There are cities that you enjoy and think to yourself, “I’ll come back again soon.” And it doesn’t happen until one day it does. I was very excited to once again be returning to Auckland, New Zealand. From previous visits to New Zealand, when it comes to cities that offer what I enjoy, Auckland had ranked HIGH on my list. I was curious to see if she’d still be a top-of-the-list destination for me. The parks and the many districts are fun to explore. Plenty of natural beauty to enjoy. And yes, the people too! And let’s not forget the great food options 🙂 I don’t get to New Zealand often. Yet each time I visit I do get to know the country and her cities better. In the past I found that Auckland matched me well!
Relaxing marina view from suite
For my most recent visit I was so looking forward to experiencing another Park Hyatt property. I’m no stranger to Park Hyatt hotels, having already stayed at over a dozen of them. I do like to sample different Park Hyatt hotels when I travel, as well as different areas of the city, so this idea worked well for me. I had not stayed at the Park Hyatt Auckland before because it was a fairly new property and had not yet opened the last time I was in Auckland.
View of the hotel from the harbour
How I Paid and My Room Assignment at the Park Hyatt Auckland
Don’t think for a minute that I’ll go easy on the Park Hyatt Auckland as I pen this hotel and hotel room review. I may be a Hyatt fan girl, but that often means I hold Hyatt properties to a higher standard. Maybe even more so for a luxury property such as a Park Hyatt. After all, first impressions matter and if you’ve not yet stayed here I want you to have the best and most informed impression possible.
I’m not writing to promote Hyatt. I’m writing to inform readers!
Specifics About The Hotel And Some Park Hyatt Auckland Backstory
The building was designed to give a nod to the history of the Wynyard Quarter. The design also includes artwork of the local culture as well as significant historical events. You can see this in the Marae painting in Park Hyatt lobby representing Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi.
** The central core of the building is in a cylindrical shape to resemble Silos.
** Building design and color themes bring in an industrial feel.
** Big red door (Pantry) is the original door left from the New Zealand team’s America’s Cup base.
Lobby of Park Hyatt Auckland as seen from above
Overview of lobby space at Park Hyatt Auckland
If you want to know more, here are two links that will provide the most accurate backstory information: History of Silo Park and about the Wynyard Quarter.
Artwork in lobby at Park Hyatt Auckland
Front desk area at Park Hyatt Auckland
I was told that Globalists like this property as a choice for Auckland stays, and as you read more about the hotel and the amenities, you’ll see why.
At any given time 80% of guests are Hyatt members. Usually 30% are Globalists in the high season, and mostly Americans.
There are 195 rooms, 23 of which are suites. Three of those 23 are specialty suites. Every hotel wishes they had more suites.
Though the Park Hyatt Auckland is the only Hyatt property in New Zealand, clearly the hotel is a favored choice among luxury hotel fans.
Typical guests stay on average 3 nights during high season and 2 nights the rest of the year.
In case you’re wondering which months are the busiest and which months might be more off season, here’s your answer. Remembering that New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, flip the seasons if you come from the northern hemisphere and then summer months in the southern hemisphere would be considered high season.
The Park Hyatt Auckland has been open for five years. There have not been refurbishments yet. However, the mini-bar marble tops have been replaced. The floors have been replaced (wood does take a beating) and deep cleaning and ongoing maintenance are done on a regular basis.
I felt the rooms were starting to show their age, and clearly hotel management is aware of this and is on top of what needs replacing and upgrading. Tables and beds are next on the replacement list!
My recent stay at the Park Hyatt Auckland was for six nights. I could have used a World of Hyatt free night award or booked nights with Hyatt points. The all cash rate for a standard room was well over $300-400 a night. I decided to use points for my stay.
Remember, if you’re paying cash for a hotel stay, let Pruvo monitor your rate for price drops!
The Park Hyatt Auckland is a World of Hyatt Category 6 property, meaning free nights start at 25,000 Hyatt points per night. Off-peak is 21,000 points a night and high season is 29,000 points a night.
My Check-In Experience
Checking in to the hotel went smoothly. Check-in is at 3pm. I arrived late in the evening so knew I’d not have to wait. Even when I have to wait I often enjoy sitting in the lobby and people watching. When I arrived I was happy to hear I had been upgraded to a Harbour Suite. It’s a property that doesn’t hold back Globalist upgrades if they are available!
