Wondering where to stay in Auckland? If you are like us and enjoy 5-star opulence, we have hand-picked our three favourite luxury and boutique hotels in Auckland.
Whether you are a local, like us, or a visitor, we believe your accommodation makes a difference in your whole attitude towards New Zealand’s largest city. Waking up after a refreshing night’s sleep, pampered and ready to head out, makes everything seem easy.
We live just outside New Zealand’s largest city, so we have had plenty of opportunities to spend the night in the city. And while we have tried lots of options, three clearly rise to the top of our list. (We also included three more with outstanding reputations that we haven’t yet visited.)
Personally, we think a bit of luxury is worth the extra money. If you are the same, we encourage you to enjoy any of these luxury or boutique hotels in Auckland.
Our three favourite luxury boutique hotels in Auckland
- Cordis Auckland
- Hotel DeBrett
- Quail Lodge
See why these are our 3 favourite boutique hotels in Auckland
Cordis Auckland
We loved Cordis even before they built the new Pinnacle Tower. Adding impressive city views, it’s even better.
This 5-star luxury hotel focuses on making our stay comfortable, decadent, and easy. We most recently stayed in an Executive room on the 16th floor of Cordis’ new Pinnacle Tower.
Walking in, the floor-to-ceiling windows captured my attention; the only possible distraction was the elaborate welcome basket on the table. Once I was able to peel my eyes from what seemed like almost 180º views from the bridge to Devonport, I enjoyed the simplistic elegance of the modern decor.
While our view was impressive during the day, it was nothing short of spectacular at night. We were lucky on the night we visited, and both the Sky Tower and the Harbour Bridge came alive with colour. (Note that this doesn’t happen every night).
More on Cordis
Our relaxing room was only a small part of our Cordis adventure. With access to the clubrooms on the 14th floor, we were able to view Mt Eden while enjoying our afternoon tea, our canapes, and even breakfast the next morning. All was delicious and perfectly catered to my dietary restrictions.
With all that, we still found a way to enjoy dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants. Then before bed, we opted for a nightcap in Cordis’ Our Land is Alive Bar.
Our biggest decision in the morning: lounge around and enjoy the luxury, start the day with a swim in the outdoor rooftop pool, or head to breakfast in the clubroom. (all included in our room’s package)
We opted for a swim, followed by a herbal steam room treatment that alternates with an ice bath This is optional but really enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.
Valet parking is available at Cordis Auckland for an additional charge, or self-park in the car park right next door. Similarly, if you don’t choose clubroom access, there are options for breakfast (at Eight Restaurant) and to book ahead for an amazing high tea in the Chandelier Lounge.
Cordis is part of the Langham group, our favourite hotel chain worldwide. Regardless of where we have travelled, Auckland included, service is impeccable. Aside from Auckland, our two favourites are Langham Melbourne in Australia and Langham Hong Kong.
Hotel DeBrett
This fun and funky boutique hotel in Auckland is our other favourite place to stay in the city.
Comfortable luxury, I would describe the decor as art deco meets retro with attention to every detail.
We stayed in a loft suite with a sweeping spiral staircase leading up to a surprisingly large bedroom whose most notable feature is the incredibly comfortable bed. But if it’s not to your liking, don’t worry; just pick up the phone and order off the pillow menu, and you are pretty well guaranteed a great night’s sleep.
With super plush bathrobes, a huge bathtub, an even bigger shower, and a toilet on each level, our loft was super comfortable.
Be sure to allocate some time for an afternoon cocktail or mocktail in the lively art deco Housebar, and if you time it right, grab your flapper or Gatsby-era gear and book in for one of the over-the-top themed Roaring 20s High Teas.
Then it’s dinner in DeBrett’s Kitchen featuring classic New Zealand fare done to perfection.
Or head out to explore the city. Hotel DeBrett is centrally located and easily walkable to many key attractions, and an easy opportunity to enjoy the city nightlife.
Note that if you bring a car, parking must be reserved in advance and is a couple of blocks away.
Escape the city to Quail Lodge in Drury
Sometimes we just need to escape the city, and for us, that means Quail Lodge in Drury.
Again, we love a bit of luxury and time to unwind and relax. We were delighted to be introduced to this 5-star self-contained luxury option that is only a 40-minute drive from Auckland CBD but feels like a world away.
