Secret Spot Hot Tubs

What to expect

Secret Spot is one of the few hot soaks in Rotorua that has nothing to do with geothermal water. The business sits beside the Waipa Mountain Bike Car Park, the busy southern entrance to Whakarewarewa Forest and its redwood groves and bike trails. Here you book a private cedar hot tub for your group, sit among native ferns above the Puarenga Stream, and push a button to have a coffee or a beer brought to you.

The water comes from an aquifer spring higher in the forest. The operator heats it to 104°F39.9°C and runs it through an Enviroswim treatment system with a small amount of chlorine, about 0.25 ppm. Each tub has its own supply, filtered and topped up during your session, so you never share water with the next tub. Because it is not geothermal, it is clear, odourless and will not tarnish your jewellery. If you came to Rotorua for sulphur and silica, this is not that. If you want a hot soak after a day on the bike without the rotten-egg smell, it is.

The tubs are private but not sealed off. Screens and planting separate them, and the operator says you may glimpse the neighbouring tubs about 8 m (26 ft) away. Large umbrellas give partial cover over each tub in rain.

The tubs and saunas

There are 12 cedar hot tubs, according to the Rotorua tourism booking site, each seating up to six people. Sessions run for 45 minutes and three tubs come free every 15 minutes. Your booking includes shared “Brass Monkeys” cedar cold plunge tubs at about 54°F12°C and a locker.

Sauna Corner has private saunas built from Japanese hinoki and heated with Finnish volcanic stones to around 158°F70°C. A booking gives up to four people exclusive use for 40 minutes, with access to the cold plunges and an outdoor cold shower. Saunas open at 10am and are booked on the hour and half hour.

Shinny Dips are eight small cedar foot tubs overlooking the lawn and stream. They are free with any purchase, first come, first served, and you do not need a tub booking to use them.

Prices and booking

Prices on the operator’s website in October 2026:

• Cedar hot tub (45 minutes): NZ$46 per adult, NZ$18 per child aged 5 to 14.
• Private sauna (40 minutes): NZ$46 per adult, NZ$18 per child.
• Shinny Dip foot tubs: free with any purchase.
• Hire: towels NZ$5, swimwear NZ$5, robes NZ$10. Swimwear is also sold in sizes XS to XXL.

Book online through the operator’s site. You cannot choose a specific tub online, but you can phone ahead (07 348 4442) with a request. Bookings can be moved up to 4 hours before your slot. Cancellations need 12 hours’ notice. Groups larger than six get neighbouring tubs where possible. The operator also mentions a locals’ deal and SuperGold card discounts by phone.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimwear or activewear in the tubs and saunas at all times.
• Arrive 15 minutes early to check in and change. Changing rooms (men’s, women’s and family) have showers, toilets and free lockers, a short walk from the tubs.
• Children must be 5 or older for the tubs and saunas, and supervised by an adult. In the saunas, children 15 and under must be with an adult.
• Food is not allowed in the tubs, though drinks are. Order from the bar with the call button or QR code at your tub and pay at the bar.
• Dogs on a lead may sit beside your tub, at the café and by the foot tubs, but never in any water and not in Sauna Corner.
• Smoke and vape free site.

Getting there

From central Rotorua, head south on State Highway 5 toward Taupō. Pass Te Puia and the Whakarewarewa thermal area, and about two minutes south of the Te Puia roundabout turn off onto Waipa State Mill Road, signed for the Waipa mountain bike car park. Secret Spot is beside the car park at 13/33 Waipa State Mill Road. The operator says the drive from the city centre takes about six minutes.

The car park is huge, with more than 3,000 free spaces, plus mobility and campervan parks. You can also walk or ride in on the Hemo Gorge Trail from Te Puia, about 1.3 km (0.8 miles), roughly 20 minutes on foot. There are bike stands and free lock hire on site.

When to go

Secret Spot is open every day except Christmas Day (and from 4pm on Christmas Eve). Evenings and weekends book out first, as do school holidays. Winter is popular: the operator pitches it as a cosy soak in misty forest, and it stays open in rain. If you are riding, book a slot for the end of your day and arrive with time to change.

Where to stay nearby

There is no accommodation on site. Central Rotorua, about six minutes’ drive north, has the full range of motels, hotels and hostels, with the Fenton Street motel strip on the way. Holiday parks and campervan sites are also spread around the city.

Accessibility

The café, bar, toilets, foot tubs and main paths are wheelchair accessible, and there are accessible parks right outside. The hot tubs, saunas and cold plunges are not. To reach a tub you cross a small swing bridge, climb three steps and swing a leg over the side. Call ahead if you have limited mobility.

Safety notes

• Heat. At 104°F39.9°C the tubs are comfortable for most people, but 45 minutes is a long soak. Use the cold plunges, drink water and get out if you feel light-headed.
• Saunas are not recommended for anyone with a condition affected by heat. Start with about 10 minutes, as the operator suggests, and use the help button if you need staff.
• Alcohol and hot water do not mix well. Go easy on the bar orders.
• Forest trails. If you are riding Whakarewarewa Forest first, carry water and lights. The trails are busy and some are steep.

Nearby stops worth adding

Te Puia, the geothermal park with the Pōhutu geyser at Whakarewarewa, is a two-minute drive or a 20-minute walk back along the Hemo Gorge Trail. The Redwoods Treewalk and the redwood grove walks start a short drive away on Long Mile Road. For a real geothermal soak, combine a ride with Polynesian Spa on the lakefront, or the warm stream at Kerosene Creek south of the city.