Auckland Hotels

Advantages: comfortable quiet rooms,hotel situated conveniently for access to the City CBD, and 20 minutes maximum from Auckland International Airport
Disadvantages: poor timing on our part, we arrived at reception early evening just after 2 parties,quite a wait as a result

We arrived at Auckland International Airport from Fiji in late afternoon.It took a while to clear immigration and customs,and ,more prolonged, to clear the checks of the NZ Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Quarantine service, as we had 2 wood based gift products purchased in Nadi. Hire car,courtesy of EZY,was picked up from the airport information desk and airport car park. The 3 star hotel was reached via an easy drive on good quality dual ...
...Drive) in 20 minutes, and through the Royal Oak district. Greenlane is a pleasant leafy residential suburb of Auckland, adjacent to Cornwall park. There is a good bus service into central Auckland, and importantly the hotel is well placed for access to the Southern Motorway which we used to head south to Rotorua.Central Auckland is 10 to 15 minutes away Reception was busy and involved a longish wait for room allocation as we followed 2 coach parties ... Read review

Advantages: Lots Going On, Lots of Information Available
Disadvantages: Rooms too small / untidy, Too Big, Impersonal Atmosphere

Auckland Central Backpackers (or ACB as it's better known) is one of the largest backpackers' hostels in New Zealand. Located right in the heart of Queen Street (the main business / shopping street in the city centre), it is a convenient landing point for people who have just arrived in New Zealand, whether as part of a working holiday or just to travel. They offer a whole range of "starter packages" that include extras such as free internet, airport ...
...the airport is a doddle. Auckland airport is a fair way out of the city centre but there is a public Airbus (see www.airbus.co.nz) that has frequent trips (every 20 mins) to the city and stops outside all the major hotels etc. Just look for the signs as you leave the airport. The stop even has GPS technology to show you how long til the next bus arrives! There is a stop right on the corner of the building that ACB is in so it is very handy. The ... Read review

Advantages: beautiful location, fantastic staff
Disadvantages: you cannot walk to the city

We decided to book Spencer on Byron as our first stop in New Zealand as this hotel had the best reviews on a rival site, and was within our budget at about £40 per night. We landed in Auckland at 11 pm, tired after a 24 long trip from London. As Spencer on Byron is right across town, we got a good look of Auckland at night - beautiful. The taxi driver actually asked us how come we had picked that hotel as most tourists want to be closer to the city. ...
...really enjoyed my stay at Spencer on Byron and in Takapuna. It is rated at 3.5 stars but I would compare it with a 4 star hotel as the staff were very helpful and happy to chat and the rooms were great. We also had a beautiful view of the city across the water. The hotel seems to attract mainly people on business trips, but there were a few holiday makers there too. I would recommend this hotel to anyone who is going to New Zealand for the first ... Read review

Advantages: central, big, attractions
Disadvantages: scummy, tacky, smelly

...considering that at 328 metres Sky Tower is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere! The hotel is rated 4 star and has a whole host of activities and facilities, such as two casino's. 10 restaurants and bars, gym and pool. There are 306 Deluxe rooms, 32 Executive Suites, 4 Luxury Suites and 2 Premier Suites. Besides being a hotel, the sky tower is also a tourist attraction and this makes it very busy. You can do the Vertigo Climb which is 'a ...
...first crow's nest.' or the sky jump where you leap 192m (630ft) from the Sky Tower, falling 16 seconds at around 75 kph. scary! The lobby of the hotel then, is really like an adventure centre entrance and not the nice swanky hotel we were hoping for after our long flight. Its hectic - but if thats what your after - its perfect. The hotel is centrally located in Auckland, and you can walk around the town to anything you want to see easily. The room ... Read review

Advantages: Great Bar, Big Kitchen, 2 TV Rooms, free vouchers
Disadvantages: Some rooms are too small, hostel is too big

...a free day trip around auckland which will help you get your bearings. There are 2 different ones available and they are run by Stray and NZ Experience, so they are a bit of a sales pitch, but you do get a free trip around. Overall the hostel is well-equipped and in an excellent location with a busy bar. I would recommend it to people who want to have a good time, but would say its not for everyone. ... Read review