Putaruru Hotel

8/10

Excellent

19 Apr 2026

Andrea

Putaruru Hotel has been a convenient, easy and affordable stop for me on my travels between Wellington and Northland, close to the main road. It is good to see the property being renovated and upgraded. My room was basic, but newly refurbished, and very clean. The bed was comfortable. It worked well.

8/10

Excellent

15 Apr 2026

Philip

Clean room with the grand old tile character. Street parking with security cameras. Electronic glass doors. Trains and logging trucks pass in area and noisy as well as odd loud car. Tea coffee whitener jug provided. Also small guest kitchen area.TV lacked rabbit ear signal. Online booking and quick simple ask for key on arrival and deposit in container on check out.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

04 Apr 2026

Anne

No breakfast available. Available parking.

8/10

Excellent

31 Mar 2026

graeme

Room and bed plus toilet were very clean.

Self

8/10

Excellent

20 Mar 2026

Karen

Clean room, comfortable bed, old but met my needs.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

11 Mar 2026

Cindy

Simple tidy room, lots of parkimg, close to shops walking distance, firm comfortable bed, nice coffee from Mai Kana Restaurant. Only issue was loud noise from extractor fan coming from pub which disrupted sleep.

Self

4/10

Poor

21 Feb 2026

Linda

Reception person was unfriendly, powered milk for hot drink, no flannels.
Hot water for shower non existent.
Someone arrived behind building at 6am towing caravan and working on it loudly.
Nil secure parking.
Disappointing - another couple unhappy also with service and presentation.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2026

Teresa

Clean, comfortable, good value.
Great to have a restaurant for both breakfast and evening meal

Self

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2026

Elijah

Room was great. I've stayed in places for over double the price and they reeked of cheap cleaning products. This place was clean and had a neutral smell. Owners were helpful and sorted out any problems I raised. The building is an experience in it's self. Would definitely come back if I'm able too.

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jan 2026

Andrea

We had a very unusual stay at the putaruru hotel. I didn't expect 5 star accommodation in a 2 star

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jan 2026

Dinesh

Staff was friendly but the hotel is in poor physical shape. Missing bulbs, loose door handles and a discolored toilet. No hooks in the bathroom.
Location was compelling 2hr drive from AKL and near caves, hot springs etc. but if itinerary permits, I would suggest staying in Rotorua instead.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Jan 2026

Chris

Clean & tidy

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Jan 2026

Anita

the room was very clean. We have stayed here before and were curious as to what had been done. The new owners have only recently taken over and they certainly have their work cut out. The hotel has great potential and we are happy someone is doing it up. If you are planning to stay be aware it is a work site and does not have all the amenities of a hotel, but the owners and staff are friendly the rooms are clean and the beds comfortable. we had dinner in the bistro which was good we were able to purchase wine and beer from across the road as they do not serve alcohol. we will visit again to see how they progress.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

04 Jan 2026

Robin

There were insects (silverfish) in the bed

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

30 Dec 2025

Josiah

The hotel's very old and falling apart. Really not a good choice, can get better stay in Rotorua for 1 night

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

30 Dec 2025

Dallas

Double room small but expected that. Noisy from the main road traffic. Recommend high bedside cabinets (the one cabinet too low and small), having flannels would have been good (none provided), replace high hard pillows with softer ones (suggest bring your own pillows). Although undergoing renovations the upstairs looks ok, suggest tidying up the reception area to match. Shower was my highlight, good flow and coukd control the temperature, always a plus if can do that.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

17 Dec 2025

Steve

The man at the desk was great. The hotel was completely run down and looked to be under construction. The bar next door blared music until 1am … loudly!

There was an open drink and food in the fridge. The room did not seem secure. The curtains didn’t cover all of the windows so we had light coming in all night.

This is not a family friendly place and I would not recommend staying here until renovations have been finished.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

15 Dec 2025

Lawrence

The staff were nice. No one was there for check-in so we had to phone and wait for 20 minutes. The entry is beautiful but the room walls need scraping and painting. The room and bed were very clean. They are trying very hard to improve and upgrade so they need more customers.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

12 Dec 2025

Carmen

Room was neglected, still had hair and spiders in the shower, no face washers, toilet seat falls on you, bed was hard as a rock, couple in next room were fighting very bad slamming doors and swearing Loudly at 7am made us completely uncomfortable that caused major disruption in our stay.

Tea and coffee provided but no little milk?? Whole place needs some major work

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2025

Ant

Beautiful old place
Renovations coming along nicely
Good shower
Looking forward to visiting again
Don’t expect luxury - but a clean, no fuss bed for the night

Business_and_leisure Self

4/10

Poor

26 Nov 2025

Paul

What a place, and not in the best way!

