One of New Zealand’s most luxurious lodges, Huka Lodge in the North Island region of Taupō, has reopened following a NZ$25 million refurbishment by owner Baillie Lodges.
A holiday hotspot for celebrities and royalty, the 100-year-old Huka Lodge has had a refresh while paying homage to its heritage and making the most of its picturesque locale.
You’ll probably hear the raging Waikato River before you see it, although floor-to-ceiling windows make it impossible to miss once you do enter the property.
The expanded Dining Room and Bar have floor-to-ceiling windows to frame the river and meticulous garden views, while upstairs you’ll find private lounge areas, The Loft and Piper Room, ideal for intimate dinners.
Outside, a double-sided open fireplace means you’re always toasty when al fresco dining.
New ‘wellness grounds’ have a series of huts that take design cues from the traditional Kiwi ‘bach’ (holiday house), and house a gym, two spa treatment rooms, a sauna and steaming plunge pool.
Three new bespoke experiences have also been introduced to coincide with the grand reopening.
‘The Craggy Range Culinary Escape’ takes you into Craggy Range, New Zealand’s iconic winery in the heart of Hawke’s Bay; the ‘Epic Rotorua’ is a chance to experience the Māori culture, and the ‘Ultimate Huka Experience’ is a heli-scenic flight.
Baillie Lodges Founder James Baillie led the refurbishment, working with Auckland-based Christian Anderson Architects and interior designer Virginia Fisher.
Baillie says, “It has been a privilege to have been trusted with the guardianship of Huka Lodge’s heritage and legacy, whilst readying the hundred-year-old lodge for a next century of world-class travel”.
“My wife and business partner, Hayley and I first stayed at Huka Lodge in the early 2000s when we were considering plans for Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, and which would become the Baillie Lodges flagship property.
“Huka Lodge, its magnificent natural surrounds, the luxury of its design and the impeccable attention to detail in both amenity and service became a benchmark and central point of reference for us both as we actioned plans for Southern Ocean Lodge.
“It’s a great personal and professional honour to have completed this important redesign project for such an iconic property, and I feel it’s a ‘full circle’ moment to have had the opportunity to be involved,” says Baillie.
Huka Lodge Owner Alex van Heeren says he is pleased to see the care given to the refurbishment, and clever design that made the most of the river and gardens.
“As Huka Lodge enters her second century, it’s timely to have our much-loved grande dame readied for a next generation of global traveller.”
Designer Virginia Fisher says she was delighted to collaborate to present a new-look Huka Lodge to the world.
“Looking back to when I was first commissioned to work on Huka Lodge, it struck me as being small and intimate. It was very simple. And its scale was quite charming. It felt like a home.
“Now, I see Huka Lodge becoming almost truer to its original self. We’re much closer to the water. We’ve still got some strong, intense colours. Again, it still feels very homely.”
Landscape designer Suzanne Turley says she felt fortunate to continue to work on planning the Huka Lodge gardens after some twenty-five years.
“Huka Lodge is a beautiful, spiritual place, with the Waikato River creating a real energy and lifeforce on the property.
“For the wellness grounds, we’ve created a space that is lush and tranquil and inspires peace; we’ve used tree ferns and white-flowered Amelanchier trees for soft, dappled light.”
For more information, visit Huka Lodge.