Pro Tip: Do you Pruvo all your hotels stays? If not, do what I do and let Pruvo monitor your reservations for price drops. It’s free and it’s the easiest way to save money on all your hotel rooms.
Using my Hotel Room Scorecard I broke down the individual elements of my Park Hyatt Auckland room which scored a 34.5 of 40 points.
Location (5/5)
I asked many people I know who favor this Park Hyatt why they chose it. Besides the hotel being the only Hyatt option, again and again I heard LOCATION location location!
People love the area near the hotel because it is close to the water, close to restaurants, and close enough to both the ferry buildings and Queen Street. Queen Street is where the action is in Auckland.
The hotel area is quiet and yet only a short walk away from the touristy areas. It feels like you’re by nature and yet close enough to any location in Auckland you’d want to visit. For me this is a huge plus.
Auckland is a great city for walking whether in the parks or by the waterfront!
Lighting (5/5)
The lighting in the suite was excellent. Each room had its own light switches so lighting was very easy to customize to my needs. Because I had a corner suite, I enjoyed all the natural light. What a treat, especially because it didn’t get dark until 8:30 or so in the evening. All the rooms were very well lit, which is often not the case. In many hotel rooms I find myself asking if the staff can bring in extra lamps.
As mentioned, the suite did have natural lighting, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout.
Why is lighting so important? Yes, I recognize that the average guest stays maybe two nights, but there are guests who work or just want to sit on the couch and read with proper lighting. Note to hotels: please make the lights in the living room areas adjustable and bright!
Window Access (5/5)
Having floor to ceiling windows in both the bedroom and suite living room area made a big difference. Natural lighting in a hotel room makes for a whole different experience. And much to my delight, both the bedroom and the living room had sliding glass doors that opened to a patio. Give me great lighting and open window access and I’m a happy happy guest. It’s really quite rare!
I didn’t like or understand the window treatments at all in the Park Hyatt Auckland rooms. The curtains were very drab. They were a heavy brown/grey material that opened side to side.
What I often see in hotels, and very much prefer, are two levels of window shades, one for sun/privacy and one for black-out darkness. They are usually easy to use with the controls for the shades and they go up and down, not side to side.
When I think of hotels with floor to ceiling windows that do curtains well I think of the Hyatt Centric Madrid, the Park Hyatt Busan, and the Grand Hyatt Seoul.
The only up and down electronic window treatments were in the Park Hyatt Auckland suite bathroom, and who wants to open up bathroom curtains 🙂
Bed Comfort (4/5)
The bed was comfortable for me. Firm, but not as hard as some beds at other hotel properties I’ve stayed at. And I never prefer overly soft beds.
The pillows worked well and there were already different pillow types on the bed, so I was able to choose which worked best for me. Too often all the pillows are the same, but not in this case.
Bathroom (4/5)
I’ll say right up front that this was a great spacious bathroom design and layout. Maybe even too spacious, but that’s the nature of luxury hotel bathrooms, right?
Huge bathroom with separate shower and tub.
Well-appointed bathroom and dual sinks always a plus!
Two sinks is always a plus. The bathroom had a shower, a tub, and a separate room outside the bathroom for the toilet. The shower had both an overhead shower and a wall-mounted one. If like me you’re not a fan of overhead showers, this dual option system is a plus.
Very spacious design for the suite bathroom. Good lighting too!
Always prefer a shower with both an overhead and hand-held off the wall shower.
One odd thing was that unless I missed it, there was no dimmer light in the toilet room that was activated when you entered. That’s usually a good safety idea.
There was more than ample counter space in the bathroom for any sundries you might have brought along. There were also a few drawers where extra bathroom supplies were stashed.
Wide angle view of the tub and shower areas.
One of my pet peeves in newer hotel shower stalls is that there is no place to put your sundries other than on the floor. Having a ledge for sundries is a simple thing that those of us who are now (or always did) bringing their own sundries when they travel might really appreciate. In this case there was a shelf behind the shower head. Spacious, indeed!
There was no double lighting in the bathroom so you could not dim or brighten the lighting. There were only two levels of bathroom light: one full on for the best lighting and one just for the vanity area. If only the vanity lighting was on, the shower was dark. Maybe an overhead light near or in the shower would have been a good idea.
