Simply Fabulous. The room and balcony looking back towards Auckland was so lovely. The meal in the restaurant in the evening and the full cooked breakfast the next day were excellent. The service and care absolutely spot on. The atmosphere and views from this unique property make it one of Auckland's best kept secrets. I wish we could have stayed two days but we will be back in winter to try a different season with the open fireplaces. Highly recommended!

I stayed one night with my colleagues, which was organized by my work. It was a nice day, and the view was absolutely beautiful. Enjoyed the breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The staffs are nice and welcoming.

Exceptional customer service at reception and in the restaurant. The scenery is beautiful from the restaurant, rooms and on the way there. Parking is easy and the resort is so clean. The bed was exceptionally comfortable, room was so clean, quiet, relaxing and well ventilated. I would highly recommend and I will be back!

What an incredible location!! The views and scenery is fantastic!! Visited for a work conference and the meeting rooms are great. Both the main rooms and the chapel are comfortable. The rooms, hallways and bar are all quite dated but comfortable. The food was good, breakfast was sufficient and the wine list is a little meh. Lots of alternatives though! Nice pool on site and a small gym with treadmill, free weights and a bicycle. Staff are lovely welcoming and friendly right throughout the stay! Honestly this has so much potential if it gets a small face lift, overall a good experience!

Staff very friendly, room was great but wish that we had an aircon in there. Room had a balcony and the view was great. Food was lovely but a little expensive for the small portion sizes. Stunning spa available at the resort and huge pool! All in all it was a good stay at a great price and we would definitely go again.

We spent a night (2 couples) . Great service from all the staff, rooms clean and very comfy. Magnificent views from our room and the dining room. Beautiful gardens and close to forest walks. Dinner and breakfast excellent and great service from dining staff (sorry didn't get your name) and Ana at reception so lovely. Duncan the general manager friendly and helpful. Some would describe the hotel as dated but I would say full of character!!!! Highly recommend and right on Auckland's doorstep.

Beautiful place to breathe in fresh air, this place is like no other historic hotel, most fascinating place to go, walks all around through nature, Staff is Amazing friendly helpful and most willing to help if needed, food on the menu is delicious, this is old school 80yrs transforming into the modern world. I Highly recommend if you like to be wowed, you got to try it people.

We went here for our anniversary weekend and it was just fantastic. Stunning views, extremely friendly and helpful staff and great day spa. Also big compliment to the restaurant team. Food has been delicious. Perfect if you need to get away from the busy life in Auckland but not wanting to drive too far. Plenty of stuff to do around. We definitely will be back soon!

We did the spa package- the room was amazing the staff where lovely and the massages where amazing too. Compared to a couple years ago the decors is way nicer and feels modern! You have done a great job! I would defo recommend when you book a couples massage to actually have it as a couple not in seperate rooms and to also allow us to relax rather than having a conversation with the masseuse throughout the massage as before you know it it’s over and you don’t really feel relaxed. We didn’t enjoy our breakfast- the salmon was way to fishy smelling and made me sick. My partner couldn’t finish his either as the bene sauce tasted like full on butter. We loved everything and would defo come back- I’d recommend you put some sun bathing chairs by the pool as the floor isn’t comfortable to lay on. I’d also say to put some cutlery in your rooms to be able to make coffee that you provide as we had none we couldn’t have our morning coffee.. With these changes I think I’d come and get married here! Overall the place feels super relaxing and would happily come back just a couple things 😊 Grace the receptionist was super helpful and lovely thanks grace!

Took some ‘me time’ booked a weekend away. Interesting experience driving to the venue, the road became narrow as you make way to the place, it becomes a one way road. I was a bit taken with the ‘60-70s’ decorum, my first impression it gave off a Masonic vibe. I stayed in the original building, old fashioned wallpaper, darkened hallways at a time when the fireplace was on. However, super friendly staff and I enjoyed home cooked meals at the restaurant. Keep tabs on your finances while there it adds up. I enjoyed outdoor walks, caught beautiful sunrises. Booked some pampering sessions while I was there. Mixed reviews, I gave it ago. I think it depends on your style and budget, I like to think I support local business.

