You know, I read all the reviews before booking here, and although none were raving in flavor of this property, none were completely disappointed either. And that is exactly how I feel...it was clean which is very important, and the staff was lovely, which is helpful. The location was good for a couple of reasons... First, it was central. Which means that you ane not close to the Harbour, but the bus is close by and for $.50, you can get there in ten minutes. It is also two minutes away from the Aotea Center, if you are planning a movie or an event there. Secondly, the Airport Express stops literally at the from door, which is helpful if you are messing with luggage.
A Couple of things happened during our stay. The A/C went out, so it was very hot one night. When they got it fixed, there was an awful humming noise that made it difficult to sleep. BUT, the staff did get the problem fixed in short order. Then there is a (potential) problem with construction noise from next door. It started about 7:30 in the morning. But, since we are early to bed and early to rise, it was not much of a factor for us. If we had wanted to sleep in, this would have been a problem.
I heard others say that the rooms are large. I would think this is subjective, and depends on your frame of reference. The room size is adequate. The bathroom IS spacious, and in my opinion, they should have made the shower large enough to bend down to pick up the soap bar when you drop it.
You would think that after all I have said, I would not recommend this hotel, but, actually, I would stay here again. Major city hotels are a matter of trade offs. How much are you willing to spend for what you want. For me, clean takes precedence over anything else. The room and lobby furnishings are a little tired, but everything was clean. The bed was only a double for the two of us, but it was clean and comfortable.
Bottom line is that we were not willing to spend another $100 a night for posh surroundings or $200 or more for a Harbour location.
- Auckland Scenic Hotel