Built in 1952 for the Queen's inauguration and for her to stay in, she never ended up staying here however and I think I can see why, probably in 1952 it was still a dump.

We stayed in a regular room that felt more like an SRO than a hotel room.

Yes it was clean however it was super, super dated! Obviously no renovations have been done since it was built.

I would not stay here again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2025

Kathy

Art Deco features beautiful, waiting to see final renovations hope they maintain design styles

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

18 Jun 2025

Kevin

Perfect location for a horror movie

My son and I stayed here after going to Hobbiton and making our way to Rotorua. When we arrived we thought the hotel was abandoned. I didn't see any cars parked here and it was dark. The front doors were locked. The front desk attendant then came out after we knocked and he was nice enough. He waited until we arrived at 9pm after messaging him (front desk hours closed at 6pm). He gave us a key and told us where to park. I asked him if the hotel was haunted and he laughed. It was a very creepy place. Run down, paint peeling off the walls and ceiling. It did not seem like anyone was staying there. The room was bare bones and not the like the pictures. It was quiet and it did the job as far as sleeping there but it was unsettling as well. I later learned it is under renovation but I didn't see anything like that. Would I stay there again? No, I don't think so. And usually I can handle your basic run down motel but not this one. Luckily it was only one night.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

09 Jun 2025

Matthew

The entranceway was in disrepair, the inner sanctum of the door completely shattered, with frosted glass offering little privacy. The state of the room was revolting, littered with cigarette butts and an ashtray tucked under the bed, a clear indication of inadequate cleaning which is utterly unacceptable. Seeking restitution for this dreadful ordeal, as a warning to others, an honest review may be necessary. This lodging is comparable to a penitentiary and even with compensation, I would not subject myself to such conditions again. Numerous health and safety hazards pose a serious concern within these walls.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

08 Apr 2025

Ralph

Just a wonderful hotel
Now getting some overdue fixing up
It’s so great to see someone cares
Check it out

4/10

Poor

14 Mar 2025

Robyn

For the price, it was decent... but if you ignore the unkept outside, ripped curtains on the right of the entry, ripped carpet on the stairs...the room was really clean! The shower was on another level old and dirty. There was, we assumed, full time residents staying there. On the corner of a main road, it was noisy and with no air conditioning, we had to have windows open.One 'share' kitchen was old and dirty with a bar fridge full of others things. It should be advertised as a 'back packers' accommodation. Cheap but not real cheerful!

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

10 Mar 2025

Garry

No good mate

4/10

Poor

27 Feb 2025

Tim

Our biggest issue was not having hot water throughout our stay. We tried to have a shower soon after check in but discovered no hot water. This was not mentioned at check in or as soon as it was known - when we rang and asked they said it may be fixed tomorrow after our stay finished.

Apart from that the property was a bit tired but had the essential amenities and was very clean.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Feb 2025

Nagashen

Clean. Friendly staff. In urgent need of modernization, or tidied up. Has potential. But for the price it's reasonable value.

Self

2/10

Poor

01 Feb 2025

jack

Room was not clean. Hotel itself was clearly not vaccumed in weeks. Bathroom wall tiles were coming out and lightly pulling on the toilet paper holder the tile it was attached to came out. Bed was made but not neatly, bedding was frayed and in need of repair/replacement, bed was lumpy and uncomfortable.
Upon arriving staff took their time to adress me and had not responded to my email of when i would arrive so check in would be streamlined so i could get to my holiday quickly.
After checking in and inspecting the room i returned the key and went on to find accomodation elsewhere.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

28 Jan 2025

stu

This property is full with Ministry of social delinquents clients that sleep all day and are very noisy all night. The room was reasonably clean but the hall and entrance was dirty and unkept. To top it off the shower was Luke warm at night but stone cold in the morning.

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

04 Jan 2025

George

Property is very near to Blue spring, But very old facility with lots of maintenance specially in toilets.

Leisure Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

03 Jan 2025

Krishneel

Booked a room for 5 people. It showed in the booking 1 double bed and 3 single bed in the family room but only 1 double bed and 1 single bed in the room. Was given single bed mattress on the floor to sleep. Room not as per listing. Toilet flush not working. Toilet and bathroom badly stained. Lot of spiders in the room. Holes in the ceiling. Floor has loose board that is moving. Very dusty place.

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

01 Jan 2025

Jenni

Has been a lovely hotel and would be again with renovation. But very clean.

6/10

Pleasant

22 Dec 2024

Les

Room was clean and tidy and Staff helpful. Noisy nearby traffic but otherwise okay for money paid

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Dec 2024

kathy

The hotel was rather faded but accomodation was clean, staff were friendly and price was excellent. thank you

8/10

Excellent

11 Dec 2024

Shona

It was a grand old lady in its day and is now being restored. Clean and tidy. Shower had good pressure. Walking distance shops.

