SO/ hotel in Auckland's CBD. The 5-star hotel is considered one of the best places for managed isolation. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GUIDE TO THE 32 HOTELS
It is the lottery of managed isolation: Some returning New Zealanders end up in $800-a-night hotels with a sea view, and others are shipped off to a mid-range hotel with basic meals.
There are now 32 hotels being used in Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Wellington and Christchurch for Covid-19 quarantine and managed isolation.
They range from a 3-star backpacker-style accommodation to a 5-star luxury hotel on Auckland's waterfront.
Most of the hotels are 4.5 or 5 stars - officials want isolation to be as comfortable as possible to encourage compliance. They must all meet strict criteria, including hygiene requirements, security, and providing three meals a day and exercise opportunities to guests.
But beyond those standards, the hotels differ in size, quality and other factors. And the unique challenges created by a public health crisis mean many hotels cannot provide their usual level of service.
Shailee Adke Barde, who went into isolation on June 24 after arriving back from India, said her two weeks of isolation was overwhelmingly positive.
She was put up at the Grand Millennium in Auckland's CBD. Returning New Zealanders have no say where they end up, and usually find out their hotel - or their destination city - when they get on a bus at the airport.
The group she travelled with was divided into three hotels and they compared notes.
"We figured Millennium was one of the best ones," she said.
"One of the people I know got sent to Jet Park Hotel [in Māngere] because they thought they had symptoms, just to be safe. It was a major step down, because they got a smaller room and the views weren't as amazing."
Travellers who end up at Jet Park Hotel often face a different set of rules. The hotel is used to quarantine people who present with Covid-19 symptoms at the airport or in isolation.
People who have tested negative for Covid-19 at Jet Park Hotel get a blue armband, which means they can move about more freely. Those still waiting on a test result must be escorted outside of their room. Alcohol is not available.
The availability and cost of beer and wine is one of the most hotly-debated topics among those in isolation.
A manager at Naumi Auckland Airport said the hotel had agonised over how much to supply and what to charge. If they didn't offer beer and wine or charged too much, people would bring booze in - or break out, as in one infamous case in Hamilton.
Naumi decided on allowing four beers or a bottle of wine to be bought per day, at discounted prices, and empties were collected before delivery so people did not stock up.
The Naumi manager said travellers usually turned up in groups of 40 or 50 people at a time. They were placed in the best hotel rooms first, separated by "bubbles". The hotel had two huge suites which were charged out at around $1000 a night, but they were left empty because they were not self-contained.
The Weekend Herald found most high-end hotels were keeping their VIP suites empty. One hotel manager said they wanted to avoid even the slightest potential for jealousy or conflict between guests.
But while there may be no competition between guests in the same hotel, returnees sometimes felt a twinge of envy at those who were put up in flasher accommodation.
An entire subculture has sprung up on dedicated Instagram and Facebook pages in which people compare and critique Wifi quality, food, exercise spaces and room size.
One of the most desirable spots for isolation is luxury hotel SO/ Auckland in the Britomart district, which usually charges between $450 and $825 a night (returnees' hotel bills are covered by the Government).
Guests cannot take advantage of all of the hotel's perks - they are barred from using the Finnish sauna or the rooftop bar. There is a blanket ban on returnees using gyms, pools and other facilities at all isolation hotels.
Another hotel, the Pullman in central Auckland, has a $3000 suite. It would not say whether lucky isolators were being put up in the 290sq m room.
It has not all been rosy for returnees in isolation. Many felt unfairly vilified for simply returning to their home country, often after suddenly abandoning their lives overseas or stressful, long-winded trips home. Public scrutiny was especially strong after four people escaped from hotels in the space of two weeks.
More than 30,000 people have now been through managed isolation or quarantine since New Zealand went into lockdown.
The Government has spent more than $80 million on hotel bills so far, and has put aside another $300 million for the rest of the year. It has considered charging returnees for their hotel stays, but has so far not made a decision.
Crowne Plaza Auckland
128 Albert St, Auckland
4 star plus
Price: n/a
Notes: Very good Wifi. Plain breakfast of cereal, pastry, fruit and juice. Large, hot meals 3 days a day and morning and afternoon tea is served. Barista coffee available at a charge. Free laundry, charge of $30 for excess.
Four Points by Sheraton
396 Queen St
4.5 stars
Price: $352-$1025*
Notes: Hearty meals, including hamburgers and chips. Occasional free alcoholic drink with dinner. Unlimited, fast Wifi.
Grand Mercure Auckland
8 Customs St East
4.5 stars
Price: $296-$791
Notes: Good Wifi. Large food portions. One of the most highly rated hotels for food options.
Grand Millennium
71 Mayoral Drive
4 star plus
Price: $239-$349
Notes: Another hotel where guests have given top reviews for the food. Because it hosts arrivals from Indian flights, the meals tend towards Indian cuisines including paneer butter masala and cumin rice. Barista coffee available. Beer and wine can be ordered but not brought in.
Haka Hotel Newmarket
9 Manukau Rd, Epsom
3 star
Price: $40-$259
Notes: One of the more modest options being used for managed isolation.
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport
2 Ascot Rd, Māngere
4 star
Price: $226-$258
Notes: One of the poorer-ranked isolation options. Weak Wifi. Food "not very nice", said one guest. Some complaints of dusty rooms.
Ibis Ellerslie
72-112 Green Lane East, Ellerslie
4 star
Price: $178-$223
Notes: Unfortunately located next to another isolation hotel, Novotel Ellerslie, which is slightly flasher.
