Chateau Tongariro Hotel

Taupo & the Ruapehu Region

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Like most old mountain folk, this iconic 1929 hotel has weathered, though its grandeur – in the style of the original US national park hotels – is undeniable. It still creates a beautifully evocative stay, complete with high tea ($45, 11am to 5pm) in the lounge overlooking Mt Ngauruhoe, aperitifs in the foyer bar and formal dining in the elegant Ruapehu Room.

Other facilities include a cafe, indoor pool, cinema, gym, sauna and a fairly unmaintained nine-hole golf course. Check online for significant discounts.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Mt Ruapehu

    Mt Ruapehu

    5.91 MILES

    Mt Ruapehu (2797m) is the North Island's highest mountain and one of the world’s most active volcanoes. One year-long eruption began in March 1945,…

  • Lake Rotokura

    Lake Rotokura

    15.82 MILES

    For some peaceful moments away from the mountains, consider a walk to this bush-smothered lake, the centrepiece of the Lake Rotokura Ecological Reserve,…

  • Mt Ngauruhoe

    Mt Ngauruhoe

    5.85 MILES

    Northeast of Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe (2287m) is the national park's youngest volcano and the most classically perfect in its conical shape. Its first…

  • National Army Museum

    National Army Museum

    20.63 MILES

    At the southern end of the town, in a large, almost-Stalinist concrete castle, is the National Army Museum. Proclaimed as ‘history without the boring bits…

  • Tongariro National Trout Centre

    Tongariro National Trout Centre

    19.12 MILES

    Around 4km south of Tūrangi, this DOC-managed trout centre has a hatchery, an underwater viewing chamber, a museum with polished educational displays, a…

  • Mt Tongariro

    Mt Tongariro

    7.08 MILES

    Ongoing rumbles are reminders that all the volcanoes in this area are very much in the land of the living. In 2012 Te Maari, a crater on Mt Tongariro …

View more attractions

Nearby Taupo & the Ruapehu Region attractions

1. Mt Ngauruhoe

5.85 MILES

Northeast of Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe (2287m) is the national park's youngest volcano and the most classically perfect in its conical shape. Its first…

2. Mt Ruapehu

5.91 MILES

Mt Ruapehu (2797m) is the North Island's highest mountain and one of the world’s most active volcanoes. One year-long eruption began in March 1945,…

4. Mt Tongariro

7.08 MILES

Ongoing rumbles are reminders that all the volcanoes in this area are very much in the land of the living. In 2012 Te Maari, a crater on Mt Tongariro …

8. Raurimu Spiral

9.1 MILES

The Raurimu Spiral, 30km south of town, is a unique feat of railway engineering that was completed in 1908 after 10 years of work. Rail buffs can…