World City Guide

Hotels

The most important thing for visitors to remember about hotels in New Zealand is that, being in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. It is therefore advisable to book ahead during the Christmas period, as this is the main summer and school holiday season. Cheaper room rates might be available on the day, although some hotels are likely to be full.

The prices quoted below are the starting prices for double rooms. Prices do not include GST (Goods and Services Tax), currently standing at 12.5%, and breakfast, unless otherwise stated.

Business

Airdale Hotel
Recently refurbished in the original 1950s Art Deco style, this centrally located, classy hotel is just a five-minute walk from the main shopping streets and waterfront. Rooms are air-conditioned and spacious with phone and speedy Internet access, as well as kitchenettes should the prospect of eating out not appeal. The hotel itself has a small boardroom for meetings, 24-hour reception, valet parking, fitness centre and some cracking off-peak deals if your business is not restricted to Monday to Friday, nine to five.

380 Queen Street
Tel: (09) 374 1741. Fax: (09) 374 1740.
E-mail: airdale@scenic-circle.co.nz
Website: www.scenic-circle.co.nz
Price: From NZ$225.

Barrycourt Suites, Hotel and Conference Centre
This Best Western Hotel is a large white block house of a building with bright blue balconies and is situated in 1.2 hectares (3 acres) of glorious greenery and trees, providing the ideal setting in which to work and play. Located in Parnell, the hotel is within walking distance of downtown Auckland and the domain. There are 67 suites with a sunny aspect, 40 well-equipped rooms and seven function rooms at guests’ disposal, as well as free parking and splendid views of the Waitemata Harbour and the city. Within the conference rooms is a 440cm (170-inch) screen for video and other visual presentations, conference telephones, most forms of presentation technology, pure power points for computers, function bars and catering staff to deal with any requests.

10-20 Gladstone Road, Parnell
Tel: (09) 303 3789. Fax: (09) 377 3309.
E-mail: barrycourt@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.barrycourt.co.nz
Price: From NZ$100.

Carlton Hotel
This centrally located, architecturally spectacular 12-storey hotel has a glass-walled atrium that extends to its full height and 455 rooms ranging from royal through executive to studio suites, as well as large well-appointed, air-conditioned standard rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and great views. Along with a dedicated business centre, complete with secretarial support, the hotel also contains five meeting rooms and one of the largest capacity ballrooms in the city, all just 25km (16 miles) from the airport. Other valuable facilities are safe deposit boxes, faxes in all rooms, excellent security, catering facilities, a choice of two excellent restaurants (one fusion and one Japanese) and two comfortable and relaxing bars.

Corner of Mayoral Drive and Vincent Street
Tel: (09) 366 3000. Fax: (09) 366 0121.
E-mail: res@carlton-auckland.co.nz
Website: www.carlton-auckland.co.nz
Price: From NZ$340.

Hyatt Regency Auckland
This unmistakable, tall, broad and handsome building in central Auckland is just a five-minute walk from the Central Business District and 25km (16 miles) from the airport. The 274 rooms on offer in this modern hotel may not match the presidential suite but all are air-conditioned and have IDD telephones, Internet access via infrared keyboards, voice-mail and in-room safes. There is also a business centre with equipment hire, secretarial services, courier delivery, translators, an airport limousine and a ballroom, as well as eight additional conference rooms with full staff back-up. In addition, the hotel boasts two restaurants, a fitness centre and jogging track, with panoramic views of the harbour and outlying city.

Corner of Princess Street and Waterloo Quadrant
Tel: (09) 355 1234. Fax: (09) 302 2932.
E-mail: auckland@hyatt.com
Website: www.hyatt.com
Price: From NZ$200.

Luxury

The Heritage
Auckland Auckland’s most interesting international-class luxury hotel was originally the city’s most historic and spectacular department store, Farmers. The landmark building has an iconic reputation and is a wonderful example of Southern Hemisphere Art Deco styling. The Heritage has two separate accommodation wings, made up of 467 rooms and suites, a tennis court, two swimming pools (one roof-top), a health club, a business centre, spa pools, saunas, gyms, restaurants, café bars, lobby bars, a glass atrium and, best of all, a grand tea room with fantastic views of the harbour and the America’s Cup Village. Quite simply, this hotel is style and luxury personified.

35 Hobson Street, reception at 22-24 Nelson Street
Tel: (0800) 368 888 or (09) 379 8553. Fax: (09) 379 8554.
E-mail: res@heritagehotels.co.nz
Website: www.heritagehotels.co.nz
Price: From NZ$350.

