Best Accommodation in Auckland
As you would imagine, New Zealand’s largest city is not short on accommodation options from the five star luxury boutique hotels to backpacker accommodation. There are some truly awesome hotels in the city and depending on your budget you can stay in some world-class accommodation right on the waterfront or even choose to stay out in the leafy suburbs if you are looking for something a bit quieter. For most people heading to Auckland, the city centre is where you want to be based so we have focused on the CBD with our top tips for places to stay in Auckland with a couple of wild card entries to keep you on your toes!
Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour
Auckland is not short on the chain hotels – they’re all found here but if you are looking for something a bit special, the Sofitel on Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour is a favourite amongst our GO Explore fans. For one the location is an absolute winner. Right on the waterfront and a short 5 minute walk from the downtown shops, this is a great place from which to explore the city. Then there’s the facilities which are second to none in Auckland including a spa and swimming pool. It’s not cheap but if you are looking to splurge, it’s well worth it!
Hotel DeBrett
Moving away from the big chains, Hotel DeBrett is a luxury boutique hotel right in the heart of the city. The hotel links two of Auckland’s coolest precincts – High Street and Shortland Street and is situated in a pretty iconic building. Every room has been individually designed and furnished and the Housebar is one of Auckland’s coolest meeting places. The hotel also features an awesome restaurant so everything is under one roof if you are feeling pretty lazy or jet-lagged after a long flight to New Zealand.
Grand Millennium Hotel Auckland
Back to the chain hotels and if you are looking for something a bit cheaper than the Sofitel but somewhere that still delivers a great experience, the Grand Millennium is a winner. The Grand Millennium is another hotel that enjoys an awesome central location close to the central Queen Street and a short walk from the Viaduct area. The Grand Millennium is a big hotel with over 450 rooms so you can often get some pretty awesome deals as they look to fill up those rooms every night. The hotel has some great facilities including an indoor heated pool and a pretty tasty Japanese restaurant.
Haka Lodge Backpackers
Auckland attracts its fair share of backpackers to the city and there is no shortage of hostels and cheap accommodation to suit smaller budgets. Whether you are backpacking or just want a cheap break to the City of Sails, Haka Lodge backpackers is an awesome place to base yourself on a visit to Auckland. Haka Lodge is the newest backpackers in Auckland and the décor suggests something that is pretty upscale compared to your usual backpackers. Located in the heart of the action on Karangahape (‘K’) Road, The Haka Lodge offers some really great accommodation options from dorm rooms to a private apartment which is perfect for families and groups. With a brand new kitchen, bathrooms and living area, this is a great place to base yourself for a low cost trip to the big city.
The Boatshed - Waiheke Island
Moving away from downtown Auckland, there are heaps of places to stay in the suburbs around Auckland but for something really different, we recommend hopping on a ferry and taking the 45 minute crossing to Waiheke Island. There is so much to do on Waiheke (more of that later) that it makes for a great place to base yourself when visiting Auckland. The Boatshed is a pretty unique collection of five guest suites and two bungalows which have an upmarket ‘bach’ feel to them. All the properties enjoy a stunning cliff top location with views out over the water and white sandy beach at Oneroa.
Cordis Hotel
Auckland is certainly not short of amazing luxury hotels and a favourite of our GO Explorers is the Cordis. This hotel (formerly The Langham) offers a luxury experience, however you can often find great deals if you are booking last minute or really far in advance. With on-site facilities including a roof-top swimming pool and spa facilities, this is a great place to kick back and unwind in the heart of the city. Located just near the top of Queen Street, you are only a short walk (or Lime scooter!) from great restaurants, bars and the theatre.
Best places to eat out in Auckland
Perhaps one of the trickiest categories for us to narrow down was recommendations for the best places to eat out in Auckland. As you can imagine, our GO Explorers come from all over the world with different budgets and different tastes so we literally had hundreds of suggestions for places to eat out. We have tried to pick out the ones that came up time and time again or those that were a bit different to your usual top tips for places to eat. Let us know what you think and whether we have missed off any crackers!
Best beaches in Auckland
Auckland is literally spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches. Whether you’re staying local and heading to one of the bays or you’ve got wheels and you’re heading out west or up north, the beaches in and around Auckland are some of the best in the country. The difference from west to east is remarkable and if you can, we recommend sampling both sides! Here are some of our favourites:
Best Activities in Auckland
Auckland is a great place to explore whether you’re looking for thrills and spills or you want to kick back and do something a bit more relaxing. With some fantastic museums, beautiful parks, stunning beaches and a whole host of islands just waiting to be explored, finding time to squeeze everything in to a trip to Auckland is going to be your biggest headache. We’ve tried to narrow things down to our top tips for things to do in Auckland but make sure you follow our blog for more great ideas:
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