Mount Maunganui's Hot Pools are the place to be right now after receiving a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

The certificate, awarded by the renowned international review website, is provided to business owners who receive consistently good reviews from TripAdvisor travelers.

Parents and children enjoy the Mount Hot Pools' weekly ‘Soak n Splash' session. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Mount Hot Pools and Arataki venues manager Matthew Strange says his team is very proud after receiving the endorsement.

'It is what makes vacuuming pools at 5am through to cleaning changing rooms at 10pm all-year-round worthwhile,” says Matthew.

'The team has been working very hard on increasing the customer experience, so it is a great boost that their hard work is being acknowledged by people taking time to give positive feedback on their experience.

'TripAdvisor tells us that people from all over the world come here and enjoy the experience that we provide for them.”

Matthew emphasises that plenty of residents have registered for the Hot Pools' Tauranga Resident Card and are enjoying what the pools have to offer, including new special incentives.

These include Tuesday Soak n Special 20 per cent discount night, between 6pm and 10pm, and a 20 per cent discounted entry per member for a group of 20 people or more, any day of the week.

A number of high-profile sports teams are also using the pools regularly, and Matthew is keen to see more teams tapping into the benefits.

With winter sport underway, coaches can access group discount rates and should consider utilising the pools for training and recovery sessions during the week, or post game day, he adds.

'You can have a great work-out in the pools as the water provides resistance,” says Matthew, 'but it's low impact because of the increased buoyancy that comes with the water's salt content.

'When the fields are closed on a wet day, the pools offer a great option to change up the routine”.

He says the pools are renowned for their ability to increase recovery time after sports events and training.

'Not only do the hot pools sooth and relax your muscles after a hard work out, time in the pool is also good for team building, giving the team time to build comradery while they soak away their aches and pains and share a laugh.”

Tauranga City Council residents and ratepayers can apply for a Hot Pools Tauranga Resident Card by providing a letter stating their name and address to reception or online via: www.mounthotpools.co.nz

TripAdvisor customers can rate their experience out of five and write reviews for the website, which is described as helpful for travellers who want to discover the best places to dine, stay or shop.