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#1 of 1 hotels in Whakapapa
Location
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Service
Sleep Quality
Skotel Alpine Resort is 100% Kiwi owned and operated. New Zealand’s highest hotel, set in the heart of the Tongariro Dual World Heritage National Park. Hiking trails start directly from the hotel, walk to Taranaki Falls, Tama Lakes, Silika Rapids, the start of the Tongariro Northern Circuit and catch a shuttle from the door for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Shuttles for the crossing or the ski field can be booked upon arrival. The Sky Waka as well as the Mount Ruapehu ski field (Jun-Oct.) are a 6km drive up the mountain. From Backpacker rooms to View rooms there is something for everyone. Guests can enjoy a refreshing sauna, a relaxing spa, unwind over a drink or a meal at the Skotel Restaurant and Bar. The hotel offers Free Wi-Fi and packed lunches can be purchased. We are a 3-hour drive from Hamilton Airport and 4.5 hours from Auckland and Wellington Airports.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Family
Languages Spoken
English
Location
1 Ngauruhoe Place, Whakapapa, Tongariro National Park 3951 New Zealand
Skotel Alpine Resort
164 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
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I booked for a group of friends to do the Tama Lakes and Tongaririo Crossing. The bedrooms was small but as expected, except for the safety bar on the top bunk which broke off during our first night stay. Maintenance took a look and managed to push it back in place, but was still wobbly. (also the ladder was not attached to the bed, but that is pretty common for backpackers).
Also there was only 1 plug per room, which was a bit of a hassle when all 3 of us needed to charge phones, but a multi-plug would be helpful to pack if you're in a group .
The communal facilities were very clean and well maintained, and had a fully stocked kitchen, with microwaves, stove, cutlery, etc. The bathrooms were also very clean.
Spa is only open 4pm-7pm and needs to be booked in advance.
The location is great for Tama Lakes as it is right on the door step. Definitely worth booking here if you are keen for this walk.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Skotel Alpine Resort, Other at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 22 Feb 2022
We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay at Skotel & found the communal facilities clean and well maintained & the location so handy with so many trails starting right from the doorstep. Maintenance clean, treat and test the spa facilities each morning and open from 2 until 8 with half hour bookings so that everyone gets their own private time to enjoy. The double plugs in each room can be added to by double adaptors from reception and the charging station in the communal area we hope makes things a little more helpful. The guard rail is made to be easily removed for bed making & the metal poles slot into the holes, sorry if this had not been put back in place securely but glad maintenance was able to assist you.
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I regularly stay at Skotel on business running Photographic Workshops, I can't speak highly enough of the venue and the staff. We often have groups of ten to stay, the restaurant is excellent value for money, great food and good size portions, Phill the chef and his team are very accommodating.
Kaz and Sam the owners, go out of their way to accommodate my group, reception staff are always helpful, shout out to Nicole, always onto it. Staff of note, shout out to Shannon, Abby, Ali and Jo for being so flexible with my groups dinning arrangements, thank you! and a shout out to the new girl behind the bar, Roz, you are an essential worker lol.
The hotel is rustic, full of character and always warm, you will feel relaxed and at home. Having stayed there many times in the last couple of years I have seen a rotation of international staff and I can say hand on heart that Kaz and Sam the owners treat them like family. And thats how we feel when we visit, one of the family. Great work guys, see you soon. While I use Skotel mainly on business, my wife and I now visit any chance we get to get away and chill out.
Ken Wright, Lightwave photography.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Ngauruhoe Rooms are fabulous with a view of the mountain from your bedroom window.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Karen Crawley, Owner at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 26 Aug 2020
Thank you Ken for your very kind words & support of Skotel.
