Recently we had the experience of staying in a place that was once a grand 19th-century hotel. Which sits proudly on a hilltop overlooking the Waitomo Caves. It does sound very posh doesn’t it, well, as it so happens the Queen’s head once lay on a fluffed up pillow on the first floor, during late 1953. Of course, that pillow and surrounding linen have hopefully done it’s dash at this hotel.
Now it is but a shadow of its former self though it still labels itself as being “Grandeur and Elegant”. With such a description and nothing to dispute it when little googling has been done, it pulls in the unsuspecting tour bus loaded with tourists and one-nighter locals such as us.
Driving towards the hotel, for a moment it looked quite promising. My next thought was perhaps I should have completed more research before booking as we surveyed the worn-out carpet and wallpaper repaired with sellotape. That was to be the least interesting of our findings by the end of our stay.
It really would’ve made an ideal setting for “The Faulty Towers” series. Really it did feel like we had stepped into a casting role for “The Faulty Towers”. As soon as we were booked in, the cheerful receptionist informed us, the hotel was supposedly the “most haunted hotel” in New Zealand. The Squire commented that the expressions on my face were priceless! I might add so were my thoughts.
The fact that we lay in a room that the Queen was given way back in 1954 was of some consolation?. Depending on which way you view that little gem of information.
Even though she needs a spruce up, she does have a lovely feel about her, the hotel not necessarily the Queen.
Our Room with a View
Room 14
What a gem. On a 30 deg afternoon, we had sun pouring into the room with no workable fan and a dripping toilet. As it was daylight, ghosts weren’t added to the list of undesirable room additions.
Back down to reception I trot hoping to goodness that there was a spare room to be had for us, two weary travellers.
Luckily there was. Right next door at No12.
On the ghost front, I think we went from the frying pan into the fire. That’s if you believe in such things, we don’t. So surely for us, there would be no ghostly encounters?
Haunted Stories or someone’s fertile imagination?
You decide.
Once an upon a time, there was a Maori princess, who was the daughter of a high-ranking Maori chief. Who became enamoured with a British soldier. One evening, on her way up to the fort for a romantic rendezvous with a solider. She was mistaken for a warrior by one of the British sentries and was shot dead. Her spirit is said to haunt the Victorian wing of the hotel which houses the Honeymoon Suite. She has also been reputed to taking up residence in the Waitomo Caves Hotel attic, and her moaning can be heard coming from this area.
The story of the Ghost of Room 14 relates to the tale of the Maori Princess. A young male guest at the hotel felt what is reputed to be her spirit passing through him, and after telling the story to several guests staying at the time, he retired to his room and committed suicide. He is said now to wander the corridors as well.
The adjacent Room 12 is also said to be frequented by the princess, with moving lights reported in the en-suite bathroom and guests having bed sheets pulled away and toes tickled during the night.
So, to answer my previous question, did we experience anything unearthly? Thankfully, we did not. No encounters, not one problem at all, no tickling of feet or dark shadows catching our eye. In fact, we had a good sleep. No doubt helped by finding a local restaurant out in the countryside dishing up good food and an evening walk to prepare us for sleep and no time to think of spooky stories.
There are, of course, two sides of all ghostly tales.
Believers
If you are interested in the paranormal or have a fondness of ghostly touches in the middle of the night, do feel free to book into this hotel or visit the following sites if you happen to be in the area.
Sceptics
If like me, after the initial discomfort, of all this talk referring to ghosts just makes you want to laugh out loud? You’re not alone. There are a few Skeptics Societies to join who are committed to finding the scientific facts behind claims of paranormal activity.
To experience the pure elegance of travel from a bygone era, we may have to find somewhere else. We are sure of one thing, we won’t be back ghosts or no ghosts.
Life at No. 22 
Fun read. I’ve stayed in many haunted hotels hoping to see a ghost but no, so I too, remain mostly skeptical. I do love a good ghost story. I also love New Zealand and this seems like a good reason to return.
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Thanks and I do hope you enjoy another return to Aotearoa/New Zealand, she’s a lovely wee country.
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Wow what an interesting hotel stay! I bet you both had a good laugh especially with Fawlty Towers in your mind 🙂 A fabulous view too!
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I work in a haunted hotel, so, yes. I’ve stayed in one 🤣. And might I say, those pictures hanging on the wall are intimidating!
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Working in one would’ve had it’s funny moments 🙂
The tattoos [moko] on their faces I am sure means more about their ancestry than to intimidate.
Thanks for commenting Aislynn 🙂
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It’s less the tattoos, and more the art style.
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🙂
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It still sounds and looks like an interesting and unique experience to stay in a hotel like this. I’m surprised at the good reviews, or lack of reviews, before you booked into the place for the night. Like you, I’m a sceptic and until challenged otherwise by ghosts, I will always be. 🙂
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It was interesting in a very quirky sort of way. We needed to break up the trip and there wasn’t that much option. So, throwing all caution to the wind we booked it 🙂 I am with you, Liesbet, until otherwise challenged I am a non-believer.
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I don’t believe in ghosts so that wouldn’t bother me – but it sounds as though plenty of other things about the hotel would. Sellotape indeed!
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I love ghost stories and don’t believe them at all. I certainly wouldn’t want to sleep with one, though!
I wouldn’t care if a hotel billed itself as haunted, as long as it was up to snuff in decor, service, and properly functioning amenities. Dripping faucets and non-working fans are absolutely unacceptable!!
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Yes, totally agree Eilene. This hotel’s photography online did not portray reality.
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Hehe, I think there are still quite a few hotels like that in NZ. The Gretna Hotel in Taihape springs to mind. An adventure for sure.
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I’m sure there is Wendy 🙂 May have side step The Gretna Hotel by the sounds of it.
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That’s a good move. I’ll tell you about it one day. 🙂
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Okay 🙂
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Never stayed in one.. I’m sure even if I don’t believe I will be listening and looking out for it all over.. 😉
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I’m sure you would Lisa as I was sort of doing though keeping busy so not to dwell on possibly having my toes tickled 🙂
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It sounds kind of nice. I think. Maybe.
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Haha or perhaps not.
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At least you got a good night’s sleep. That’s really all I want when I stay in a hotel.
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Good point, April. After a goodnights sleep getting on with life is so much easier.
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You had me going there! I thought you were going to relate all kinds of strange goings-on that happened to you. But thankfully you didn’t have any disturbance. I don’t think I could stay in this hotel!
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Tracey, if I had taken the time to research the hotel we wouldn’t have either. Though at the end of the day it was an experience that had us laughing on more than one occasion. All good fun 🙂
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Hi, Suzanne – When it comes to ghosts, I’m kinda half-way between being a sceptic and being a believer. I stand firmly in the middlle believing that they are so many things that we simply don’t understand. But when it comes to ghost stories – I’m all in. I absoluely love them!
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Hi Donna, nope I am definitely not a ghost story loving girl. I think I have a very vivid imagination that can’t cope with too much especially horror and ghost stories.
What I do believe in there is a higher level than us, what it is I have no idea. Many put a label on it, though I think we are all guessing. Who knows?
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Package deal? Ghosts thrown in for free?? 😉
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If only we had known! I think we would have paid full price and not taken that deal 🙂
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Sounds like a case of ‘buyer beware’! 🙂
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