8/10

Excellent

10 Dec 2024

Debrah

We had a great overnight stay.
The bed was comfortable and the sheets were soft and clean. The pillows were just right!
The building and the street outside were quiet. The windows opened to let in fresh air.
The building is very old and you can sense that with the attention now, it will regain its glory and again be a great place to stay.
Overall a good stay - not high end but the staff and good sleep made it great.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2024

Ralph

Just a majic building
A real gem wonderfull to see someone cares and are taking care of it
Go there
Stay there
Support this hotel
Just loved it
Great kebab place across the street
Cheers

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

18 Nov 2024

Nathan

Filthy old building with some very lazy renovation work. Had the joy of listening to a permanent resident beat his wife for most of the first night. Do not stay here unless you have zero other choice.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

14 Nov 2024

Jennifer

Lovely old hotel under renovation atm. Stayed in renovated room, all ok.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Nov 2024

russell

There is more to Putaruru Hotel than meets the eye. An experience ready made to accomodate us. Half way from home to our regular holiday destination - we will be back again .

6/10

Pleasant

07 Nov 2024

Linda

Our one night was good although the bed was to hard and the night life bar fights noisy in all not a bad place to stay could do with a fridge in the room as there was no where for cold drinks and the guests fridge was full of food

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Nov 2024

Anne

Close to restaurants and quiet

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

25 Oct 2024

PETER

The history and the potential to restore this beautiful building.Great to see this is starting to happen.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

23 Sep 2024

Ted

The showers have no lighting and was leaking into the room making the carpet wet and as this was up stairs the room below would have been wet also. I rang and reported it but it seemed they weren’t overly concerned

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Sep 2024

Ellen

We didn’t have a fridge in our room however the manager offered us a room with a fridge in it. It was very nice and thoughtful of him for the offer but we were happy with the room we had. He offered a great Service!

Business_and_leisure

6/10

Pleasant

12 Sep 2024

Max

This place was nice enough. Room was quiet and clean and a good place to stop off for the night. Staff were very friendly and helpful. There was a communal kitchen area that had seen better days but was clear the staff were trying to make the place better through renovations. Parking across the street was fantastic. Good place to stay on a budget.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

08 Sep 2024

Corina

Windows tied to radiator to keep them closed. No hot water for showering. Staff not prepared to compensate for lack of hot water and just seemed to not care.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2024

Shannon Phillip titoko maui

I have stayed there b4 an proud to say place has been improved greatly and was a nice stay

8/10

Excellent

06 Sep 2024

Brian

Lovely old hotel, with an interesting history. This is our 5th stay here.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

29 Aug 2024

chris

Building just a little run down, we had curtains that didnt fit the windows and broken windows just taped up with masking tape and paint peeling off the surfaces.

Bed was comfortable and clean and tidy

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

23 Aug 2024

Martha

Hotel should say that they need renovations

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

06 Aug 2024

Daniel

This hotel has a lot of charm. All original art deco hotel, it’s really quite beautiful, original tiled bathrooms, grand staircase and wood paneling.
I can see the owners have taken on a mammoth task in renovating and seem to be doing it themselves.
It’s a cool old hotel that needs repair and the price point reflects this.
I was sceptical booking here as other reviews are rather ruthless but I feel are somewhat unfair. If you’re looking for modern ammenities and luxury then perhaps you need to spend a little more for your accomodation and this place isn’t for you. However the experience for me was worth what it cost and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay, even the less desirable aspects due to its originality.

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

04 Aug 2024

Angelique

Needs complete overhaul everywhere!!!
All stair rises had ripped carpet along edges, so unsafe (trip hazard).
Most of room had badly stained carpet;
broken window taped over;
3 x curtains did not cover entire window (overlooked busy intersection);
only 1 x thin blanket on bed;
wifi didn't work so no TV or phone (thickness of walls stopped data reception);
NO hot water (tried for 10mins);
Staff hard to understand
DO NOT RECOMMEND, waste of money!!