Overall the place is fine, but the word “resort” isn’t quite accurate. On a positive note , the staff were very friendly and the rainforest is magnificent. We walked a short distance and took a great hike. And there is a helipad onsite which feels reassuring in case one needs emergency evacuation. On the other hand…the buildings feel dated and in need of upgrade. the pool was dirty. There are no pool towels and there is minimal deck furniture, some of which seemed broken. The food was mediocre and overpriced. The high point of the stay occurred during breakfast. Under the table holding the toaster there was a piece of toast lying on the floor. Seemed odd. All became clear after I put my piece of bread in the toaster and it popped out and landed on the floor.

If I'm honest, our room was actually lovely and beautiful views. However, when pulling up to this place you would think it was abandoned. Very dated, needs a lot of TLC. Very expensive restaurant and bar for the quality of food and drink as it's average at best. No robes at a spa resort I thought was weird. Pool looked dirty and we just couldn't use it, all chairs around pool look 100 years old. Seemed like they lacked the staff to have a full functioning bar like they advertise,but the staff they do have try hard. Cool location but needs some TLC and some attention to details if they call themselves a 4 star hotel.

We stayed two nights and three days and we loved it. The rooms and facilities are not brand new, by any means, but they are cosy, clean, and have a bit of character. There is a nice pool, spa baths, sauna and gym. And above all, the location is amazing: a beautiful, sweeping view of native forest with Auckland city in the distance. We loved the bush walks, the meal we ate at the restaurant, and the high tea. We loved waking up to native birdsong and fresh forest air. The staff are all very friendly, approachable and helpful. If you live in Auckland and want a nice “staycation,” I think you will love it too.

A very pleasant stay. Cabin style cottage was a nice touch amongst the natural setting. The French toast and scotch fillet were delightful. Recommend!

Very happy with our stay here. Rooms were very quiet, views were great and I felt that what was advertised was very accurate. Staff were very friendly, we did not eat at the resort so cannot comment on the food. Thanks for a great stay team.

Call this resort is a bit too much. Beautiful location, but the place is very old, and dirty. The dinner was nice a bit over priced for the size and not much choice especially for vegetarians. The restaurants was full of midges, breakfast was okiesh, all the table mats were dirty of previous dry food. Spots everywhere. The fan in the bathroom was not working not really nice as there is not a real room for the bathroom in the deluxe room. For the spa booked service way before, otherwise like us u will be go in a spa and just sleep in it, As the spa was fully booked. Would be nice stretch the spa hours or having more beauticians to cover the capabilities of a big place like this. The outdoor pool not really useful. Small sauna. I think this place can have potentials but has been left by itself. Overalls, restaurant overpriced and stay overpriced. Not really clean.

Lovely staff but the lounge area needs serious attention, it is so dated and unloved! Revamping with some new decor would make such a difference to this dark and dreary communal area that is central to the hotel. So much potential for what could be an amazing place to stay. Great views of Auckland from the restaurant.

Stay away. We found spiders webs and spiders hanging from the roof in our room. Our bathtub had a broken shower head. No plug and mould growing around the edges. The bathroom sink had water leaking underneath it into the cupboards. The bed was hard and springs all uneven and from the 80s. Room smelt like an old caravan, curtains from the 70s had not been replaced. All around awful experience WiFi was rubbish also.

Simply fantastic. I only stayed overnight, bit expensive for that but that was my choice not theirs. The restaurant was great good menu and the food was well presented, the steak was simply sublime. 👌 The staff were all great and friendly, served with a smile. Kudos to the waitress especially, she obviously was in pain with a leg injury but always smiling and happy to help, fantastic effort and thanks for coming in to work that night. I will be back for a longer visit that is for sure.

We had a very nice visit, with the three course dinner and full breakfast as part of the deal which we found good value. Ursula was excellent, real multi tasker, reception and serving the lounge bar and chatting with the customers, she's really got personality for the job, lovely, chatty and has lived plus confident. Being short staffers made the dinner very slow with only one chef. Wonderful views both from the dinning room but especially from our rooms windows, incredible vista, up and down out East over the south, central including Rangitoto, then way up North, lights for ever, just great.

