Taupo's Huka Lodge earns place among world's most romantic hotels

NZ Herald

14 Feb, 2019 12:00 AM3 mins to read

The Alan Pye Cottage: Couples from around the world have flocked to the Huka Lodge, New Zealand's most romantic hotel. Photo / Supplied

Taupo doesn't often get mentioned in the same breath as the romantic European cities of Paris and Rome, or the honeymoon islands of Fiji and the Maldives.

However, according to a ranking by Big 7 Travel, one of the most romantic hotels in the world could be tucked away on the shores of the great North Island lake.

Huka Lodge on the Waikato river is famous amongst fishermen. The Huka Falls - which aerate the water, exciting large brown trout – seems to have a similarly invigorating effect on couples.

Royal favourite the Huka Lodge has been voted one of the world's most romantic getaways. Photo / Supplied

"Huka Lodge also goes out of its way to create special memories for couples," assesses the guide.

Having begun as a simple fishing lodge in the 1920s, Huka has become a break fit for royalty – collecting the signatures of at least 12 assorted royals in its guest book.

The lodge is a lure for both famous guests and travel awards, earning a top posting in the Condé Nast Traveller awards for its "lord of the manor vibe." The UK publication could see exactly "why the Queen feels right at home here."

Waikato river romance: The grounds of Huka Lodge. Photo / Marian Robertson

So far, so fishy – but the romance is there too, lurking under the millpond surface.
The outdoorsy feeling of the luxury lodge extends to candlelit tables for whiling away evenings beside the river.

The settings of this New Zealand hideaway helped it beat out hotels for a space in the top ten most romantic in the world.

Big 7 Travel assessed hotels from around the world, including palatial piles and treetop houses, to compile their Top 50 Most Romantic Hotels for 2019. Using the results from reader surveys and a panel of hospitality experts they found Huka Lodge had everything a couple needs for a successful Valentines Day break.

A spokesperson for Big 7 said: "It might be too late to book into one of these incredible hotels for Valentine's Day this year, but it's not too late to pay them a visit before 2019 is out."