Where to stay in Auckland (the best hotels and areas)
Auckland’s best neighbourhoods and boutique hotels.
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The nickname most New Zealanders have for people living in Auckland is JAFA — “just another f*****g Aucklander.” For anyone outside of the city, Auckland is a tangle of motorways and traffic, with entitled city folk snarling up the roads in their expensive cars.
It’s more than that, of course; the city has some of the best shopping and dining anywhere in the country. And being set between two harbours, you’re never far away from a beach.
But, like almost all New Zealand cities, Auckland doesn’t have the best urban design. It’s a sprawling city, and public transport is slow and unreliable, when it exists at all. That means staying right in the city centre is the most convenient, if not always the most scenic, option.
Standard hotel rooms are plentiful — Booking.com is the easiest place to look — and most of the biggest hotel chains are represented in the city (although I tend to try and recommend places that aren’t international brands).
If you’re unsure of where to stay in Auckland, or just looking for somewhere a little more unique, hopefully curated selection of places helps.
HOTEL BRITOMART, BRITOMART
The best place to stay in Britomart and Central Auckland
QT AUCKLAND, VIADUCT
A great place to stay if you want to be close to the waterfront.
Stay in central Auckland for easy access to public transport and excellent restaurants
Most Auckland hotels are clustered in the city centre, around Queen Street and the Viaduct.
While the immediate areas around your hotel might not be the most inspiring, these areas are very convenient to transport (the ferry terminal for Waiheke is right at the bottom of Queen St.) and you will be walking distance to many restaurants.
Queen Street is the main commercial thoroughfare in Auckland, drawing a line right through the centre of the city. It presents a mish-mash of large chain stores and banks, with office workers scuttling to and from their jobs in the big towers.
Britomart
At the bottom of Queen Street, closest to the water, you’ll find the glittering Commercial Bay, a mall with a giant foodcourt and upscale boutiques. Just beyond that is the main ferry terminal.
Follow the waterfront around towards the Harbour Bridge and you’ll pass through the Viaduct, Auckland’s main waterfront precinct. Bars and restaurants surround the marina.
Turn back and head in the other direction, keeping the water on your left, and you’ll hit Britomart, a small grid of upmarket boutiques and restaurants next to the central train station.
What was once a transport hub has been developed into the best central city precinct.
The stores, restaurants, and businesses in Britomart have been carefully curated; there are New Zealand designers, the exceptionally unique Hotel Britomart, and restaurants focused on exploring New Zealand cuisine.
It’s sleek, but also quickly explored. Britomart makes a better base to return to in the evening, for drinking and dining, rather than a destination during the day.
Central Auckland hotels
Hotel Britomart
Design-focused Hotel Britomart has a lot more personality than some of the big chain hotels in Auckland.
The hotel also has a strong commitment to sustainability. This filters through into everything, to the mini bar stocked with almost exclusively New Zealand products to the artworks throughout.
What’s nearby:
For cocktails, you can’t beat the Caretaker, a cool speakeasy style spot owned by a local husband and wife team. Go for live jazz on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights.
Ahi in Commercial Bay is a great place to try some local cuisine like wild shot deer.
Fable Auckland, MGallery
Located on Queen Street, smack in the centre of town, the Fable hotel is decorated in the Art Deco style currently so popular with the city’s hotels. I spent one night in this hotel and enjoyed the jewel tones, gilt flourishes, and fine bone china tea set — it felt more lavish than a standard hotel room.
The view from my room was almost non-existent, looking out into a sea of air-conditioning units behind central city sky scrapers, but the convenience of the location more than made up for that.
Hotel DeBrett
A boutique establishment among the many towering chain hotels of the city centre, Hotel DeBrett is part of Auckland’s history; the original Commercial Hotel opened its doors in 1841, breaking ground as the first place in Auckland you could get both a drink and a room (and the first to have a private bathroom in every bedroom).
Brick walls and other art deco features add to the individually designed rooms, which all have bold striped carpet. The Corner Bar downstairs is still a great place to get a drink and watch the people flit up and down High Street.
What’s nearby:
The Auckland Art Gallery, one of Auckland’s highlights, is a five-minute stroll from Hotel Debrett
Chuffed cafe on High Street is a lovely little independently-owned spot for coffee and breakfast.
