Millennium Hotel and Resort Manuels Taupo

While the TV and bathroom in the room were a bit dated, I don't really use the TV anyway, so it didn't bother me much. However, I think the view was absolutely stunning. My friend and I really enjoyed the ambiance, and the ground-floor lake view room had a backyard that opened directly onto the lawn. On the afternoon of our check-in, we not only enjoyed the scenery but also stargazed and admired the moon together that evening, so I had a great time.

The hotel is a bit old, especially the elevator which is very slow. I was worried it wouldn't be able to handle two people and two suitcases. The accommodation itself was decent, but the real highlight was the small balcony with direct views of Lake Taupo. It's a trade-off, really – comfort versus a lake view. Depends on what you prioritize.

Overall, this hotel feels stuck in the past, very old-fashioned. However, the pool and spa are commendable, and you really are right on the lake – open the curtains and there it is. The location is truly excellent. But that's where the positives end. Looking at the price, it's definitely not worth it. The whole place feels like a motel, yet they charge big hotel prices. Even more importantly, the two sides of the second floor are completely disconnected, and since the hotel only has two floors, the front desk never tells you where the elevator is! Here's the highlight: beware of the front desk. There was an Indian woman who clearly hated her job. She then tried to blame Trip.com, completely absolving herself of any unprofessionalism or lack of enthusiasm. Here’s what happened: Since I was checking in with four adults and a 4-year-old child, I had booked one king room and one twin room. She asked me the following: Her: How many of you are staying in the twin room? Me: I need to see the room first to answer that. If the twin beds are small, then the kid will stay in the big bed room. Her: So, Mrs, if you have a child staying, you need to book with a child when you make the reservation. Me: I did, and it says on my booking right here: 4 adults, 1 kid (4 yrs old). Her: We don't have it showing here. If you have it, I need to see it. I rolled my eyes: You can see it if you want to, right here in Chinese, if you understand anyway. Since it was Arabic numerals, I pointed it out to her. She saw it but couldn't argue with me anymore, so she just insisted that Trip.com didn't provide her with this information. Me: So what now? Seeing that I wasn't easily intimidated, she said it was fine and gave me the key cards for the two rooms. And here's the kicker: she just ended it there? Me??? Excuse me? I'm not done here yet! How about the surroundings? Your facilities? Wi-Fi? Car parking? Like everything, no introduction? What happened next truly made me never want to stay at a Millennium Hotel again. She just said: Everything, all info is on the flyer in your room. If you want dining with us, you can ask the bar there. And the main point is, don't make excuses. There was absolutely no one else checking in or calling before or after me; the reception was completely free. If I'm staying in a world-class large hotel and still have to figure things out myself like an Airbnb or a motel with no hosting, then why should I continue to be a Millennium member? Am I incapable of booking an Airbnb? I've stayed at four different Millennium Hotels in China, Australia, and New Zealand. This is the fifth, and it will likely be the last. #MillenniumHotels Farewell to you. If Trip.com didn't provide information, that's an issue between you two. Why ruin the customer experience? It's not about demanding an overly warm welcome; the problem is that as a hotel front desk, she gave absolutely no basic information about the hotel. I've truly never seen anything like it, and perhaps my experience is limited. I've already left reviews on four platforms: TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, Xiaohongshu, and Trip.com. From now on, Millennium Hotels will forever be on my blacklist! With employees like that, I really don't intend to go out of my way to be annoyed again.