River Birches Lodge

Wonderful hosts. We stayed in the 3 bedroom cottage. Simply home from home. It was extremely well thought through, with every conceivable home comfort. Nothing was too much trouble. The breakfast excellent, the beds comfortable and the walks & fishing on the door step 1st class.

What a wonderful place, pictures do not do it justice! Fully deserving of its 5* status. Warm and welcoming, with an excellent breakfast and great recommendations for dinner if you choose to eat out. The owners/hosts Jason & Rebeca could not have done more to make us feel at home; they went above and beyond to ensure we had a fantastic stay. We took the Tongariro Crossing package where everything is organised to make sure we didn’t have to worry about a thing, we definitely recommend this! The lodge itself is serene and peaceful, highly recommend the Major’s Room which comes with a hot tub, just what we needed after a long day hiking. Having been lucky enough to stay in a few luxury lodges in NZ, this certainly ranks amongst the very best. Thank you to Jason & Rebeca for welcoming us!

The only disappointment was the fact that we were staying only one night. This is an absolutely gorgeous property with truly luxurious features and amenities. We were upgraded to the ‘Major’ room as we happened to be the only guests that night. It was beautiful with comfy bed, private deck and hot tub and garden views. Hosts Rebecca and Jason were wonderful and gave great tips for food and hikes. Breakfast was first class and everything was so fresh. Will definitely recommend to friends visiting the area

What a wonderful relaxing oasis. We drove 4 hours from Wellington managing the other side of the road and were a little road weary when we rolled in. Jason and Rebecca took care of that with a luxurious well appointed lodge. This intimate (3 room) lodge was exact what we needed to unwind and relax from the city & the drive. The breakfasts were elegant and the coffee beans were roasted by a neighbor. The best shower of the trip. As wonderful as the facility was Jason & Rebecca were the frosting on the cake. They are personable, professional excellent inn keepers & people. Five star for sure

My family and I had a wonderful time staying in the River Birches Cottage. The house is very warm and welcoming and had all the amenities- washer and dryer, hot tub, stocked kitchen, etc. Jason went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed and was extremely responsive. It is the nicest place to stay if you are hiking the Tongariro Crossing. I couldn’t recommend it more.

River Birches is just a beautiful lodge, so comfortable and tasteful, warm and welcoming - a true 5* experience, personalised to your needs. Rebecca and Jason really do go the extra mile, maybe even mile and a half - they anticipate your needs and nothing seems to be too much trouble for them. The arranged fishing for my husband that was wonderful, and a guide for me to do the Tongariro Crossing - an unforgettable experience. But not only did they arrange it all, they facilitated everything on a practical level - for me, this included providing me with a much better backpack than the little one I'd brought from overseas, they provided walking poles, water bottles, lunch, print outs of the weather conditions, and even a lift to and from the start/end of the walking trail! All of this meant I could relax more and enjoy the day, without worrying about logistics. We stayed when the chef was on a well-earned holiday, but we needn't have worried: Jason organised dinner tables for us at local restaurants in lieu of dining in, and even the local uber driver (lovely chap) to take us there and back. The lodge itself is so tastefully appointed, filled with lovely thoughtful touches, that make your stay so smooth and comfortable - from adaptors to suit our country's electricity plugs, a wonderful steamer to remove the wrinkles in our clothing with the minimum of fuss or time spent, to lovely toiletries, tea and coffee making facilities in your room if you wish to use them, and welcome back drinks on the deck at the end of our day's activities. We stayed in The Admiral's Room - the bed and pillows were so comfortable, the bathroom was lovely - there's a hot tub dedicated to that room, which looked great, and a huge bathtub (in addition to a separate luxurious shower) that I so wished I'd had time to enjoy. The relaxing areas in the lodge are truly that, with lovely selections of books on New Zealand to browse from the comfort of deep sofas that overlook the beautiful garden. The peace and tranquility of the lodge meant we slept very well. Breakfast was delicious, and set us up well for our respective activities. We were just sad to leave after three nights - far too short a stay. We look forward to returning on our next trip to New Zealand, and next time, my plan will be to just enjoy the lodge and immediate surroundings. We cannot rate the wonderful River Birches highly enough.