The place was absolutely gorgeous and the service was great. Unfortunately we just left the hotel with a food poisoning from whatever we had this morning at the restaurant which by the way was a bit overpriced for what the food actually was. Many thanks any we enjoyed our stay.

We had a booking in the Garden Spa Apartment for a couple. Lovely quaint little accommodation hidden in the Waitakere ranges. The room had everything that we required, including a Spa Bath. Parking was just outside the room. The on-site restaurant's meals were fantastic. I would recommend staying just for the food. The restaurant has amazing views of the city of only short waits for meals to be prepared. All of the servers and staff were amazing. Special thanks to Steven, who made every meal with him feel much more special.

Stayed here overnight as a birthday present for my partner. We stayed in one of the Premium rooms and it was gorgeous! The beds were comfy, the views were striking, even the parts of the resort that hadn’t been renovated were charming and comfortable. You can tell a lot of heart and soul goes into this gem. The staff were all very friendly and clearly hard working. I could tell they were a bit short staffed but they really did everything they could to make our stay memorable and special. Extra shoutout to Duncan and Ursula who I feel like live on sight because I saw them around really hustling and caring for not just the guests but their fellow staff members. We ate dinner and breakfast there. Dinner was ok. The entrees were a bit of a miss for us but our mains and dessert were fine. Breakfast was good. I would say the food is the only reason we’d give it a 4 rather than a 5. The facilities really are special and it’s so nice having such a retreat so readily available from Auckland CBD. Thank you to all the staff we saw on site for making our stay an enjoyable one.

Beautiful setting and friendly staff that are doing their best. Lovely room however water pressure was beyond poor! Food and drink highly priced for poor quality. Lacked atmosphere

The location is great, as was the service. The room was generous with a good outlook albeit a bit dated and could have been cleaner. We also noticed there was not enough tea/coffee for the number of guests. When alerted, staff rectified this promptly. Our biggest disappointment came in the restaurant. We ordered the duck breast at $45 each. The breast was OK but accompanied by cubed pieces of beetroot that tasted processed and had little natural flavour and a few blobs of Wasabi mayo. Very underwhelming. When we queried whether the beetroot was canned, we were given two different explanations, none if which seemed plausible. So disappointing. The staff do their best but it's not enough to get us back!

Didn't stay. Went for a friend's Birthday High Tea. Is the best High tea that I've experienced. The staff were friendly. The food, & drinks were so good!! Would highly recommend.

For the price i felt it was lacking some care and attention. The staff were fantastic and the location is a must kiwi experience. The meals were hit and miss some being amazing and some very disappointing. My desert especially a waste of money. But the lamb was to die for so beautiful. Room service did not restock our tea bags and we had to get fresh milk from the restaurant. The verandah with its amazing view was covered in bird poop and with no coffee table had to put drinks on the ground. But the beds were so comfy and i slept like a log

Wonderful customer service, very friendly staff. Amazing meal in the restaurant and our room was exhuisite, beautiful views from our balcony, can't wait to go back again and we have highly recommended to all our friends. A truly lovely escape from the city. Cheryl & Hamish Mitchell-Hey

What we liked: Cleanliness Staff were very friendly The views The grounds The food What we didn't like: Lack of signs or good maps The pool isn't heated There was no spa pool There were no loungers to sit on outside Overpriced food, drinks and massage The massage experience This place is very cleaverly over promoted as a day spa/retreat. Hits the mark on a few things but lacks on others. Can't help but feel that our feedback got tossed into the "don't care" filing cabinet but "thanks for the feedback here's 10% off next time", trick. Spent a LOT of money for two nights, feels like we were short changed. Wouldn't go back for the same experience but 10% less.

Good value for money, we got the romantic package Apart from that, it was not a resort, I’m sorry. Our expectations for the swimming pool (it needed to be covered for the winter times) and gym/sauna were way higher. It was All Black game night, and the rooms didn’t have sky which is ok, but not even the lounge area had, for a resort to that level we felt that lots of things got missing or should be improved.

