Crowne Plaza Auckland

For those into aesthetics, this hotel is not for you. Earl and I agreed that the Crowne Plaza Auckland was very generic looking - no style, just a place to crash for the night. But if you want a room that's clean, very conveniently located, and comes with free wi-fi, then this hotel is hard to beat. Aside from which, the room rate is lower than the others in the same area.

I cannot stress enough just how convenient its location is! First, it's attached to a small mall with a food court at the basement, Countdown Supermarket is just a few steps away, across the street is Smith & Caughey's (which we used as a shortcut to Queen Street), it's next door to the Elliott Stables, and a lot of other dining options are all within a short walk from the hotel (thus, no need to pay extra for the breakfast buffet).

Actually, Earl liked this place better compared to CityLife Auckland (hotel review to follow) which is ranked higher in TripAdvisor. I must say I agree with him since our room here was more spacious and again comes with free wi-fi (very important) - you just need to sign up for membership which is free.

Above is the view from our room. The hotel is parallel to Queen Street which has fast food options such as Wendy's and a 24-hour McDonald's.

One list I found useful is The 100 Best Cheap Eats in Auckland 2013 as many of them are located in the central business district (that's how I found out about the NZD 5 pizza slices at Sal's Authentic New York Pizza which is just around the corner from the hotel). There's a 2014 version of the list which you can view here.

One of the few cons I can think of during our visit was the concierge. We booked a tour through them and they quoted a rate of NZD 275 per person. When we went on the tour, it turns out the correct rate was higher at NZD 280. I told the concierge about it right away and they sent an email explaining the situation a few days later. I was thinking that had this been another country, we would have been refunded the difference.

Also, I asked housekeeping for a copy of the mini-bar menu and I never got it in the three days we stayed there. But these incidents are minor in the greater scheme of things.

The hotel also has a laundry room and provides free detergent. The fee is NZD 2 for the use of washer and the dryer (your total laundry bill for one load would be NZD 4). Needless to say, I would definitely recommend the Crowne Plaza to anyone who plans to visit Auckland.