay.
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