Interior Appointments and Furnishings (3.5/5)
My Harbour View Suite matched the one you’ll see online, both in design and layout. That’s a good thing because too often guests’ expectations are set by photos they see on hotel websites. And when the photos don’t match the reality it makes sense that guests take issue.
I felt the suite design, with what was essentially a living/dining room, bedroom, bathroom, dressing area, toilet room, and a long hall entry way didn’t work so well. It was a square, and while I appreciated the large amount of space, the suite had no flow to its layout.
This cove area proved to be a great work space as well as dining area.
The suite color choices (the dark grey curtains, the browns for the carpet, the brown fabric walls) and the wood throughout made the suite design seem heavy. Except for a dark blue and red painting behind the front door, which I didn’t care for at all, there was no artwork at all.
Artwork in entryway of suite
The living area couch and leather chair were comfortable. Not sure why there were no throw pillows for the couch. That always adds a nice homey touch.
The living room had a large round table. I asked to have the table removed so that I could have the rug space for exercising. That was no issue for the hotel team at all. In fact, I was told that guests often ask to have furniture removed. I had no idea.
And yes, I’ll admit to making these types of requests at other hotels as well. I always think my furniture removal requests are odd, but thanks to the Park Hyatt Auckland team, not any more 🙂
Comfortable living room couch and comfy leather chair in the Park Hyatt Auckland suite
The table, work bench area, and leather table chair were great! Perfect ergonomics for me so I was able to work comfortably. That’s rare, and I’m usually asking for a proper desk chair for hotel rooms.
The Park Hyatt Auckland guest experience team had definitely looked into my Hyatt profile to see the items I often request when at Hyatt properties. I appreciated this and was pleased to see a Yoga mat waiting for me!
There was a large walk-in closet to the right of the suite entry way.
Suite luggage and dressing area was spacious.
The entry way was missing a surface for storing keys and day packs so I moved a small table from the bathroom to this spot and it worked well. I guess I do customize a hotel room to match my needs, but I hope not too much for housekeeping to handle upon my departure!
I really prefer a carpet and wood flooring combo for hotel rooms. This suite’s combo worked well.
The suite used pocket doors to close off rooms and also had lots of mirrors.
The coffee/tea/snack area was along the wall opposite the table and chairs. It was adequate and provided enough space with a few drawers below.
Coffee counter was big enough for snacks and whatever else in the way of food goodies I had on hand.
Nespresso machine with a generous variety of pods on offer
The peep hole on the entrance door is placed just right for the average height of women. That’s rare. This has long been a pet peeve of mine. Do only men check who’s knocking or ringing the bell? I think not. Easier for a guy to bend down than a woman to grow a few inches to see who’s at the door 🙂
There was a outdoor patio! It was quite large and an amazing addition to the suite.
The screens and patio windows were creatively designed and easy to slide open and close for air and for privacy.
However, the two chairs on the deck were awful. No joke, I challenge the hotel design team to sit in these chairs and be comfortable. Very unfortunate because I would have enjoyed spending some relaxing downtime on the patio watching the sunset or the harbour boats coming and going.
Such uncomfortable seating on patio!
In summing up the suite, I’d say it was wasn’t my design taste BUT it functioned super well for my needs. What a pleasure to enjoy all the space, the fresh air, and the views. It felt more like an apartment than a hotel suite.
Electronics (4/5)
Plugs and outlets were adequate. Not great but adequate. The living room could have used another outlet or two. I did need to use an adapter. I didn’t see one provided in the room for guest use, though. I asked the hotel for one and they provided two. Nice gesture!
Amenities (4/5)
The hotel does send welcome amenities to Hyatt Globalists. But they are not customized to the guests. This was disappointing.
There was mandarin fruit waiting for me. This I enjoyed. Fruit as a welcome gift is my favorite. However, there was also a local style of onion dip and chips, which I didn’t eat. I felt bad wasting the food.
Sweet to receive chocolate as a welcome gift!
Mandarins were sweet and juicy, but I’m not an onion dip and chips girl.
I learned something interesting that maybe other properties do as well but I’ve never heard of this before. The Park Hyatt Auckland has set amenity items for Globalists depending on the day of the week. So I was on onion dip and chips day of the week.