Driving down the beautiful concrete road cuddled by native bush and plants until it opens with a view of the well maintained heli pad. you keep driving down deeper into the bush and then the resort opens up in front of you. walking in the reception area you sense a welcoming home feeling. friendly receptionist greets you and guide you to spa. While you walk down the stairs you look out over the valley and see the spectacular city views. Once at the spa room you are greeted by beautiful lady with a soft smile and beautiful, Her name is Savanna. Once in the spa room soft lighting and relaxing music playing makes you feel relaxed . The massage is perfect, just the right firmness I requested. She is extremely professional and good at her task. I am booking again!!!!

What a beautiful spot , hidden away. It feels like your out of the city. The room was beautiful with a amazing view of the city and bush all around. Food was delicious and breakfast spot on. Staff friendly and very helpful. Definitely will be back again!

A great weekend getaway to enjoy the peace and quiet, be surrounded by nature (forest). A very grand, classic mansion turned into a resort home with friendly hosts. Great food and drinks! Dinner was fantastic - flavoursome! Hoping the resort will get busier and be able to refurbish for even a more comfortable and enjoyable stay. Will be back :)

5 star food and service, with fantastic views to enjoy. The meals were exceptional in flavor and presentation. Really out of the way place and a driveway with spectacular glimpses of the waitakere forest.

Pros -Friendly Staff -Good Breakfast and service at restaurant -Nice views Cons -Taxi and Uber won't pick up from location -Poor signage and narrow steep driveway/parking -Walls are thin and headboards are placed right on the other side of your neighbors(atleast in the room we had). Our neighbors snoring was pretty loud even in our room. Overall it was fine but no taxi service was an inconvenience to our plans and the driveway and parking is niggly, Also the place is quite old and ideally could do with some money spent on bringing it back to life.. Not a bad place to stay but maybe do your homework, maybe ring and ask questions relevant to your planned stay before booking to make sure it works for you.

Little piece of paradise. Want to unwind and destress? Then this is the place to be. Sauna, massage, spa bath, exceptional food, outstanding service (thank you Tarun you are awesome!!). Will definitely be back and definitely recommend.

Overall we had a really nice night away for an anniversary celebration. We had a premium room and the room was really well presented and comfortable. The romantic option gave us bubbles and a cheese platter upon arrival which was a really nice to experience on the balcony. The pillows and bed were very comfortable. Dinner at the restaurant was nice with a good selection of options to suit preferences. The duck for mains and creme brulee for dessert were personal favourites. We had a couples massage which was nice, it was done in separate rooms which was strange for a couples massage. Overall we had a lovely time and will look to return for another relaxing time away.

Not too shabby at all. Lovely staff, views and layout. Quality food which is reflected in the price, portion size meant we had a philosophy of 'lets order fries too'.

Nice comfy room with great view. Very friendly staff. It was a great experience for a weekend getaway. Only thing that makes me concern is we saw a guy obviously with a cold or maybe COVID coughing all over the buffet breakfast.

Beautiful hotel I would recommend but it's not quite meeting it's true potential. Stunning views, beautiful big room, comfy bed, old school hotel glamour character. Restaurant food is great but the decor/ambiance could be improved (e.g. lights were too bright, no music). They could do well to offer wine pairing with the degustation. Bathroom in our room was not perfectly clean (grout between tiles) but clean enough to not be scungy. The grabone deal is excellent value. Near perfect romantic getaway.

First time being here and got to say the place itself is clean tidy and absolutely beautiful. All the staff were very friendly welcoming helpful and had great mannerism. I had a coffee which was very good! Also the steak with truffle sauce that came with fries were nice and I liked it. However the chips were warmish and soggy which was a little disappointing. But overall great place with great views! I'd recommend this place.

Waitakere Resort and Spa is tucked away in a wonderful location with stunning views of both the city and a beautiful rainforest. My husband and I went to there for 2 nights and we loved it. The staff were friendly and very accommodating, the breakfast we had was delicious and the room was clean, tidy and comfortable. Not too far away from the city but not too close either, a wonderful place to retreat.

