← Highlights of my North Island tiki-tour

A peek inside Huka Lodge

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Annabel Langbein

When I was passing through Taupo on my tiki-tour of the North Island recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to stay the night at New Zealand's most highly awarded lodge, Huka Lodge.

This five-star retreat near the Huka Falls has hosted the royal family and numerous celebrities, who value its relaxed and discreet hideaway ambience. You never know who you might bump into there!

It's not somewhere most of us get to see inside, so I'm sharing a sneak peek in the photos below. Every aspect of the décor and service is stunning, and it's easy to see why the lodge was named the Best Hotel in New Zealand in the latest Condé Nast Traveller Magazine Readers’ Travel Awards 2016, World’s Top 100 Awards, and Third Best Hotel in the World in the recent Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards.

While I was there I got to hang out with the lodge's executive chef Paul Froggatt, who has cooked at Michelin-starred hotels in France, Hong Kong and the UK, and who cooked me the most delicious meal including an ethereal dish of lightly smoked kingfish marinated in ash bread. A sublime experience!

To find out more about Huka Lodge see their website.