My family of 5 stayed in the Rata Lodge for 5 nights. Being Malaysian, the -5°C forecasted one night concerned me but we arrived to find the heating in the room and our beds sufficient. The beds and pillows were soft and comfy and the room was clean. Cups, saucers, cereal bowls, cutlery, toaster, kettle, microwave oven and fridge were supplied. The only complaint we had was the tiny sink in the bathroom which meant wetting the bathroom floor every time we washed in it, considering there was no sink in the room to wash our dishes.
The communal kitchen included multiple stoves, sinks (washing liquid, brushes and sponge provided), enough tables and chairs, a TV, a fireplace and sofas. We brought along our own utensils since hiring them would cost NZ$5 each time. Thought it neat that there were a fridge and a shelf to store FREE items - unfinished or unlabelled foodstuff - instead of throwing them out.
Laundry facilities included a washer and dryer at $4 each per load. We couldn't see detergent added eventhough we had pressed a red button on the machine as instructed. We were then told to press it for a longer time which i did (10 secs or so) and it worked.
The staff were generally friendly. James, who drove the shuttle, was especially friendly and helpful! The shuttles to town ran hourly from 9am-12pm, 3pm-7pm and a last trip at 7.30pm, with the return ride departing 15 mins later.
Overall an enjoyable stay for an affordable price and we'd certainly recommend it.