Auckland hotel recommendations and advice

[Clover29710]

Traveling to Auckland in March, not on a cruise. Only staying a week (I know, that’s crazy). Got a really cheap fare on Delta and couldn’t resist going!  Need a decent hotel but budgeted, things we should definitely do and the area to stay. I read in the CBD is best?  My daughter loves craft beer so we’ll be looking for breweries, cheap but good eats, and a wine tasting tour would be nice. Appreciate any and all suggestions!  
 

Thank you,

Lynn

[Over from NZ]

Where do you want to stay? Not Auckland for a week?! lol!

 

[MicCanberra]

By budget, are we talking 3 star.? Or lower?

[Clover29710]

Whatever I can get around $200 a night that doesn’t add on a bunch of extras. I need two twins or queens. Would love breakfast included but that doesn’t appear available. I’ve spent hours reading reviews — as usual — one review they love it and the next one hates it. Lol

 

Thanks

[Clover29710]

15 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

Where do you want to stay? Not Auckland for a week?! lol!

 

That was the idea, is it not a good one?  We’ll have no transportation other than public. 

[buchhalm]

I think this is what they call "open a can of works"....

[lyndarra]

I can recommend the VR City Hotel. We stayed there Jan 2020 (pre cruise) in a twin room. It is 3 star but was modern and comfortable with friendly staff. Our room also included, IIRC, fridge and washer/dryer. It is close - walking distance -  to CBD, many cafes and restaurants, and about 10-15 min walk to the waterfront precinct. There is secure parking available AUD30 p/d.

Possibly a drawback is that it is on a steepish hill but it was not a problem for us aged 68 and 70 at the time but if you're young(er) and in good health it should not be a problem.

https://vrhotels.co.nz/vr-auckland-city/location/

You have a choice of many in your price range so you may need to spend a little time researching with a Google map of the area and I'd suggest checking out reviews on Trip Advisor.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g255106-d601522-Reviews-VR_Auckland_City-Auckland_Central_North_Island.html

Edited December 24, 2023 by lyndarra

[SinbadThePorter]

3 hours ago, Clover29710 said:

That was the idea, is it not a good one?  We’ll have no transportation other than public. 

 

My only suggestion is to stay close to the ferry terminal so you can get out to the islands and even to Coromandel.

 

Waiheke Island is known for its wines and vineyards.

Edited December 25, 2023 by SinbadThePorter

[cruiser3775]

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Wyndham Street right in the central city. It's a very modern hotel, includes a good buffet breakfast. My room had a great view of the Auckland Sky Tower.   Much of Auckland is on steep streets, but it is possible to walk around the city on some of the less challenging terrain.

One day trip I enjoyed was to catch the ferry to the little village of Devonport on the north shore for lunch.  Another ferry goes to Waiheke Island for your wine tasting tour. There is a hop on hop off bus that visits several wineries. The domestic ferry terminals are right near the cruise ship port.

I would suggest a tour from Auckland to Rotorua area. There are day tours from Auckland, but it is a long day on the road (about 2.5 hours each way), so a two day tour with an overnight in Rotorua would be better. This will give you a glimpse of some of the North Island scenery and the Maori culture. Here are some ideas:

https://www.newzealand.com.au/start-your-holiday/attractions-activities/rotorua/

 

Don't forget you need a visa, so apply now - only through the NZ Government website.

[Jean C]

Hi, just a tip if you go to Waiheke - when you get there, if planning to use the public bus, don't pfaff around deciding what bus to get - they come to met the ferry but don't hang around for long so make sure you have a plan and know exactly what you want to do. You can pre-arrange winery tours and the winery will have a bus/van meet you off the ferry, probably the best and easiest plan 🍷 

[icat2000]

Nothing wrong with staying in Auckland for a week. There is heaps to see. Also Auckland does have a fairly good public bus system. Plus there is the ferries to the Islands too. 

[onlyslightlymad]

I've always liked the Pullman.  It's near the university and it's an easy walk to the CBD.  The rooms are comfortable, the staff are friendly.  The included breakfast is a buffet and is quite good.  Restaurant is not great otherwise but there are some good restaurants nearby.  The Langham is a nice hotel too but not very central.

[Clover29710]

Thanks for all the great suggestions!  We are going to stay at the Auckland Harbour Suites on Gore St. I booked through a military site and got a great deal. Looks close to the Sky Tower area which is what we want. 
 

Would still welcome suggestions for day trips, tour group recommendations, places to eat, breweries, wineries, etc. 

 

Also, we are staying our first night at the airport as our room isn’t available until the next day. And, we’ll need to take a shuttle to the AHS’s, any recommendations for either?

 

Thanks

[Ima Ginaree]

I had a look at this last week. The option that will suit me best is https://www.skydrive.co.nz

Their bus runs roughly every 30 minutes, express between Auckland International terminal and the bus station at the SkyCity complex in Hobson St. The trip takes 40 - 50 minutes, depending on the traffic.
 

The advertised fare is currently NZ$18 adult and NZ$8 child.

I’m staying about 450 metres away from SkyCity and intend walking from there to my hotel.

 

I found a similarly named company called SkyBus but it went out of business alter Covid.

[boeckli]

Re shuttle to hotel. I have in the past used https://www.supershuttle.co.nz/ and plan to do so again in February.  Cost is NZ$ 30.00pp and they drop you at your hotel.

[MMDown Under]

We are staying at Quest Auckland Serviced Apartments  in CBD Auckland,  for four nights from 10/1/24.  I'll let you know what it was like after we have stayed there  4 star studio, 363 queen street 

( $NZ704.94)  I use booking.com

[Clover29710]

4 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

We are staying at Quest Auckland Serviced Apartments  in CBD Auckland,  for four nights from 10/1/24.  I'll let you know what it was like after we have stayed there  4 star studio, 363 queen street 

( $NZ704.94)  I use booking.com

That would be great, thank you. I look forward to hearing about your trip. 

[Clover29710]

On 12/26/2023 at 9:57 PM, boeckli said:

Re shuttle to hotel. I have in the past used https://www.supershuttle.co.nz/ and plan to do so again in February.  Cost is NZ$ 30.00pp and they drop you at your hotel.

Thank you for that information!  I’ll be sure to check them out.