I spoke with the Director of Rooms about this. The hotels I frequent know my tastes for welcome amenities. If I’m a new guest, especially to a higher end Park Hyatt property, I’ll often receive an email from the guest experience team asking about amenity choices and what I prefer.
I’ve had wonderful welcome amenities from many properties and even some I use quite often. As an example, the Andaz in Seoul gifted me a swim cap with ANDAZ written on it in bright colors. I love it!
After talking with the Director of Rooms, she did agree that the hotel could do better in creating connection with Globalist guests through their approach to providing welcome amenities.
YES on providing a Yoga mat!
I’ve started requesting Yoga mats when I stay in hotels. If you’ve ever taken a close look at the “need anything extra” card presented in your hotel room, you’ll notice Yoga mat is often listed. I’m starting to notice, though, how few hotels actually have mats.
As requested, Yoga mat waiting for me upon arrival.
The property provides water, and it was super generous whenever I requested more. It was also generous with whatever supplies you needed. That always leaves a positive impression on a guest.
When writing hotel reviews I often review the minibar and available snacks. The minibar and coffee area was well-equipped with a kettle and Nespresso style coffee maker. I also enjoyed the brand of tea bags the hotel provided. I’d not heard of them before. There was a mini bar fridge underneath the mini bar, which when cleared of some bottles provided plenty of space.
Breakfast Options
For breakfast there is Onemata, a restaurant on the lobby level. Everything about Onemata, from the service to the offerings, was spot on. My favorite type of breakfast setting is when a hotel restaurant offers both a menu and a buffet. I find that when a property only offers buffet style for breakfast, well how can I put this, the buffet turns into a mess. Guests create the mess and staff can’t possibly keep up with the cleaning or restocking of food items.
The space that Onemata occupies is lovely and spacious. You can sit inside or outside enjoying the harbour view and people watching. Even when seated inside, Onemata keeps the doors open so it feels like an indoor-outdoor space. Perfect way to start the day!
If you do not have access to the breakfast with your Hyatt status, the fee is 60 New Zealand Dollars per person. That’s about $34 USD. A great deal for sure!
What was on offer?
On the buffet side there was an assortment of both whole fruit and cut fruit. I very much prefer whole fruit over assorted fruit cups prepared by a hotel. There were local yogurt and dairy drinks, different types of cereal with homemade granola, plenty of pastries to choose from, and toppings for your bread or crumpet.
There were hard boiled eggs as well. This is rare to find at hotel buffets but much appreciated.
On the menu there were offerings in both the small plates and hot cooked breakfast categories. Multiple egg dishes, some Asian offerings such as bimbimbap, salads, creative beverage choices such as tumeric lattes, fruit and cheese plates, and more than enough options to satisfy whatever you enjoy for breakfast.
I sampled quite a few of the items and when I asked for something to be customized, such as a smoked salmon omelet, or a large green salad (yes, salad for breakfast for me is green heaven) the staff was more than happy to serve up whatever I requested. Breakfast was excellent and now I’m hooked on those tumeric lattes 🙂
What Guests At The Park Hyatt Auckland Complain About?
When I review a hotel I always wonder what complaints hotel guests have, so I ask the hotel team. This hotel’s chief complaint is one I’ve come across a few times before.
Even though the hotel is not very old there is always wear and tear of the rooms. As time goes on management becomes aware of this and starts the refreshing and refurbishment process. I saw some wear and tear issues, but to me, as long as management knows about this and is proactively working towards keeping the rooms and hotel in shape and resolving the issues, it is not something I’d complain about.
The Park Hyatt Auckland team definitely appreciates guest feedback and draws its refurbishment plans accordingly.
I did take the time to see multiple rooms of varying categories. The rooms, even the standard ones, are SPACIOUS. The design is the same as the suite with the suite living room missing. Yes, even the standard rooms have the table and bench configuration, the large bathroom and dressing area and mini bar area. Some of the standard rooms have balconies too!
Entry way view into suite living areas
As hotel rooms go, even at luxury hotels, I would not have been at all disappointed if I didn’t have an upgraded room. It’s one of the few properties I’ve seen where the size of the standard rooms would not be an issue at all.
