Auckland Lodging
 

I would appreciate any suggestions for lodging in Auckland. We will only be there overnight and the following day before flying back to the US. What is a nice area to walk around and that has easy transportation to the airport?

i have just book a room at
ww.airportbnb.co.nz
as we only wanted one night's stay before we fly back to UK
it is about 3 miles from Auckland airport and they will drive you to airport next day to catch your flight home
breakfast and transport to airport is included in the price
it says on web site that it is near to resturants and shops etc
hope this is of some help for you

We stayed at the skyway lodge.
Transport from and to airport included. Kitchen facilities. A few restaurants and shops in walking distance. Very friendly and helpfull couple. Check at www.skywaylodge.co.nz

Is it possible to stay someplace that would allow easy sightseeing of Auckland for a day-we won't have a car, then to leave for the airport. We arrive at 2pm on Sat. and leave at 7pm on Sunday.

You can stay downtown, within easy walking distance of the Ferry Building and a number of good restaurants.

We stayed at the New President just off Queen Street. They upgraded us to a two-bedroom suite, and it was great having the extra space to spread out and repack.

You should be able to arrange transportation to the airport. We had a rental car, so I can't give you specific suggestions.

Lee Ann

It is horrible out near the airport and there is nothing to do or see at night. Once was enough.

I would stay in Ponsonby which is fun and close to everything by bus.

If you stay in downtown or in one of the close in suburbs like Ponsonby or Parnell you will find things a lot more agreeable than down by the airport.

If you stay in downtown you will be close to where the tours leqave from in Quay street. There are half day and full day tours. Just check the office oposite the ferry building. You could take a ferry out onto the harbour, go near to Devonport, great to expolore for half a day, or go a bit further out to Waiheke and try a couple of vinyards out and see some of the local art.

You are next to the local bus depot there as well at the bottom of Queen street. You can bus to areas such as thge Domain, pleasant for a walk around, Mt Eden or anywhere. I would suggest you get a visitor guide book from the airport visitors centre when you arrive.

If you check on Wotif or one of the other low cost accomodation sites you can usually get a bargain for a hotel in town.

The airport bus leaves from the downtown area as well. Cheapest way out to the airport.

Downtown Auckland is where you want to be, and the Auckland Hilton—jutting out over the water at the end of Prince's Wharf—is in the center of the action. Each room has a balcony; some have wraparound decks and two walls of windows taking in the harbor. That stunning view is duplicated in the lobby cocktail lounge, the acclaimed restaurant, "White," the glass-walled gym and an outdoor lap pool. The hotel is adjacent to both the fascinating New Zealand National Maritime Museum and the lively America's Cup Village. The airport is 25 minutes away by shuttle from the hotel, and the concierge will book it for you.

If the Hilton's a bit pricey for you ($225-ish) the reasonably-priced, highly-regarded Aspen House Hotel, with 50-something well-appointed rooms, is a short walk from the Village and the shops of Queen Street. And the nearby Elliot Street Apartments, in a charming, century-old building, has 25 bright, modern rooms with Mission-style beds and leather sofas.

For dining, Soul is one of the buzzing new restaurants, with indoor and outdoor seating facing The America's Cup Village. Run by one of the city's top chefs, Judith Tabron, it serves beguiling preparations of ahi and hapuku that look stunning and taste sublime. The perennially popular SPQR on Ponsonby Road anchors the area and the adjacent Orchid Bar attracts a chic crowd. SPQR manages to be trendy and down-to-earth at the same time, consistently packing in high-spirited crowds for lunch and dinner with its Italian-inspired menu. Anglesea Grill, also on Ponsonby Road, is a small, casually elegant place that serves some of the city's top seafood. Specialties are whole snapper and spicy bouillabaisse.

At Harbourside one evening—a casual bar and grill that occupies the entire second floor of the historic Ferry Building—I polished off a plate of sashimi so fresh I’d have sworn it was still swimming. Even simpler meals, like the deep-dish pizza at One Red Dog, a café-pub in the Ponsonby district, had New Zealand twists—in this case, a topping of kikorangi, a local blue cheese.

And there is The Occidental Belgian Beer Café, with an authentically late 19th-century atmosphere that has you smiling the moment you sit down. Opened in 1870, the place has that comfy, lamp-lit, well-worn mahogany-trimmed-in-brass feel that you only find in Western Europe. And the dishes—like mussels in their pearly shells, steamed in garlic, chili and herb butter or lobster bisque and brandy—are unforgettable.