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Last time we stayed at the Skotel we had a lovely room on the balcony front side but this time we were stuck on the back - not as impressive. The Lockwood structure is intereting but I was disappointed that the fire doors were not shut. I went for a walk about 11.00pm and every door was open, many were propped open and were difficult to shut. I shut them all. They should be closed this is a wooden build far from fire fighting appliances.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Skotel, Owner at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 27 Feb 2020
Hello & thank you for choosing to stay with us at Skotel. The view rooms that you speak of look out over the Tongariro National Park & Ngauruhoe. These can be booked if you choose them. They are all are listed on the web site as to what mountain/view they look out onto & the presence of a balcony. If you book direct you can even speak to a person and choose where you would like to be within the hotel. Many returnees even call and book their favourite room by number & we can offer great suggestions if we know what you are after. Skotel has a current building warrant of fitness that includes grade 5 five monitored fire alarms, incorporating both heat & smoke detection etc.The Lockwood construction, while yes being made of wood is one of the most fire resistant construction systems around, that is because its solid wood. The independent fire inspector actually made the comment that the Skotel is the lowest fire risk hotel that he inspects. Our annual warrant, is as recently current as today in fact! Yes the fire doors would be open, as they are all set on automatic to close in the case of a fire, even a false alarm will close them. The fire door automated magnetic release system works well & is closely monitored by an external company. Ripping them off their magnets manually without pushing the red release button (the reason you found them difficult to close) does not help the system stay in good working order. In fact we found some damage the other day in our latest inspection that was most likely caused by someone who had forced them closed. Non are propped open as you state, not only because it is not required with this system but it would be illegal. We are actually less than 1 km form a fire station. In future if you stay in any hotel & you have security system concerns, it's most important that you talk to the management.
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We stayed in a Backpacker double en-suite. This provided comfortable and flexible accommodation. We made good use of the kitchen and the lounge which has a dinning area. There is ample parking.
We found the custom service exceptionally good and friendly.
Note the hotel can organise buses for the Tongariro crossing - something we were unaware of at the time of booking.
Note you can walk out of the front door to visit Taranaki falls and Tama Lakes.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Skotel, Owner at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 5 Feb 2020
Thank you Graham for choosing to stay at Stokel, we are glad you enjoyed your time here exploring the great outdoors & all the walks on offer. We are delighted that you found our backpacker rooms comfortable for your needs. Your feedback is most appreciated & we hope you come back to visit again one day.
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We stayed in Chalet 1 and it has big enough space for our family, our two big bags and four carry ons. This cabin has a deck and a dedicated parking for our vehicle. There’s a towel warmer in the shower area and the entry hall. Entry to the accommodation was just wide enough to lug a bag. It was a bit tricky going to the shower area coming from the inside as the doors both swing outwards but we found a way to make it work. My children loved that the Wifi still works in the public carpark at the bottom of Ngauruhoe Terrace.
Breakfast buffet is $25 and feels expensive for what’s on offer. Not sure if it was the weather or poor lighting in the restaurant but somehow it affected the palatability of the food.
For dinner it was a hit for my my husband and myself (we ordered the salmon and vegan lasagna), but a miss for my two children (they ordered the pasta of the day and the fish and chips). Pasta was too creamy and the fish batter was not that crispy.
The clouds parted on our last day and Mount Ngauruhoe showed itself. We love that we have a good view of it from the deck.
Overall it was a good stay. This accommodation is positioned well for exploring the national park.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Karen Crawley, Owner at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 24 Feb 2024
Thank you for choosing to stay with us and the great rating is most appreciated.
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Being that the Skotel caters for backpackers I was worried that the rooms were going to smell of sweaty washing and damp boots but what a really pleasant surprise it was! My son and I booked two nights stay to give us a little break from touring North Island before heading South and it was the best booking we made.
The cabins are very very clean and compact, and the beds are comfortable with all the bedding you would need for every season. The little seating areas outside were clean and provided a lovely place to sit and admire the amazing views.
The lounge/bar area is full of chunky sofas where you can sit and enjoy the wider panoramas. Or, as I did, have forty winks! It’s just a really relaxing place.
The staff; absolutely outstanding! We saw the same people serving breakfast and cleaning the rooms to then being our very attentive hosts in the restaurant. Nothing was too much trouble.
Antonio was our table host (I feel it’s unkind to call them waiters and waitresses because they are more than that!) Antonio was an absolute sweetheart! He saw that I was looking at my fork and wiping it - which is just a habit of mine, it wasn’t dirty - and he immediately came over to our table and replaced it. He was very friendly with a huge handsome smile and I would like to say he is a credit to the Skotel. I hope he goes far because he is the type of person this world needs more of.
We didn’t see one member of staff below the age of 35 and it made me wonder if it is owned and run by young people because if it is then what an absolute triumph!! I will recommend this fabulous place to anyone who will listen ☺️
Thank you
Christine and Arann Smith
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Just enjoy the experience, if you want a meal in the restaurant then you will need to book it in...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Karen Crawley, Owner at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 24 Feb 2024
Thank you so much for your very kind words, all of the team here at Skotel are most appreciative of them. Antonio, we agree, is simply one of the world's best humans.
