How are the locations of these two places? And if you have a positive/negative opinion of other ~~~ please let me know. I am thinking of them for our first two nights.

I am not really sure of which neighborhoods are best as a 'base' in Auckland.

COLUMBIA SERVICED APARTMENTS
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...rth_Island.html

ASPEN LODGE B&B
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...rth_Island.html

Thanks

Sorry -- these links should work

Columbia Serviced Apts
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html

Aspen Lodge
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...th_Island.html

Ponsonby is the most interesting part of Auckland, not down town. It is walkable from town, full of bars and cafes , fashion shops, people watching. Loved it. There is a bus that does a circuit of the city every ten minutes and it goes through Ponsonby.

Have you stayed somewhere moderately priced that you would recommend? Thanks

I was wondering about staying in the waterfront area around the America's Cup Village. I had read about Sebel Suites there. Any thoughts from anyone on that location and property?

What do you want to do in Auckland? If it is the usual touristy things, consider staying in the center of town.

In many cases, the rates that are listed on the websites are much higher than that which you can get by discount websites (eg <b>wotif.com</b or by emaling the places directly.

I like the location of Aspen Lodge. Fairly quiet and definitely within walking distance of the ferries, etc.

The Great Ponsonby in Ponsonby was as it states, great. Very quiet, close to all the action in Ponsonby Rd and easy to get around on the Link bus. Waterfront 10 minutes away on the bus, the musuem was about 15 minutes in the opposite direction.

Must be nice -- I have seen your multiple posts about it

Most hotel locations in Auckland are walker-unfriendly, unless near the relatively level harbor or lower Queen St. I hate waiting even for frequent buses; just waiting for an extremely overdue airport bus had me almost throwing up from the clouds of exhaust it took for other stopping buses to accelerate up the steep hill I was on.

Beware of any hotel that suggests it is on Queen St. There may not be any, even some have that in their name. Mine claimed to be on the corner of Queen St but was almost a block away and almost a block &quot;up&quot; with the practically 45 degree street angle.

Ponsonby is nice but is almost as high as the skytower, and a horror to walk to (although you can walk &quot;from&quot; quite easily, unless it's to another hill like the museum is on, maybe seperated by a few more extreme hills and valleys).

The hills seem worse than SFO since the roads never go between hills or valleys - just straight up and down, sometimes within a single block length. Also unless you get a high room, the harbor has practically no water views except after extended walks to the very end of princes wharf (how got the name city of sails when you can't see water?).

AKL is walker unfriendly beyond belief, with the traffic signals favoring cars so much that massive jaywalking is an essential survival skill. But not a reason to go to even worse hills of Ponsonby, Parnell, Eden, or boring Devenport/Waiteke. Stay in the very core of the beast with occasional excursions, like to Rangitoto or the pretty good museums.

Piggybacking on your thread--

I have read in several posts about the hilly nature of Auckland.

I have a meeting at the Hyatt but do not have to stay at the hotel (to save some bucks). I don't want to look like I've been hiking when arriving each day. Are there other hotels that would be not too extremely up/downhill from the Hyatt? (I don't mind a 10-15 minute relatively flat walk.)

Some of the names I've seen are:
Quest on Eden
Copthorne
Crowne Plaza
Airedale

Hi Kay2

Which Copthorne were you looking at. If it is the Copthorne in Anzac Ave then you do not have much of a hill at all to go up to the Hyatt. Just a stroll up Anzac Ave turn right at the High Court then 100 metres to the Hyatt. If it if the Copthorne Harbourside then it is a bit of a trod up hill for you.

The other three hotels you mention are at least 1.5 kms from the Hyatt. The Quest is actually on the steep bit of Queen Street. So you would have a hill to climb to get to it. Not too far but on a hot day not fun.

With the Crowne Plaza you can avoid teh hill on Victoria Street by going into the mall in Elliot street behind/underneath the hotel and taking an elevator up the five floors to the lobby/street level in Albert Street which is the front entrance for the hotel.

Of the hotels you are looking at staying at. The Crowne Plaza is by far the best. Just unfortunately a hill between there and the Hyatt.

Cheers

Hope this helps a little.

Thanks for the help. I think I need to find a topographic map of Auckland to help . The Copthorne I saw listed is the one on Anzac. I've only found a couple of reviews that comment on the small rooms and relatively noisy location. The Hyatt reviews also focus on construction noise and refurbishment.

Thanks for elevator tip on the Crowne Plaza. I am considering it since it is a better hotel and may have some specials that make its price at least comparable to the Hyatt.