Intercontinental Auckland is now open. Photo / Supplied
The city’s newest hotel, the InterContinental Auckland, has opened its doors. Anna Sarjeant steps inside to see if its sparkling, water-fronting exterior harbours an equally dazzling interior.
InterContinental Auckland opened its doors yesterday, but that didn’t stop eager cruise-goers trying to book a bed days prior, such is the curb appeal of this new high-end hotel on the waterfront.
Even on a bad day, the bronzed facade is dazzling. On a good day, as it is when I visit, blue skies and sunshine cast an almost angel-like halo over the building. Straddling Quay Street, but officially 1 Queen Street, the hotel is a stone’s throw from the Auckland ferry terminals, including those that bring in swathes of cruisers, and yes, they do forgo a pre-paid bed onboard for a one-night change of scenery, which in this case includes cutting-edge hotel design and rooms that absorb every inch of the city’s downtown refurb.
In a King Harbour View room, blackout blinds electrically rise on cue when guests cross the threshold, creating an almost god-like status that I’d personally never tire of. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows lend themselves to idle people watching and ferry viewing. Of course, there are also plush beds dripping in white Egyptian cotton and fixtures that are as modern as they are stylish. A particularly nice touch is the use of local iwi artwork in every room.
That’s level 6. Rooms and suites fall over levels 6-11. Ascend to the 11th floor and you’ll find spacious one-bedroom suites and a higher price tag. Additional floor space and XL en suite bathrooms are an obvious upgrade, whereas other more subtle points of difference include darker timbers used on the lower floors and blonde timber used up here, in 11th heaven. Either way, outside every door, on every landing, you’ll find slick black taps delivering fresh, filtered water. It certainly beats a flimsy plastic bottle in your fridge. As New Zealand’s first 6-green-star hotel, such things are obsolete in the InterContinental Auckland.
This is not a hotel that does things by half. That’s not to say the InterContinental Auckland sees itself as a beacon of exclusivity, to the contrary, staff is keen to communicate that the InterContinental Auckland is an approachable and relaxed venue. From reception, I can see Whitcoulls in Commercial Bay and there are in fact two entries from the downtown mall into the hotel (as well as entry via the main foyer fronting Quay Street), which means you’re more than welcome to purchase your new pencil case and pop into the InterContinental afterwards for a cocktail. Something they’re keen to facilitate at Advieh, the hotel restaurant and bar.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with bar snacks in between, Advieh breaks off the shackles of a traditional hotel restaurant, the ones we tend to think are predominately for guests and more out of convenience than choice. Advieh is in a different league, which is the point. With an open bar and kitchen, tiled dove grey flooring, accents of brass and amber, as well as my personal favourite – brown fur dining chairs – it’s every inch the trendsetter and far from stuffy. All are welcome here.
Partner Chef of Advieh, Gareth Stewart runs us through the Middle Eastern-meets-Mediterranean menu which he also describes as inherently Kiwi. Everything is sourced from New Zealand. Imagine Aotearoa’s finest cuisine and pepper it with culinary techniques from the Middle East and Europe, and you’ll land on Advieh’s tastiest plates. It’s also highly sustainable, with Stewart explaining that the seafood (as just one example) is ordered and then caught, rather than vice-versa. Hero dishes include duck and ribeye, both of which are carved table-side by Stewart himself. That should get myriad patrons through the door: hotel guests, cruise-goers, mall shoppers et al.
I leave as I always do after moseying around brand-new, exquisite hotels. Jealous. Especially of those – the lucky first few – staying overnight for its grand opening. I can see why those cruise-goers came banging on the doors days earlier. I would too if I’d swung into Auckland Harbour, dressed in all its summer glory and seen this beauty shimmering on the horizon.
Bookings for InterContinental Auckland and Advieh Restaurant and Bar are now open.