New Zealand's Government Hotels were a set of jewels that sparkled through the 20th Century, and this was one of the first. It wasn't initially a hotel but a fort dating to the Land Wars when tourism took off in the Waitomo Caves area in the late 1800s.
A local man, Tane Tinorau, built the first hotel and the government then showed an interest, purchasing it and creating the the wooden wing, which only had six bedrooms, and opened in 1909. Twenty years later it was more than doubled in size with the addition of a concrete stucco art deco wing and frontage, designed by acclaimed government architect JT Mair.
When three of the caves were closed due to damage in the 1970s, the fortunes of the Waitomo town also took a dip, and the hotel is now an old lady of faded glory, the current owners are working to bring her back to her full splendor. The setting and landscape are still spectacular, as are the attraction in the area, the Waitomo Caves.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT THE WAITOMO CAVES HISTORIC HOTEL
Images Credit: Booking.com
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