Inside the S/O Auckland.
A day in Tāmaki Makaurau takes on new scents and flavours when you travel around it like a tourist, writes Bridget Jones.
Once upon a time, a perfumer was mucking around with some samples for a customer. In one, he accidentally added 10 times the number of drops of aldehyde, which smells a little bit like washing powder and soap, than had been used before. But that was the sample the customer chose. It reminded her of her mother, who had worked in a laundromat before dying young.
This industrial-strength love letter is in actual fact the (alleged) origins of Chanel No 5, one of the most recognisable scents in the world.
I didn’t use any aldehyde, which is an organic compound that adds “sparkle” and longevity, in the fragrance I made on a recent Saturday morning at Ponsonby’s Miller Road Fragrance Studio, but perhaps the concoction I cynically named “It’s A Work Thing” is full of nostalgia in other ways. Rose for my mum and grandma, fig for the perfume my husband bought me on our wedding day, lemon and blood orange for dreams of future summers lazing in the Italian countryside.
I don’t make a habit of spending hours focused on what things smell like. In fact, perfume often gives me a headache (I’m a sensitive soul). But today I was trying something different. I was living like a tourist for 24 hours, exploring a different side of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland along the way. It’s a city I have called home for 20 years, but it still manages to prove elusive at times, with secrets uncovered every time I take a minute to look a little deeper.
Helping me, like the white rabbit helping Alice in her own Wonderland, is SO/ Auckland’s Key to the City. Here for a good time, not a long time, when you flash the key (which looks like a hotel swipe card) in certain spots around town, suddenly, it’s like a hidden door is opened. And behind it are deals for cheaper meals, free desserts, and secret menus at several central restaurants. You can jump over to Waiheke Island and the key will unlock winery tasting room specials - and even discounted archery! And if lying down is more your vibe, the likes of Hana, Beauty Refinery and The Facialist are all on board with special deals of their own for the ultimate in relaxation. The package also gives you a complimentary buffet breakfast and valet parking.
For me though, the 24-hour adventure started on Ponsonby Rd, before I even checked into the hotel.
At Miller Road Fragrances, I joined 13 other wannabe perfumers for an intensive, but not intimidating, two-and-a-half-hour, hands-on course where we sniffed and stirred and dripped and dropped and sniffed again, as we were guided through the art of fragrance making. The staff are helpful - and patient - as we compared notes with those sitting around us, huffing on our pottles of fresh coffee beans to clear our palates in between more than 40 different oils.
I now know the difference between base and heart notes. I know I really like the scent of citrus, but woody oak is not for me. And I know the chef sitting across from me wanted to create a smell good enough to eat, while the young man at the end of the table was there to dupe Tom Ford’s fragrance range. Walking out with a 30ml bottle of my own creation was a wonderful reminder of the power of trying something new.
What wasn’t new checking into SO/ later that afternoon. It’s not my first visit, and hopefully not my last, but walking in, I was reminded of the style this hotel oozes, with its dark, moody interiors and love of luxe shiny things.
This stay, I was treated to one of the hotel’s Collection Rooms, tucked away from the city below, without compromising on the city views. Walking in, the first thing that caught my attention was the simply ginormous bathtub. The second was the king-sized bed that I knew I was going to get all to myself for the night. Sheer bliss for someone who usually has to wrestle the duvet off a husband and a golden retriever, both of whom have little concern for personal space.
I could have called the adventure complete then and there, to be honest, but the previously mentioned husband was joining me for dinner at Harbour Society, SO/’s 15th floor restaurant, for a mini date night. Like a couple who have more to talk about than whether the dog needs a walk and did you ring your mother for her birthday, we cosied up at a table overlooking the stunning Waitematā Harbour and worked through the seasonal menu - salmon and duck for him, venison and a vegetarian ravioli for me, quickly forgetting we were a 10 minute drive from our own dining table at home.
I never lost sight of my short elevator ride to a good night’s sleep though. Which is exactly where I headed when I waved him off into the night for a movie and a hot chocolate.
Waking up bright and early, perfectly rested, the morning sun called to me before that complimentary breakfast buffet did. SO/’s location means the Auckland waterfront is never far away, and I can confirm wandering around Britomart and Shed 10 before the rest of the city wakes up is a surprisingly peaceful experience and the perfect reminder to stop and explore my own backyard more often. Because you never know what you will find.
SO/ Auckland’s Key to the City package runs until October 31. Collection rooms start from $329. Visit so-hotels.com for details.
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of SO/ Auckland.