Business_and_leisure Self

4/10

Poor

11 Jul 2024

Dennis

They have charged me for 3 rooms not two The manager of the place hasnt organed the promised refund from a week ago. The fob key to the door didnt work. Manager was hard to get hold of. Clean bedding but very noisy

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jun 2024

Ethan

Management was poor and zero parking onsite wasn’t very impressed as had to park very far away, bed etc was clean but room itself seemed a little damp and had spider webs all over as well as mold on bathtub

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Jun 2024

Wilfredo

Ordinary at best

From the outside the hotel looks rundown, like a building from a ghost movie & in urgent need of an upgrade, the interior carpets looked like they haven't been replaced in at least 50 years, with torn carpet up the stairs, the only saving grace is that the room was very clean

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2024

Paula

Work in progress but a beautiful old same with exceptional service from staff . Excellent experience

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

17 May 2024

Julie

AWFUL PLACE

Having read some reviews we were expecting a clean but dated hotel. Instead we arrived to find a hotel that looked as though it was derelict with broken windows and torn curtains. A very pleasant young lady gave us a key (she was the only positive about the hotel). The stairway had ripped carpet and was really looking the worse for wear. The room itself was freezing cold with two non working radiators. However a plug in electric heater was provided which just about provided some warmth but was not adequate to heat the room despite being left on overnight. The bed had two sheets (one bottom and one top) and one acrylic blanket. The mattress was so thin/cheap you could feel the bed boards underneath when you sat on it. When you laid on the bed you could feel the springs. We had to wear our clothes in bed to keep warm. The adjoining club/bar was banging out music until almost midnight and then the rowdy people carried on shouting etc for a while. We didn’t sleep that night at all, due to the cold and the noise levels. We were horrified to see in the morning that the mattress was badly stained so luckily there was hot water for the shower to clean away the feeling of being unclean. The WiFi didn’t work either! So it was a terrible place to stay and would warn people to steer well clear. The hotel should not be open for guests until they have done a proper refurbishment. There was a new carpet in our room so perhaps that’s as good as it gets! The hotel is terrible. Don’t try it!

Partner

4/10

Poor

12 May 2024

DEBORAH

Large spacious room. TV didnt work. Not enough pillows.

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2024

Falaniko

Andrew was very helpful especially with our check in being after hours.Thank you Andrew

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 May 2024

Alan

We were made very welcome, it is run-down but has lots of character and potential.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2024

Tiju

Excellent accommodation with all facilities.

4/10

Poor

07 Apr 2024

Gary

I felt it was very poorly presented and maintained and the whole atmosphere was not a nice feel.. The young lady who greeted me was very nice, but not her fault re the condition of the property

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

05 Apr 2024

Iris

We liked the convenience of being near the centre of the town. The price reflected that the hotel is undergoing refurbishment.
We did not like not being told where the kitchen was, so didnt find the microwave or fridge etc . The corridor is poorly lit so we didnt see it until the morning we left.
It was a bit noisy, with train, main road traffic, and fire sirens. but once we were asleep it didnt bother us.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 Apr 2024

kelly

This property was clean and had everything I could need, behind a locked door. The only problem with it was I felt like I was in a resident evil movie. Would I stay again ? Yes I would

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

30 Mar 2024

kenneth

I read previous stay reviews and the hotel management responses warning that you get what you pay for with this price — but the property and room I had was not fit for adage inhabitstion — right down to the cigarette burns on the bed cover and windows that did not close - small space heater - extreme dirty room and closet — lights did not work in the reading room - left after one night - sorry place was just not acceptable at any cost

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

28 Mar 2024

Peter

good value

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

24 Mar 2024

mitchel

Old but clean

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

22 Mar 2024

N

Sharon palace!

For the price per night you could not complain,hotel has only just been sold and new owners are up dating it room by room ,our 2 rooms one had been done and was fine ,the other not so good but bedding was new and shower was good ,very old classic hotel , should be good when all done up , best of luck to new owners keep up the good work

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

17 Mar 2024

Zdravko

U

6/10

Pleasant

24 Feb 2024

C J

The Hotel need urgent TLC

We stayed in this hotel for 2 night's, I would not write negative reviews, because the owners will respond, \"you payed a cheap price for the room\". But I am sure I am entitled to my opinions, The hotel is definitely in need of urgent TLC, when we arrived at the hotel, the building looks a run down, such a shame, it's look like a very nice art deco building, The Cook restaurant is closed , the Bar as I saw on the Hotel. Com gallery wasn't there, the Pool Table is not there, the grand stairs carpet is showing wear and tear, and the room, the bed and line linen are okay, there was few spiders in the bathroom, but that's fine by me, the paint on the walls and by the window is peeling, there's a few stains on the carpet here and there, oh there was some sharp carpet nail by the bathroom door, I wasn't wear my sandal and I stood on it, luckily it didn't hurt to much. Oh this property is right by the around about, and railway, the train can be very noisy, but that's okay for me. Oh and the town, not much to see really, lucky there are few shops about.

Partner

4/10

Poor

08 Feb 2024

Jimin

The property is in need of a total renovation. Verything is old.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2024

Milo

Pretty nice overall. Lovely front desk guy, felt safe at the hotel. Just had trouble with being able to lock our door which was a little scary.