The town of Rotorua – estimated population, about 80,000 – in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty region on the country’s North Island may not have quite the caché on the world stage of the likes of Hamilton, Christchurch or indeed, of Auckland – but it is a unique gem, built in and around massive geothermal activity. Any given walk in and around the town’s polished residential neighbourhoods could have you stumbling across yet another plume of white-hot steam from the bowels of the earth far below, or even entire ponds of geothermal water.
Places to stay in Rotorua range from multiple-storey hotels to a variety of bed and breakfasts. If you want an experience that encapsulates both the area and stands as a great nod to green initiatives, the Aura Accommodation is must when it comes time to consider your Rotorua experience.
Located centrally just off the town’s Arawa main drag and within striking distance of War Memorial Park and the waterfront (and a short walk to the town’s Ohinemutu Maori district), the Aura consists of two wings: a single-storey and two-storey wing, all surrounding a central parking lot and pool.
Guests are greeted by a cheerful and informative staff, as well as a neat inside-outside front desk area that includes a massive chalkboard decorated with tips and tricks on where to eat, what to do in the city and around, maps and more. It’s a very organic experience, but not so organic as to be bland or bereft of content. There’s also a level II EV charge station just inside the main entrance. That may not seem like a huge deal, but public chargers aren’t as plentiful outside the main urban areas in New Zealand as they are in North America. Plus, it fits well with the Aura’s green, well, aura.
In the pool area, there’s also a spring-free trampoline but it’s what sits behind all that which points to how crucially Aura takes its green responsibility: a massive three-bin compost hub. It’s not every day you see something like that and it’s placed neatly away from any area frequented by hotel guests. It forms part of the Aura’s goal to compost 50 per cent of its waste. In each room, meanwhile, there are three clearly labelled waste receptacles, including one for – you guessed it – compost.
Speaking of working with nature to reduce and reuse: all of the Aura’s hot water – for your shower, tap water, radiator heaters, the pool and more – comes from geothermal power and when the climate allows, solar power; there’s even a geothermal-powered bank of hot mineral pools for some deep cleansing. Think personal hot tubs with a geothermic twist. The tea in each room is all fair trade, the unused soap gets recycled and instead of providing wasteful cardboard milk containers, each room gets a glass bottle of milk that gets washed and repurposed once guests check out.
In short, a stay at the Aura feels like in addition to having a bed in the central part of down, you’re doing your part during your holiday (holidays being a somewhat environmentally-wasteful affair) to give back. It’s a great 1-2 punch.