Fitness and Spa Facilities At The Park Hyatt Auckland
For me this was a wonderfully surprising benefit. It added tremendously to how much I enjoyed my stay. For some reason people who love this hotel always focus on how much I’d love the suites or the location but forget to mention the spa and pool.
The gym is well equipped, the pool is 25 meters. The pool capacity isn’t large, but I never saw anyone else using the pool. I swam a few times though.
Lovely swim environment because the pool is outdoors yet covered over. It is also a salt water pool. What a treat!
The women’s locker room was well equipped.
There was a full spa with hot and cold plunges, jacuzzi, steam and sauna.
PLEASE take note that even though it is NOT marked (and I brought this to the attention of hotel management), the SPA facilities are co-ed with both men and women using the same spa and hydrotherapy areas.
Is it fair to wish for these kinds of amenities at more hotels? If you’re someone who will use the spa, pool, and gym, you will NOT be disappointed!
Hotel Service at the Park Hyatt Auckland
You can tell I was mostly thrilled with the hotel room and though the design and layout were a bit awkward, the suite worked very well for my stay. I was also pleased with the service! Very pleased. This really does tie into my being impressed with the hotel.
I hadn’t met too many people who had stayed at the Park Hyatt Auckland. It’s relatively new on the Park Hyatt scene and let’s face it, New Zealand, and Auckland, isn’t super easy to get to or an overly popular destination.
However, when people talk about this Park Hyatt property they get this gleam in their eyes that told me maybe I needed to rethink my New Zealand hotel choices. I’m so glad I did. In fact, this stay has me thinking maybe I need to give more Park Hyatt properties a try. I’ve stayed at over a dozen so far and there are quite a few on my visit list!
The Park Hyatt properties are all so different, but as with many I’ve experienced, the Park Hyatt Auckland sets a very high bar.
Housekeeping was always quick to deliver whatever I requested. If you’ve been traveling much these past few years you might have realized how short-staffed many hotels are. I did not find that to be the case at the Park Hyatt Auckland at all.
The front desk and concierge team is tops. The team in the restaurant is top notch as well. Quite a few of them have been at the hotel since it opened. Their level of dedication, professionalism, and pure fun in helping guests make the most of their hotel stay shows in so many ways. I had such a great time getting to know the team. I missed them the moment I left the hotel 🙂
There was never anything I asked for from housekeeping, the front desk and concierge team, the hotel management team, or the restaurant team where the staff didn’t happily oblige. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendly, warm and very helpful environment.
Final Thoughts On The Park Hyatt Auckland
The Park Hyatt Auckland is an unusual and wonderful hotel, and it’s the only Hyatt property in New Zealand. The hotel decor, the rooms, many with balconies, the views and amazing location on the harbour, the spa, gym, and pool area—it’s amazing to think they build hotels like this from scratch. Especially when they are not huge properties in scope.
Sadly, the level of service offered at the hotel seems to be something you don’t often find at hotels anymore. That made me appreciate it even more.
It is an expensive property, whether paying cash or using points. It is the most expensive hotel in the city and for sure a luxury property. Most hotels in Auckland are 3 and 4 star so there really is no competition.
You’ll have to think as to whether it is a great value on points or when paying cash. I think it’s well worth the value, especially on points. And of course if you’re a Hyatt fan the choice is an easy one.
What this property offers and the service were both excellent. No doubt having the spa and pool available to me made a huge difference. If you’ll enjoy the area and the surrounding nature of the waterfront and harbour, the location can’t be matched.
It is a modern hotel with a certain vibe. You’d be hard pressed to find anything the hotel doesn’t do well. If what I’ve mentioned in this review suits you, you’ll enjoy the property. If you’re a fan of Park Hyatt properties, which I am, this one ranks up there.
Every Hyatt hotel is different, every staff is different, and every guest is different, right? Some properties are bound to work better than others for what you’re looking for.
Would I stay here again?
Absolutely! Putting together this review was fun because it brought back memories of a very special and thoroughly enjoyable hotel stay in a city and country that is easy to enjoy.
I think of the Park Hyatt Auckland as a hotel for people who enjoy mixing their hotel stay with a great, though less central, location. If you enjoy spending time in a more local area of Auckland rather than in a super touristy area, this property is for you. That certainly includes me and if it includes you, by all means gather up your travel gear and give this hotel a try and see what you think for yourself.
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