The unit is private, with attention to every detail. It has a lounge, a deck, a kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms.
To be honest, as people who enjoy being pampered, we only set foot in the unit’s modern kitchen to see what it offered, and while it was pretty much everything we could want, we only made our early first cup of morning coffee.
We opted to include dinner with the lovely host (who is a fabulous cook), and our breakfast was included. In fact, we liked the place so much that we wrote our full review of Quail Lodge here.
More great luxury and boutique hotels in Auckland
We haven’t tried them all yet, and we love the three above so much that we tend to stay at one of them. However, based on their reputation and reviews, these three should be included in a list of Auckland luxury hotels.
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- Park Hyatt Auckland
Five-star luxury located practically right on the water and surrounded by some of the city’s best restaurants, many of the rooms offer impressive views. With an outdoor pool, a fitness centre, a restaurant, and a garden terrace, it has everything needed for a relaxing stay. Reserve your room at the Park Hyatt here. - The Hotel Britomart
The winner of New Zealand’s best luxury hotel award in 2022, this 5-star hotel is located in the popular Britomart neighbourhood (home to Café Hanoi, one of my favourite restaurants). Setting them apart in the eco-friendly environment, they offer free bicycles to guests. Reserve your room at The Hotel Britomart here. - SkyCity Grand Hotel
Classic luxury that is part of the SkyCity complex in a great location across the street from Sky Tower and the major casino. It sits alongside several top-rated restaurants, and located in the hotel is the East Day Spa, the top-rated spa in Oceania. Reserve your room at the SkyCity Grand Hotel here.
Where to find all these luxury and boutique hotels in Auckland
Click the expand / collapse icon in the upper left corner of the map for the details, and scroll south to find Quail Lodge.
Save on your NZ trip with these resources
These are our go-to companies when we travel. We believe this list to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.
- Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
- Accommodations: we use Booking.com (hotels), Bookabach (self-contained in NZ), or Hostelworld (budget). See all our personal favourite NZ hotels here.
- Cars (gas or electric): we use RentalCars to search for deals and dealer ratings.
- Motorcycles: we have heard good things about BikesBooking.
- Campervans or Motorhomes: we use Campstar where Albom Adventures readers get a 3% discount.
- Activity discounts: we check Bookme.com for discounts of up to 70% on activities.
- Private guides: we do have a go-to when we hire a private guide.
- Travel Insurance: while not required, we always opt for travel insurance and start at InsureMyTrip to compare coverage plans.
Check out our travel resources page for more companies that we use when you travel. And don’t forget to download our free New Zealand packing list when you sign up for our newsletter.
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Which boutique hotel in Auckland will you stay at first?
More from Auckland you might also like … starting with these 75 free and nearly free things to do in the city
Disclaimer: We are frequently provided with complimentary entrances, tours, or sample items to aid in the writing of Albom Adventures. However, the opinions expressed here are strictly our own.
Gail
These hotels all look like wonderful choices, and it’s great to know of these luxury hotels for when we finally make it to Aukland. I especially liked seeing the Night view of Auckland from your room in the Pinnacle Tower of Cordis Auckland. It looks simply gorgeous! Thank you for sharing.:)
Emma
Last time I visited Auckland I was traveling on a real budget and stayed in a hostel, so I would love to go back and take advantage of one of these beautiful hotels now I can. The pools look really good, and anywhere that serves afternoon tea is good with me
Linda (LD Holland)
You know we love to be pampered sometimes when we travel. So it was great to check out this post about some great options when we finally make it to Auckland. I love hotels with great views and distracting welcome amenity treats! Great to have an option too if we want to head out of the city.
Marga
What a beautiful place to stay! I’ve pinned it for when I ever visit New Zealand!
Marie & Eric
The Cordis hotel looks absolutely fantastic! We love a hotel with a great view and this one looks like it would be the one! Thanks for all the great recommendations!
Kelly
Wow! They are all awesome! I love the sound of the Roaring 20s High Teas at Hotel DeBrett. I’m from Napier, where we celebrate Art Deco each year! Plus, I love high tea. I am going to pin this for my next visit to Auckland.
Emily
Wow, they all look so beautiful! Would love to experience this in Auckland one day, thanks for sharing!
Alex+J.+Cavanaugh
Think I’d take the first one!