Hotels, restaurants and food delivery services prosper following destructive storm

Around 180,000 homes across the Auckland region lost power as a result of the storm. Photo / Dean Purcell

Auckland storm refugees looking for a hotel room tonight could be out of luck.

Several hotels who spoke with the Herald said they were already at capacity this week, even before the storm struck.

Around 25,000 homes are still without power after a storm ripped through the city on Tuesday evening and left destruction in its wake.

Originally 180,000 homes across the Auckland region were cut off from power, sending numerous suburbs into complete darkness and leaving many homes without hot water.

Those wanting to flee to accommodation with all the amenities might find the option harder than expected, with several Auckland hotels reporting they have no beds to offer.

Grand Mercure, Stamford Plaza and Off Broadway Motel were three accommodation choices that said they were already at capacity before the storm event.

While SKYCITY Hotel, Ellerslie Palms Motel and the Quadrant Hotel & Suites confirmed they had not experienced anything out of the ordinary with their bookings following the region-wide power cuts.

A Hospitality NZ spokeswoman said the accommodation industry hadn't seen a surge in reservations since the storm, but inner-city Auckland hotels were full due to a big conference in town.

She said if people were looking for alternative accommodation they should look further out of the city, but to avoid accommodation near the airport due to it being full with passengers from delayed and cancelled flights.

Tim Alpe, CEO of Jucy Rentals, said its Jucy Snooze facilities in Auckland and Christchurch had both been slammed over the past two evenings.

"We had big surges in Christchurch with flights not being able to get into Auckland as a result of the weather, and also because they were being diverted from Wellington and landing in Christchurch.

"It meant we were sold out and had huge demand. Lots of people were sleeping in the terminals because they couldn't get accommodation but we have a Jucy Snooze right at the airport there.

"We had two really busy nights, and that was the same in Auckland, but we are yet to see what the demand is tonight."

An Auckland woman who spoke with the Herald, but wished to remain anonymous, said her family had tried to find alternative accommodation after returning home and finding there was no power.

"My husband brought our son home from boxing, and my husband had been to the gym, so they were all sweaty and couldn't have a shower.

"My kids also had homework to do but we were in the dark, so we thought what are we going to do?

"We looked online at the booking websites but about 90 per cent of places were booked out, or else it was going to cost us a ridiculous amount, so we just sucked it up and dealt with it."

Other businesses in Auckland that benefited from the storm and ensuing power cuts were restaurants and ready-to-eat meal delivery companies.

Jess Brewer, general manager of Jess' Underground Kitchen, said it bumped up its services to benefit its customers.

"Once we realised that many of our Herne Bay locals had been affected by the storm and the ensuing power outages, we put a message out on Facebook offering our services and to heat meals for those with no power," she said.

"The silver lining of an event like this is the sense of community you feel. Our locals mean everything to us, so it was really nice to be able to give back."