Gilt Brasserie, owned by somewhat famous New Zealand chef Josh Emmett, is also right around the corner. I loved the style of this place and. the food was pretty outstanding as well.
QT Hotel
QT is a relatively small chain of hotels across Australasia. I like their approach to hotel design, which is colourful, stylish, and never boring. Auckland QT has the added benefit of a rooftop bar with sublime sunset views.
What’s nearby:
For dinner, check out Hello Beasty, which is the standout place to eat in the Viaduct.
During the day you can walk the Westhaven path around the waterfront until you’re underneath the Harbour Bridge.
Sudima Hotel
Located close to the Sky Tower and City Works Depot (where you can find Odette’s, a great cafe), Sudima Auckland City has a sleek fit out, with thoughtful details like menstrual products in the bathrooms. The hotel also has a delicious vegetarian restaurant on site, East.
What’s nearby:
Nelson Street itself is pretty characterless, but you’ll be situated close to the Sky Tower.
City Works Depot is also right across the road. Head to Odette’s for a decadent breakfast — it’s one of the best cafes in the city.
Stay in Ponsonby or Grey Lynn for a taste of local life
A view of the Sky Tower from Ponsonby Road
Best place to stay: Hotel Fitzroy
Ponsonby borders Auckland Central, with one long road — Ponsonby Road — following a crest that overlooks the CBD.
The road is a strip of chic bars, restaurants, independent boutiques and local designers. Narrow streets falling away from the main road lead into quiet rows of heritage Victorian-era villas shaded by gnarled old trees.
Hotel Fitzroy
Hotel Fitzroy is the best stay for a splurge. It’s an exclusive 10 room boutique hotel in a historic villa. It’s located just off the main Ponsonby road, but still close to some of the best bars and restaurants in the city.
What’s nearby:
Check out Beau Deli or Daily Bread for coffee and treats in the morning.
Annabel’s Wine Bar of Beau’s are ideal for a drink in the evening.
Head to Prego or Khu Khu Vegan Thai for dinner.
Franklin38
Franklin38 is another beautiful boutique accommodation option in Ponsonby. It’s a gorgeous villa in a heritage area between Ponsonby and the central city.
Stay on Waiheke Island to make the most of the beaches, wine, and island time
Waiheke Island makes a great day trip from Auckland, but it’s also a beautiful place to spend a night or two.
If you’re only staying in Auckland to recover after a long flight, or as a brief stop before you fly out of New Zealand, an overnight stay on Waiheke can be perfect.
Stay out here if you want to explore a unique part of Auckland and be closer to wineries, pristine beaches, and a delicious laid back pace of life.
There are no large hotel chains on the island; instead, you’ll find luxurious holiday homes, many with views of the water.
The Oyster Inn on Waiheke is both a boutique inn and restaurant
There are a handful of small, boutique lodges, as well. The Oyster Inn in Oneroa is conveniently located in the small town, and the Oyster Inn restaurant is one of the best places to eat on Waiheke.
For budget travellers, Waiheke Backpackers Hostel offers unparalleled value for money. There are stunning sea views from the lawn in front of the backpackers. Casita Miro is a 10 minute walk down the road, while Onetangi Beach is a short walk straight down some steep steps.
I usually stay at this backpackers when I’m in Waiheke — it’s not fancy, but if you just need a bed for the night, it’s ideal.
There’s no shortage of much fancier places to stay on Waiheke, though.
Stay in Titirangi or Piha Beach to experience Auckland’s wild west coast
If you have a little more time, and you would prefer to stay outside of Auckland’s concrete jungle, West Auckland’s rainforests and beaches hide some more unique places to stay.
In Titirangi, the Kauri Chalet is out of the way but much quieter, greener, and more peaceful than any central city stay.
Thanks for reading this far! I hope this article helped you decide where you should stay in Auckland.
If you’re planning on visiting the North Island, you might find these articles helpful as well:
AUTHOR BIO
I’m a freelance travel writer from New Zealand with bylines in National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and more.
I’ve travelled up and down beautiful Aotearoa and I love sharing my recommendations for the best places to visit in New Zealand.
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