I couldn’t catch a fish for love or money, but it didn’t matter as the owners more than made up for my shocking angling skills. The rooms are so comfortable you could be in your own home. TRM ticks all the boxes.

I’ve been staying here for many years and keep coming back. Sure, the units are old and have seen better days, but at a place like Turangi you don’t come for luxury.

This motel caters for anglers who come to fish for rainbow and brown trout in the Tongaririo River, but they still get overnighters and others who come to enjoy the tourist attractions in the general area. The furnishings are plain and simple, but everything is kept spotlessly clean. The beds are comfortable plus there are kitchens with full sized stoves, refrigerators, plus satellite TV, free wifi, bicycles for hire (free to guests),and heaters and/or fans depending on the season. For anglers there are rod hooks, hooks for waders, a fish cleaning area, and even a large smoker to smoke your catch.

Spent two nights at the motel and it was very comfortable. The decor is dated, but very clean and functional. We had a suite, so a kitchen/lounge/dining room with separate bathroom and bedroom. The kitchen provided electric stove/oven, microwave, fridge and cook utensils, pots and pans. For a self-catering holiday it was perfect. The rooms were also quite large, only two of us but the room slept three and could accommodate a family.

The hosts were very helpful. We were walking the Alpine Crossing and they provided helpful tips that made it a better walk for us. They also provided free bikes to ride around town which was nice. The hosts showed us photos of the walk from magazines and then provided some info on other places to visit, and let us see photos from their own trips around the region.

The motel is far enough from the highway that we didn’t hear road noise. The motel is short walk from the town centre including supermarket and pharmacy.

I mentioned the room is dated, it’s not an issue but it’s not a modern facility, but well maintained.

Room Tip: Take the dog for walk 🙂

I have stayed at the TRM around 4 times over the last year and a bit. My visits were for one very important reason, being close to trout fishing in one of the world’s best trout fisheries.
The TRM’s units hark back a good few years but they are very comfortable and well kept, with everything you need for your stay.
On top of the close proximity to the fishing, Ross the host has an enormous pool of knowledge about the fishery which is invaluable to us anglers.

The owners of Tongariro River Motel, Ross and Pip, are sensational hosts. Welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. Ross knows the Tongariro and surrounding waters like the back of his hand … offers great advice and tips and is always extremely interested in “fishy” stories. The motel units are homely and very comfortable making for an enjoyable stay. Highly recommended.

We spent 2 nights here and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The gardens at the motel are very pretty. The laundry was available at no charge. The staff are very helpful and friendly. There are delightful walks along the Tongariro River and we saw an angler with a 4 lb trout – neat!