Bellrock Lodge

Look, I’ve stayed at a lot of places in the Bay of Islands, but Bellrock Lodge on Chapel Street is honestly in a league of its own. The moment you walk up to this place – and I mean literally the first glimpse – you can tell someone actually cared about every single detail. It’s tucked right in Russell’s historic heart, which means you’re about a two-minute walk from Pompallier Mission and the old Duke of Marlborough Hotel (where you’ll probably end up for a drink anyway, let’s be real).

What really gets me about Bellrock is how they’ve managed to nail that luxury feel without making you feel like you can’t touch anything. The rooms are seriously gorgeous – I’m talking about the kind of linens that make you want to extend your stay just to sleep in them one more night. But here’s the thing that most places get wrong: the soundproofing is actually incredible. Russell can get pretty lively, especially during summer when the yachties roll in, but once you’re inside, it’s like being in your own little bubble. The staff seems to genuinely know their stuff too – not just the rehearsed tourist spiel, but real local knowledge. When I asked about the best spot to watch the sunrise over the bay, the guy at reception gave me these specific directions to a little lookout that I never would have found otherwise.

You know what really sold me though? It’s the little things they don’t advertise. The coffee setup in the room is actually decent – not some sad instant coffee situation. There’s proper parking (which, if you’ve driven around Russell, you know is basically gold). And honestly, the location means you can walk to everything that matters. Flagstaff Hill is right there when you want to burn off that amazing breakfast, and you’re close enough to the wharf that you can literally roll out of bed and onto a dolphin watching boat if that’s your thing. I mean, the place has a 9.5 rating for a reason – it’s not trying to be everything to everyone, it’s just really, really good at being exactly what Russell needed. If you’re thinking about splurging somewhere in Northland, this is where you do it.

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