Jet Park Hotel
63 Westney Rd, Māngere,
4 star plus
Price: $244-394
Notes: The Alcatraz of the isolation hotels. It is a quarantine hotel for people with Covid-19 symptoms, so the rules are stricter, even for those who are only in managed isolation. No alcohol is available. Movement is more restricted, especially for people waiting on test results. Guests said there were large meal portions, which included lamb curry with rice and vegetarian lasagne.
M Social
196-200 Quay St
5 star
Price: $303-$979
Notes: One of the best locations of the isolation hotels, across the road from Princes Wharf. It has rooms which go for nearly $1000 a night, but the front desk wouldn't say whether they were offered to isolating guests.
Naumi Auckland Airport
153 Kirkbride Rd, Māngere
4 star plus
Price: $246-$1100
Notes: One of the better Auckland Airport options, with three hot meals a day including BBQ pork ribs and fried chicken for dinners. Guests can buy up to 4 beers or 1 bottle of wine a day, at discounted prices. Instant coffee in the room, barista coffee can be delivered to rooms. Large exercise area.
Novotel Auckland Airport
Ray Emery Drive, Māngere
4 star plus
Price: $276-352
Notes: Very good Wifi. Also has good food, though some guests complained about curries nearly every night.
Novotel Ellerslie
72-112 Green Lane East, Ellerslie
4 star plus
Price: $229-$279
Notes: Good Wifi. Large carpark which can be used for exercise at any time.
Pullman Hotel
Corner Waterloo Quadrant & Princes St
5 star
Price: $398-$3000
Notes: Weak Wifi, say some guests, but the hotel staff sometimes provides SIM cards for free. Large portions of food. Unfortunately, the $3000-a-night penthouse is not offered to people in isolation.
Ramada Auckland
219 Federal St
4 star
Price: n/a
Notes: The "boutique-style" suites at the Ramada are for an exclusive group of isolators - those who have been deported from Australia under the controversial 501 laws. The deportees get most of the perks of other isolators, but have one key difference: a huge police presence outside.
Rydges Auckland
4 star plus
Price: $379-$519
Notes: Three meals a day, no options given (except vegetarian/non-vegetarian). Instant coffee in the rooms or barista coffee can be ordered to your room.
Sebel Manukau
16 Lakewood Court, Manukau
4 star plus
Price: $210-$305
Notes: Large rooms and daily escorted walks in large outdoor carpark in 45-minute slots. Good Wifi.
SO/Auckland
Corner Customs St East & Gore St
5 stars
Price: $455-$825
Notes: One of the most sought-after hotels by isolators. The meals are the envy of others when they are posted on social media. Stunning location overlooking Queens Wharf. Exercise is on the jetty by the Auckland harbour. Nespresso in each hotel room. Sadly, the luxury, heated lap pool and Finnish sauna are off-limits.
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Stamford Plaza
22-26 Albert St
5 star
Price: $439-$709
Notes: Notorious for being the hotel from which a man absconded to the supermarket via the smoking area. For those guests which stay put, a courtyard is available for exercise between 6am and 9pm. Huge meals, three times a day.
Sudima Auckland Airport
18 Airpark Drive, Māngere
4 star plus
Price: $209-$269
Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre
58 Waipuna Rd, Mount Wellington
4 star
Price: n/a
Notes: Guests report excellent food options, including braised beef and soba noodle salad with salmon. Large grassy area outside for exercise.
Distinction Hotel Te Rapa
100 Garnett Ave, Te Rapa
4 star
Price: n/a
Notes: Patchy Wifi. Instant coffee in the room, or barista coffee delivered to the room for $5. Guests said food was good, with choices for each meal. Alcohol available, though apparently the range is limited given one of the guests broke out in search of a more sophisticated beer at a nearby liquor store.
Ibis Tainui
18 Alma St, Hamilton
3 star plus
Price: $152-$174
Jet Park Hotel
201 Airport Rd, Hamilton
4 star
Price: $200-$250
Ibis Rotorua
Lake End, Rangiuru St
3 star plus
Price: $161-$188
Notes: Poor Wifi, guests buy SIM cards. Large basement and outdoor carpark for exercise which can be accessed at all times, described as a "godsend" by one guest. Large rooms.
Sudima Rotorua
1000 Eruera St, Rotorua
4 star
Price: $179-$309
Notes: Guests said Wifi was poor, but SIM cards could be purchased. Large food portions, good reviews.
Grand Mercure
345 The Terrace, Te Aro
5 star
Price: $242-$359
Bay Plaza Hotel
40-44 Oriental Parade
3 star plus
Price: $160-$203
Notes: One of the newest additions to the managed isolation list, it has stunning views across Wellington's harbour. It is also walking distance to many of Wellington's best restaurants and theatres - all of which are off-limits to guests.
Sudima Christchurch Airport
550 Memorial Ave, Harewood
5 stars
Price: $229-$469
Commodore Hotel
449 Memorial Ave, Burnside
4 star plus
Price: $238-$388
Notes: Choice of two meals for lunch and dinner (meat or vege). Guests can go outside at any time to a large outside carpark.
Novotel Christchurch Airport
Christchurch International Airport
4 star plus
Price: n/a
Notes: Good Wifi, not great vegetarian options.
Chateau on the Park
189 Deans Ave, Riccarton
4 star
Price: $151-$401
Distinction Christchurch Hotel
14 Cathedral Square
4 star plus
Price: $219-$359
* Prices are for usual rates for 2 adults booking for February 2021 (the earliest time consistent rates between hotels were available). People in managed isolation and quarantine are not charged.
Hato Hone St John sent an ambulance and two rapid response units to help.