My credo is to never stay at the same hotel twice, no matter how often I visit a destination. Having worked in tourism for over 2 decades now, I’ve always tried to see as many hotels as possible to be able to send my customer to the hotel I know they’ll love, and not just to the one I happened to have stayed in. 

With the huge number of hotels in Rotorua, it’s not like I’d struggle to find a new place to stay every time I visit. I have stayed at plenty of Rotorua accommodations over the years, most of which I liked. But there is one I keep going back to, and that’s the Jet Park Hotel Rotorua. 

So, why is the Jet Park Rotorua different (in my opinion)? What am I looking for in a city hotel?

There’s a big difference in the type of accommodation I choose depending on what my plans are while I’m visiting the destination. 

Am I going away to spend a lot of my time at the accommodation relaxing or are my plans to adventure in the day and sleep comfy at night? To be honest, it’s usually the latter. I hardly ever go away and not explore the area, it gives me huge anxiety. 

But there are times when I spend more time at and around my accommodation. That’s when I like to be either on the beach, lake or in the middle of the bush, either camping, glamping or luxing it out.

When I visit a city with the intention to be out all day, I don’t need a huge number of amenities and extras at the hotel. I want a big, comfy bed in a clean room, first and foremost. Additionally, I’m happy if I can get a decent breakfast included and a good service. When staying in a hotel, I also expect my bed to be made up every day, just one little luxury you don’t get camping, at a backpackers or in a bach (holiday home). That’s it, really.

By the way: How about a weekend getaway to Rotorua?

And that’s what I love about the Jet Park Rotorua. It’s just a nice looking building from outside, with rooms spread over three floors, located on a pretty busy street (the rooms are surprisingly quiet, though). It’s not exactly tucked away and if you’re looking for a lush hideaway, this hotel probably isn’t for you. But it’s the perfect city hotel in a great location with heaps of little luxuries and extras you didn’t even know you wanted. 

Here’s why I personally love Jet Park and why I happily recommend it to most Rotorua visitors:

Walking distance to Eat Street and Polynesian Spa

Walking from the Jet Park to the famous Eat Street in Rotorua downtown takes you 10 minutes. I timed it the last time I stayed. Rotorua is a tricky city to find parking, especially during the day, so being able to just walk anywhere you want helps.

Polynesian Spa is also a 10 - 15 minute walk away from the hotel. Trying to find a parking lot there is even worse than in town, so being able to simply walk to the hot pools will help you keep the zen you’re probably looking for when going to the spa.  

The best breakfast buffet in town!

I admit it, I’m a sucker for breakfast buffets in a hotel. 

Usually, when I see that breakfast is included in New Zealand hotels, I don’t expect much. The quality can range from a measly toast and tea to the most indulgent, extensive breakfast (I’m still drool-dreaming of that buffet at Hilton Queenstown). More often than not, it tends to be the first. 

Jet Park Rotorua has hands-down one of the best breakfast buffets I’ve seen in New Zealand! Several types of muesli to choose from, fresh fruit, cheese and cold meats, those little croissants and good bread, including delicious little dessert treats...You definitely won’t have to start your day hungry. I usually get up half an hour earlier than normal when staying at the Jet Park Rotorua, just so I have enough time to dig into my brekky.

Spa bath in the pool area

One of the things I love about Rotorua is that you can find hot pools everywhere, even in their parks! It’s no surprise then that most hotels also offer some sort of spa bath or hot pools. Jet Park Hotel is no different. Their outdoor pool area comes with a spa bath for complimentary use. There’s nothing better than a relaxing soak after your daytime adventure.

Pets are most welcome here

Pets are not only accepted at the Jet Park Hotel Rotorua, they’re treated like royalty! Since we’ve got a dog, I learned just how much more prep work a getaway needs trying to find pet-friendly hotels. 

The Twin Superior rooms at Jet Park are probably the the most pet-friendly accommodation in Rotorua. They’re located in the outward-facing hotel wing, come with the usual amenities for you and a special package for your fur baby: A dog-bed with blanket, bowls, toys and treats. How cool is that! I can’t wait to treat Bailey to this room!