Sky City Hotel
Part of Auckland’s most famous and most recent landmark, the Skytower, this massive and lavish hotel in the centre of the city has 344 rooms, various restaurants and bars, conference and business facilities, a roof-top pool, gym, saunas and casino, as well as stunning harbour and city views. The best of the vistas are seen from the circular viewing gallery at the top of the space-needle-like tower. All the rooms, from premier suites to standard luxury, are tastefully decorated in the style and to the standard of world-class luxury hotels the globe over, while the service is efficient, friendly and respectful.

Corner of Victoria Street and Federal Street
Tel: (0800) 759 2489 or (09) 363 6000. Fax: (09) 363 6032.
E-mail: hotelreservations@skycity.co.nz
Website: www.skycity.co.nz
Price: From NZ$340.

Moderate

Hotel DeBrett
Only minutes from the city centre, DeBrett (owned by ACB) is the place for one to sample the joys of an Art Deco hotel, at a fraction of the price of The Heritage (see Luxury). The corner-block building leans out over the pavement, to provide covered sidewalks and shows its history in the decorations on the façade. This interesting building, which crouches in the middle of the fashion and café districts, was constructed on the site of one of Auckland’s first hotels and, despite showing its age a little at the edges, contains some comfortable and airy double rooms that offer good value.

2 High Street
Tel: (09) 377 2389. Fax: (09) 377 2391.
E-mail: debrett@acb.co.nz
Website: www.acb.co.nz/debrett
Price: NZ$60 (shared bathroom), NZ$82 (en suite), including breakfast.

Kiwi International Hotel
This modest albeit perfectly adequate hotel is located in the middle of the city, only a 25-minute drive from the airport. The Kiwi International Hotel contains a bar and restaurant, laundry, 24-hour reception, off-street parking, conference facilities and 120 comfortable and functional rooms with their own en-suite facilities. Although the decor is rather lacking in character and the interior gives the impression of an ageing warren, there is sufficient compensation in the number and quality of the facilities on offer, the eagerness of the staff, the variety of accommodation available and the surprisingly low daily or long-term rates.

411 Queen Street
Tel: (0800) 100 411 or (09) 379 6487. Fax: (09) 379 6496.
E-mail: kiwihotel@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.kiwihotel.co.nz
Price: From NZ$89 (including GST and breakfast).

Other Recommendations

Peace & Plenty Inn
Without exaggeration, this is one of the finest B&Bs in the entire country, with sumptuous, restored kauri-timber floors that feel like silk beneath bare feet, leading to exquisite en-suite rooms filled with fresh flowers, antique furniture and sherry or port decanters. There is a delightful verandah for breakfast (weather permitting) and the meal itself is an event of major proportions and large, healthy and hearty portions. It is served by an ultra-friendly couple, who offer sailing trips around the bay on their boat.

6 Flagstaff Terrace
Tel: (09) 445 2925. Fax: (09) 445 2901.
E-mail: peaceandplenty@xtra.com
Website: www.peaceandplenty.co.nz
Price: From NZ$230 (including GST and breakfast).

St Georges Bay Lodge
Undoubtedly one of the best types of accommodation in all of New Zealand is the bed and breakfast. In this case, St Georges Bay Lodge is situated in a beautiful Victorian villa in the airy and quiet suburb of Parnell, just a short ferry ride from the city centre. The white-board villa was built in the 1890s and boasts the original sash windows, turned verandah posts – supporting verdant green climbing plants – and a conservatory leading out onto a wooden balcony that overlooks Auckland’s city centre from across the bay. The house is full of native timber furniture and original Kiwi artworks. There are three en-suite rooms of glorious comfort and elegance and the breakfasts (full English or Continental) are to die for.

43 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell
Tel: (09) 303 1050. Fax: (09) 303 0155.
E-mail: enquiry@stgeorge.co.nz or carol@stgeorge.co.nz
Website: www.stgeorge.co.nz
Price: From NZ$215 (including GST and breakfast).

The Great Ponsonby B&B
The friendliest and most comfortable accommodation away from the city centre, housed in a restored 1898 villa. On entering the hall guests seem to form the impression that they have discovered buried treasure, just two-quiet-minutes walk away from the Ponsonby Road and 10 minutes drive from downtown. The sunny lounge makes spectacular use of bold ocean tones, native timber and Pacific Art works, the rooms are all spacious with en suites, phones, Internet access and Sky TV. Business facilities are available on request and the breakfasts are truly mouthwatering.

30 Ponsonby Terrace, Ponsonby
Tel: (09) 376 5989. Fax: (09) 376 5527.
E-mail: info@greatpons.co.nz
Website: www.greatpons.co.nz
Price: From NZ$200 (including GST and breakfast).