The villa is quite lovely inside, and was immaculately clean when we checked in. The place is very central in Rotorua and there is a lovely little bakery for coffee across the street, as well as a small grocer that seemed to keep irregular hours.
So why 3 stars?
A few things that are important to know:
1. the house is on a major street with lots of traffic. As a result, it was noisy, and the light pollution from the street lights at night lit up the rooms like it was midday. I slept with earplugs. One night there was some random street cleaning going on at 10pm with a gas-powered blower revving constantly.
2. We stayed there mid-March, and the pool was unbearably cold. It has no heater, is not kept covered, and so is really only suitable to those who enjoy polar dips in arctic water. It was also filthy when we arrived, though subsequently cleaned up.
3. The master bedroom has a mattress that is impossibly firm. Literally like sleeping on the ground. The other beds are fine.