Rotorua: Step back in time

Princes Gate Hotel was originally built in Waihi in 1897 but looks as if it has always been part of Rotorua. Photo / Supplied

Amid all Rotorua's bubbling and steaming - or adrenalin-pumping and scream-inducing - tourist attractions, sits the city's grand old lady, quietly majestic.

The historic Princes Gate Hotel's 56 rooms sprawl elegantly around the corner of Rotorua's Arawa and Hinemaru streets, overlooking the very photogenic Government Gardens.

With the beautiful Bath House building in the distance, now home to Rotorua Museum, you could forgive yourself for thinking you'd wandered back in time. It seems a world away from the bungy, luge and geyser shenanigans the city is best known for.

As I do my best to sweep up the main staircase and out along the wrap-around balcony to my room, I desperately feel the need for a flouncing gown and several minions carrying my portmanteau out of the stagecoach. What I have is a husband lugging the cheap suitcase out of the station wagon. Still, that will do, and the Princes Gate is a gorgeous spot for a getaway.

Despite its location in the heart of Rotorua there is a fabulous sense of seclusion about this place. Whether it's enjoying a meal in the plush elegance of Memories restaurant, or curled into one of the leather armchairs enjoying a pinot in front of the fire, there's no need to venture out into the real world.

That same sense of comfortable displacement extends through to the bedrooms which range in size and grandeur and have all been made over by the Princes Gate owners, Brett and Vlasta Marvelly, in a decidedly Victorian style. Think swirling florals and stylish understated colours, plump sofas, gilt mirrors and sweeping curtains.

The Princes Gate's slogan is "A hotel so good they built a city around it" and it's a testament to the comfort and style of the place that that certainly feels true.

It is, however, not 100 per cent the case. The building has a fascinating history. It was, in fact, built in Waihi - the heart of Coromandel gold-mining - in 1897. But by 1917, the combination of prohibition and a declining population in the town saw the hotel dismantled and transported by rail to Rotorua. There it was rebuilt in 1921 in its current location - opposite the dramatic wooden Prince's Gate arch at the entrance to Government gardens. The Marvellys have done a fabulous job of restoring the wooden building to its former glory. Each room is unique in its styling and almost too cosy to leave. They've also added some traditions of their own with regular dinner shows in the dining room.

Guests enjoy a three-course meal accompanied by live performances of Broadway songs. It was a tradition started by the Marvellys' well-known singer daughter Elizabeth.

If you do feel like venturing out, Rotorua's many other attractions are a short walk away.

And after you've wined, dined, sung-along and seen the sights - what would a weekend in Rotorua be without a hot swim? Nestled at one end of the quaint, private courtyard there is, of course,a small, thermally-heated pool. And if you're after a little more of that seclusion there's also a private spa and sauna.

- Detours, HoS