Huka Lodge

Character and identity

On the banks of the emerald Waikato River, 350 metres upstream from the thundering Huka Falls, this 1924-founded fishing camp now reads as an antipodean Scottish hunting lodge crossed with Ralph Lauren: tartan blankets, gilt-framed oils, double-sided fireplaces, and floor-to-ceiling bifold doors onto manicured lawns. Twenty supersized riverside suites and two private cottages sit across 17 acres, refreshed in a recent NZ$25 million renovation by original 1984 designer Virginia Fisher. Four-course dinners under chef Paul Froggatt roam more than 20 venues, from a 4,500-bottle stone cellar to a candlelit orchard. The new Huka Spa adds cedar sauna, plunge pool and Manuka honey treatments. Service is warm but properly trained.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this property apart is the all-inclusive rhythm of canapes, multi-course dinners staged across 20-plus settings, and immediate access to fly fishing, volcanoes and wineries by helicopter, all wrapped in a freshly renovated but deliberately old-world lodge. Book a riverside suite if you're a couple; splurge on the Alan Pye or Alex van Heeren cottage if travelling with family or friends who want a private pool.