Lakeview Lodge Karapiro

**Review for Lakeview Lodge, Karapiro, New Zealand** The location of Lakeview Lodge is undeniably stunning, with breathtaking views over the picturesque Karapiro Lake. The venue itself is clean, and the garden is well-maintained, offering a tranquil setting for a getaway. Unfortunately, the positive aspects of the property are overshadowed by some significant issues that impacted our experience. Firstly, the advertised "4 king beds" are misleading. In reality, these are two single beds pushed together to form what is meant to resemble a king-sized bed. This was particularly disappointing, especially given the high price point we paid, under the assumption that we were getting proper king-sized beds for a more luxurious experience. While the owner, Helen, appeared friendly at first, we quickly felt uncomfortable with her level of intrusion. For instance, she attempted to enter our accommodation to "clean" already clean showers and wanted to change the bed linen mid-stay, something that should have been done either before our arrival or after we left, not during our visit. This felt like an unnecessary and unwelcome invasion of our space. The situation escalated when, one evening around 10pm, we noticed Helen watching us from her office window while we were enjoying some quiet family time on the property. After waving to her, she quickly appeared at our door asking if we needed anything, while trying to peer inside. This felt like a major invasion of privacy and left all of us feeling uneasy and unwelcome, which completely disrupted what was supposed to be a relaxing stay. The driveway leading up to the property was very steep and unsafe. During our stay the owners had there workers place gravel along the driveway which wasn't appropriately compacted and rolled in place. Everytime we drove to and from the property the gravel material was getting ripped up which made it difficult to get traction whilst driving up and down the steep slope with a big drop on one side of the driveway. For the whole time we were there, the owners were on the property keeping an eye on us. The owners were burning off on the property, which had an awful rubbish smell to it which made going outside unpleasant. Every second day, a gardener would walk into our property to pick veges that hadn't even grown and to blow the ground with his leaf blower for the 2 leaves that were present. The owner Helen, thought she had the right to come into the property when she thought no one was home. Never have we ever had people come in without our permission on any other Air BnB we have stayed out over the years. In summary, while the location and setting of Lakeview Lodge have much to offer, the lack of transparency in advertising and the owners' invasive behavior left us disappointed and uncomfortable. For the price paid, we expected a more respectful and professional experience. I’m afraid I can't recommend this place to others based on our experience.