We have recently stayed at the Intercontinental Auckland for 4 nights. This article will give you an overview of the stay and our rating.
*scroll to the bottom for scoring.
1 Queen Street,
Auckland Central,
Auckland 1010,
New Zealand
Dear Readers,
Looking for a place to reset and rejuvenate our travel spirit in the middle of a month-long trip in New Zealand, we have chosen the Intercontinental as the place to do so.
A long trip across a country can be exhausting, at times, especially with an older family member or the in-laws. Stepping into a comfortable place knowing what to expect is a good way to regain positivity for a good travel experience. In such a case, a major hotel chain is the way to go; it does not have to be a luxury collection, a more affordable or mid-scale one will do too, if you are not on a tight budget, but this time we have chosen the Intercontinental Auckland.
One of the main reasons the Intercontinental was a perfect choice, which may also work well for you, is due to its location. Our stay in Auckland was planned in accordance with a stay on Waiheke Island the night before. This means we will have to take the boat from Waitematā Harbour, which is conveniently located right across the street from the hotel.
The hack for this is to combine your belongings into less luggage, which will reduce the hassle of dragging it on the boat on the way there and on the bus once you are on the island. The rest of the luggage can be deposited at the next hotel beforehand; for us, it was three nights before the actual stay at the Intercontinental. Other hotels, even budget ones, from our experience, would also likely be happy to do the same for you.
Situated right in the main shopping area and connected to a shopping center in the same building, the hotel was a convenient option. Although the more pricey selection of shops may not be an everyday go-to, the neighborhood is more pristine, and when considering the scale of the city, a 15-20 minute walk can take you to various other options the city center has to offer.
The Room
Walking into the room, what greeted us was the view of the harbour, with a place to sit and relax or work, right by the window. As far as the hotel views in Auckland goes it is one of the best.
Newly built, modern, and stylish, eventhough It has now been 2 years since the hotel opened back in January of 2024, the rooms are still well-kept and feel fresh. The bathroom is a separate toilet and shower, which is well-appreciated; there is no bathtub, but a good shower. The bed is great, not too firm, and not sinking soft. Modern comfort, like a smart tv, Bluetooth sound bar, lighting master control, and a speaker in the bathroom, is a part of what you get.
The Experience
Some cakes and small snacks were provided in the room upon check-in. We booked two connecting rooms, but were only offered one set of snacks in one room (It may have been a part of the Amex reservation deal). There is a water station in the corridor providing unlimited free filtered water, which is better than the conventional two bottles a night at many places.
An interesting feature of the room that came to our surprise was the motion detection on the front door, upon leaving the room it turned itself down: closing the blind turning off the light, etc., and upon your return, the whole room lights up, the curtain rolled up to reveal the view of the harbour, as if it was saying “welcome back”.
The Service
One thing we feel is a major issue to address lies upon your arrival. As there is an inadequate parking space problem in front of the building, those who are being dropped off by car should be aware that they may have to block off traffic and possibly get honked at just to unload their bag or simply step out from an Uber, or choose to circle around the block, hoping the previous car has left. Although this matter was informed prior to our arrival, giving the warning without any practical solution is simply telling you to brace for impact, which will likely happen.
Considering the nature of the building, which is also an office building, and that the place was not initially constructed to accommodate a hotel, it is understandable, but also a downside.
Other than that, the service is professional and up to the standard of a five-star hotel.
The Breakfast
The breakfast is a mix of buffet and made-to-order, all-you-can-eat style. The pastries and bread station is exceptional for a buffet breakfast, and fresh fruits are provided. Made-to-order items offer a wide variety of dishes from Western to Asian, and all the items we have tried during our 4-night stay, which is almost all, have been of a high level of satisfaction for a hotel breakfast.
The Closing
Intercontinental Auckland by IHG lived up to the standard of the brand. The room, the service, and the overall standard are up to a higher level. Although there are some gaps in the service and some room for improvement in the experience as a whole, it is a good stay.
Review Summary:
Style of review: Urban, City-center
Do note that under this criterion, our evaluation will assume public transportation as the default form of transportation, depending on what the city has to offer. The criteria will also be set for a city’s convenience, which will mark the lack of a convenience store or nighttime activity as a minus (subject to the unique nature of each city).
Our scoring has also taken into account the price point: 650 NZD per night (standard room rate)
Our recommendation: A Selective Choice
A good stay, but you can still be selective and explore other options at a similar or lower price range!
If you are a loyalty program member of IHG or are booking from an Amex Platinum service and would want to stay at one of their establishments, we would recommend this hotel to you!
*Hand-Picked → 1, Preferred Choice → 2, Selective Choice → 3, Subjective Choice → 4
The hotels that fall into these ratings are all satisfactory experiences; the categories capture how exceedingly it went over our satisfaction level, and are not a ranking that implies which hotel is good or bad. The rating is highly reliant on our preferences and personal experience.
Overall atmosphere:
Room type: Classic Harbour View Rooms
Very Clean 10/10
Location 8/10
Convenience of the stay 8/10
Ambience 8/10
Concept 7/10
Additional scoring:
Good central lighting and electronic system design+
Ironing stand +
Filtered water station +
Separated bath and toilet +
Inadequate amount of space for loading/unloading baggage upon arrival/departure –
Minor service gaps –
Special consideration
A hotel from a major chain will be compared to the hotel under the same name in the chain’s house of brands portfolio in other cities/countries.
Considering the price and the experience, this hotel falls short of what you can get from InterContinental Chiang Mai, The Mae Ping.
Why do we take this into comparison?
So that those looking for a specific experience or hoping to experience a standard a brand has to offer for the first time, or for a more special occasion, can use it as a comparison to aid in the decision making of whether this particular hotel under the name should be their choice, or they should save some money for another day.
With love for travelling,
Travel Tegami