Great family accommodation

The Jet Park Hotel is also a great choice for family accommodation in Rotorua. The Family Suite has a separate bedroom for the kids, complete with toys and books. The main room has a King Size bed for you. A seating area and a kitchenette with fridge, microwave and coffee plunger help you prepare the snacks for throughout the day.

Additionally, there’s a play corner with toys and books on one of the floors as well as a fenced-in outdoor play area. 

The staff are plain amazing!

How much interaction do you usually have with the room cleaner? Exactly, me neither. But every time I stay at the Jet Park Rotorua, I get surprised at how lovely and interested they are in my plans of the day, and do I want the room to be cleaned now or a little later. 

The front office staff are just as amazing! One time when we stayed at the Jet Park, we left the car at the hotel and took a shuttle bus to Mitai Maori Village for dinner. Someone noticed we’d forgotten to switch off the car lights. The front desk tried to get hold of us and when they couldn’t, they stayed at work until we got back and then helped us jump-start the car. 

It’s just little things but those are exactly the things that make you feel valued and make you return next time you’re in town.  

Great value for money

Value for money is a personal evaluation depending on how much service you expect for a certain amount of money. In my opinion, that the value for money at the Jet Park Hotel Rotorua is second to none. I’m happy to pay their nightly rates (yes, they can move up quite a bit during school holidays and long weekends, like everywhere) for the outstanding service I receive in return. Staying at the Jet Park is not cheap but it’s also not usually over the top.

Location:
Jet Park Rotorua
237 Fenton Street
Victoria
Rotorua 3010

Have you stayed at the Jet Park Hotel Rotorua before? How did you like it? Do you agree with me or did you have a different experience?

Make it a weekend getaway in Rotorua!

Why not make it a Rotorua getaway? On our very own booking website Weekend Getaways NZ, you’ll find getaways of 1 - 3 nights as well as discount codes for your favourite attractions, tours and accommodation all over New Zealand! 

All of our Rotorua getaways are priced with two nights at the Jet Park for all the reasons I mentioned above.

Check out the Rotorua getaways!

Other Rotorua accommodations I love

The Jet Park is not the only great accommodation in Rotorua. Depending on your budget and expectations, you might also want to look into these options

Lower Budget

Blue Lake Top10

Blue Lake Top10 is our go-to campsite when we’re visiting Rotorua with our caravan. It’s dog-friendly (outside of high season and long weekends, that is) and we love the location on the shores of Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), about 10 minutes outside of Rotorua, surrounded by lush bush. 

Apart from powered and unpowered sites, Top10 Blue Lake also offers cabins and motel units for families and groups. There’s a playground and a jumping pillow and you can hire fun bikes for the kids or a kayak to paddle on the lake. 

From the campground, you have direct access to the lovely lake (over the road) and several walks and bike trails. 

Lake Okareka DOC campsite

This very basic campsite only has long-drop toilets and no running water. It’s location on Lake Okareka is stunning, though. It’s the best campsite to pitch a tent right on the water’s edge and it’s the first thing you see when you emerge from the tent. Campervans can stay there, too, but they can only stay on the gravel parking lot which makes it feel a little less ‘off the beaten path’. Just bring your tent instead. 

Higher Budget

Peppers on the Point

Peppers on the Point lies a little outside of town and overlooks Lake Rotorua. With only a good handful of rooms, it’s intimate and the hosts go out of their way to make you feel like home. The luxurious lodge is the place for a romantic getaway! The balcony of the Main Suite is a perfect spot to propose. Or if you’re already engaged, how about getting married in the lodge’s very own stone chapel overlooking the lake?

Directly from Peppers, you can board the water plane for a scenic flight over Rotorua and Mt Tarawera. Or the jetboat picks you up for lunch in town. 

Almost all rooms look a little different and come in different sized. What they have in common, though, is the most incredible lake view. Their restaurant is delicious and recently opened to the public, so you can now eat there even if you don’t stay with them. 

Read more about Rotorua:

• Find all articles about Rotorua here!

• Read more about the best attractions in Rotorua

• On a budget? There are a lot of FREE things to do in Rotorua.

• Trying to decide which geothermal park you should visit? This article compares all of the geothermal parks in Rotorua to help you find the right one.

• After exploring the parks, soak in one of the many geothermally heated hot pools and spa in Rotorua.

• How about some ziplining, zorbing or an adventure park?