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We had originally booked it for one night but thankfully got a room for the second night and trust me we needed it after the hike . We had to change rooms but it was fairly seamless and the staff were incredibly helpful. We got a picnic lunch from the hotel for the hike and they also organized our pickup . At the end of a long day the dining hall was closed but we got hearty appetizers and snacks at the bar and a lovely bartender who made us special drinks. I highly recommend this place for the exquisite views and friendly staff
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:We had the Ngauruhoe Room the first night which had a lovely verandah and views of Mount Doom
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Skotel Alpine Resort, Other at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 23 June 2021
Thank you Boston for your kind words, they are most appreciated by all of us here at Skotel.
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Arrived to a winter wonderland, snowing and after an evening dusting. We booked the Ngauruhoe room, which was perfect. After about ten minutes, the magical Mt Ngauruhoe revealed itself in the most spectacular way , right in front of our room. The room was cabin style pine, and so cozy. The bed was good, and the room was clean. It is still the original 60's/70's decor, but that made it more charming for me. It was a traditional ski lodge style. The check in and service was impeccable. We went for a walk around the village, and had a coffee at the Chateau (which didn't have as nice views !). The lounge and bar area with it's warm open fire was wonderful. The atmosphere is very collegial. We had dinner in the restaurant, and the food was good. The only negative for our stay was the breakfast, which was expensive, and sub-standard. The food was cold, and the only eggs that were available were poached. We asked for scrambled or fried, and were told not possible, which was disappointing, given it was $22 per person. I would highly recommend this hotel, it is the perfect spot for Ruapehu and the Tongariro NP.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Ngauruhoe rooms are spectacular
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Skotel Alpine Resort, Other at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 5 July 2021
Thank you for your kind words Meljup, they are most appreciated by all of us here at Skotel & we are delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us.
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Great for easy access to the ski fields or hiking trails. The place may not have had a refit since the eighties but is clean and functional and kind of has a retro 70s ski lodge vibe. It’s only completion on the mountain is the once high end (but still pricey) Château which is, apparently, is also getting a bit run down, so this place is by far the best value of the two Whakapapa accomodation options. The breakfast was as you would expect for the price but the evening meals were good to very good; restaurant quality. Be sure to book directly, it’s a relatively small operation like this can charged a hefty commission through booking sites like bookings.com. Very relaxed atmosphere. No complaints except make sure the heater in your room works before you turn in for the night.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Not all rooms have their own bathroom. Book 2 or 3 months early during ski season
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Karen Crawley, Owner at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 6 Nov 2022
Thank you Cameron for advocating for us, its most appreciated by the team here at Skotel. I think all businesses in the National Park would invest $ in the buildings if it was easier and if they had security of tenure.
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The skotel is hands down by far one of New Zealand's most beautiful hidden Gems so well priced for such exquisite service, staff very friendly and plesent to the cleenliness of the entire mannor definitely highly recommended from a family of 9 thank you so much we will be back regularly for the winter season! Love you guys at Skotell Alpine Resort !! U Rock!!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kaz Clarkson, Owner at Skotel Alpine Resort
Responded 8 Aug 2023
This review made my day, thank you so much <3 It was a pleasure to host you. Please visit us again soon!
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Well I'm not sure about the bus going all the way to the skotel, I doubt that very much. It will more than likely drop you off at Whakapapa village as outlined in above answer. Best ask at the big store where bus will prob drop you off, where is best place to thumb a lift to Whakapapa. Its not that far, just a few kilometers, will be other people travelling up to the chateau and the skotel for sure, just hold up a sign, be plenty people go there. Thats best advice I can give you, same for return, always backpackers travelling from skotel and chateau. Best advice I can give you...
Hi, you do not need any bedding or towels. The cabins have all this supplied and the beds are made up.
I look forward to hosting you and wish you a safe and pleasant trip to Skotel Alpine Resort.
Regards
Wayne.
There are more places to choose from in the Whakapapa area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$77 - AU$119 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
skotel alpine hotel whakapapa village, holiday inn tongariro national park
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandManawatu-Wanganui RegionTongariro National ParkWhakapapa
NUMBER OF ROOMS
50
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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