We were here over new years. Foods pretty good, we’ve now stayed in both their original and newer rooms and the newer ones are much nicer. If you have an opportunity to stay here, try ensure you get a newer room. The price difference is negligible imo.

It felt like we had escaped Auckland for the night which is what we were wanting. Had a lovely night away for my husbands 30th. Room was all that I anticipated, location was stunning surroundings and sound proofing in our room meant we were in silence all of the time - something not experienced at many hotel stays. Weather was average so we couldn't take full advantage of the outdoor gardens as we wanted to. Dinner was incredible, very talented chef! Package deal including dinner and breakfast was good value. We had breakfast brought to us in the room and it was hot on arrival. Continental breakfast option was a bit of a let down, but overall we loved our time. All staff were kind and helpful!

Highly recommended for an adult weekend away. Fantastic rooms with amazing views. Gym sauna and some bush walks makes for a great getaway from Auckland without the expense of petrol and time traveling.

went there for our anniversary retreat and it was awesome 😍. very serene and tranquil place with well maintained grounds. the lounge and corridors had this 60's inspired decor which I found charming but at the same time giving off the overlook hotel vibe in the shining😅. room 8 was clean and spacious. bathroom was very clean. I appreciate the environment friendly packaging used for the toiletries. the view from the balcony was awesome. used the dry spa every day I was there and it was great too! highly recommend this place and would definitely come back again.

A lovely resort that is well managed. Stayed for 2 nights at this lovely property. The property is located in the Waitakere estate and is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The property offers amazing views along with a pool, helipad, a garden (for functions) and well appointed rooms. The rooms are spacious, clean and have the perfect set of amenities. The restaurant offers great food and drinks. The staff right from the reception to housekeeping, kitchen and F&B were great. I will recommend the lower section rooms (9, 10 and 11). These rooms have their own patio facing the pool and offer an amazing sunrise view.

Stayed for three nights during challenging times as cyclone Gabrielle hit the island. We had an amazing room over looking the ranges and a view of Auckland. Duncan the General Manager was a super star looking after all the guests ensuring we were safe and well fed (food was cooked using gas as the electricity had gone down by candle light and a head torch!) Duncan's family pitched in to look after the guests as staff were unable to reach the hotel due to road closures. Thank you so much for looking after us it was very much appreciated 😊

Thank you to Duncan and the team. Not only is this a beautiful place to stay, with great facilities and outlook, the staff made it special. Yesterday when my niece’s wedding was cancelled by the nearby unethical wedding venue, the Resort was asked if they could host the wedding. They did so with friendly approach, allowing use of their chapel, lounge area and facilities for the wedding. They turned what could have been an absolute disaster into a fabulous day. The bride and groom and guests from all over NZ and overseas were all so grateful for this. Highly recommend this as a place to stay.

I recently stayed at the resort and I really enjoyed my time there. It was my first time there and the place is an absolute gem. The facilities are great and the place has alot of character. The scenery is spectacular and the food was great. The staff were super friendly too. I will definately be coming back to stay here.

Beautiful place for a quiet night away. The receptionist could smile and be a bit more friendly, found him quite rude, almost as if we were an inconvenience for him, either having a bad day or in the wrong job. The lady that served us at dinner could teach him a thing or two about customer service. She was super friendly and very accommodating. Unfortunately we arrived to some loud drunk women in the pool which was directly below our room. You cannot get any sort of food that's outside of breakfast, lunch and dinner hours, so I suggest taking food with you. Be nice if snacks were available as there is no shops nearby. Overall stunning location and comfortable rooms.

This place was fantastic. Specifically, Dee at the front desk and Steven (spelling?) in the dining area. Dee was a ray of sunshine and so helpful. She really made every interaction so pleasant. Steven was so kind and made my solo dining experiences enjoyable. The room was humble annd exactly what I needed. The bed was very comfortable and the sheets like butter - I slept beautifully. The spa treatments were easy to book, great pricing and the quality of the products used was great. I really enjoyed having a dry heat sauna followed by a cold shower in the room adjacent. Aside from the building, the land and walking tracks were lovely. I feel this place was great for a single female traveler, as it would be great for a couple or family stay. Just lovely!