I got high tea during their Christmas season, so the menu had some holiday touches with the food…read more I'll give a review of each dish below for any foodies. Atmosphere and service was good, very attentive and a good view. I also received some Manuka honey as an additional gift. Food review French earl grey tea: Very fragrant, light, and smooth with such a nice aroma. I highly recommend. Cured kingfish in puri: It was alright, not a lot of flavor but I could taste the coconut. Puri was not crisp but slightly chewy and the kingfish had a mild flavor. Prawn toast: One of the best savoury dishes, both buttery and savoury with a delicious touch of sour with the lime pearls that wasn't too overwhelming. Parmesan shortbread: A little dry, the ricotta did not balance the dryness of the toast enough but the pickled onions cut through the grease well. Wagyu sausage roll: Not a hit, the roll was dry and oily. The black garlic purée was nice but I did not like the flavor of the roll as a whole, I tasted a sour undercurrent that was not a good fit. Hoisin smoked chicken sandwich: Nothing spectacular, I could not taste much hoisin flavor and there's was a little too much sesame that it got everywhere as you ate. Christmas ham brioche roll: I was not that wowed, the roll was mediocre and no flavors stood out. The bread reminded me of something I could get at any Asian bakery. Scone: The scone itself was good but the whipped honey butter was too heavy with the dense scone, would have preferred clotted cream or more whip so that it was lighter. Christmas tree: The wafer was too sweet and made the whole dessert overly sweet since the mousse itself was already on the sweet side. Orange almond cupcake: it was alright, not dry and a refreshing fruit flavor. Too much cream though the bee was cute. Mango mousse: Beautiful presentation, mousse was light and I liked the sesame wafer. Cheesecake: My favourite as I liked the shape and the jelly was an interesting addition. Ice cream bon bon: very fun with the smoke Champagne: they offer a non-alcoholic version, which I opted for. Very delicious and bubbly.

Super nautical theme (in a good way) overlooking the water from the Hilton. We had the fish…read moresliders with fries and they were excellent. The staff was also very friendly and accommodating.

FUN FACT: This adorable wine bar used to be the local butchery…read more Now it's owned by a charismatic local who doesn't mind a yarn and if you're lucky will even play you a tune on the piano! Man of many talents. We came here recently for Book Club and sat on their long table outside. It was chilly but they have heaters and wind down awnings so it was bearable. Considering it was only a Tuesday, it was pretty busy. Obviously Grey Lynn locals don't mind a drink and to be honest, I don't blame them. If I had a cool wine bar down the road I'd be doing exactly the same. The wine list here isn't huge but it does features some interesting options, including a number of European reds. We settled on an Italian red that was full bodied and only $9 - absolute steal! They also have a short menu featuring easy to share crowd pleasers. Think sliders, cheese & charcuterie platters and the like. All in all a great spot for an after-work drink tipple - fun & friendly atmosphere without the rowdy drunks.

For whatever reason, this place has chosen to occupy the premises of what was once a local…read moreinstitution, rename themselves and run an entirely different sort of business, but confusingly and inexplicably allow for the previous business' signage to remain stationed above the store front. So it is with Frieda Margolis and their quizzical "West Lynn Organic Meats" sign. Luckily for Frieda, they do a good job, and once you've been there for a drink once, you'll likely want to return. Great selection of craft beers from Wellington and a charming little eats menu. Four stars.

The Hopetoun Alpha is a pretty special venue: just off K Rd, it's a former church that is now a…read morededicated event space. It's been pretty sympathetically renovated from its church-y days, but still has all the best elements of its original architecture: the soaring ceiling, the wood fixtures and the like. If you're looking for a venue, this is a good one, although you should check out their rates on their website as it's understandably a bit more than just hiring the local church hall. Every now and again it's used for gigs, and it's a great place to see bands play; the acoustics are pretty good.

"Ivy Cottage and the Enchanted Garden" is exactly that!…read more This is certainly a remote, isolated location for townies, however local for Northshore folk. Never spent anytime in Greenhithe, it's a 30 min drive from Central city, traffic dependant. On arrival, you need to park on the road outside, past the venue due to yellow lines. When entering, you are lead down a fairy path to a small cottage to meet and greet everyone (including the fairies), before the festivities begin. The children have the option of changing into a fairy costume or pirates outfit, if desired. The fairies then take the children around the enchanted forest, looking at all the magical places. The birthday celebrations take place inside the cottage, that is heavily themed as a grotto or fairies den: beautifully captivating. The storytelling continues with biscuit decorating session in the fairy craft room and the children are given a small drawstring bag of fairy dust to take home. This is the only fairy garden in Auckland, definitely a special place to celebrate birthdays and other noteworthy events! Cute!!

I had a nice stay here, for a business visit to Auckland. Rooms are well laid out, good shower,…read morenice linen and comfortable furnishings. Wi-fi is reliable and the housekeeping is well done. The breakfast offers a good range with fresh and varied items. Service at the restaurant is responsive and friendly. Dinner at the restaurant is pricey though and the quality is patchy, so I would question the value from that point of view. However, the wine list is good and the restaurant service is very nice. Overall I would be happy to come back here, probably just have dinner elsewhere if I was staying a few days. Thank you.

Decided to escape the summer heat in Hawaii for a beautiful winter wonderland in Auckland. We were…read moreonly visiting for a few days. Decided to stay at Grand Millennium because of the price and location. Everything was very easy to walk to and convenient. The staff here was very friendly. I loved how comfortable the bed was. My all-time favorite thing about this hotel was the bathroom. Because it was so cold outside, it felt amazing to come back and soak in a nice hot bath. I did have an issue at the end when checking out. The billing they provided me was incorrect. But after contacting the hotel the bill was corrected.

Getting off the Holland America cruise ship in Auckland I was sooo sick, not sea sick, multiple…read moreupper respiratory infection sick. I hailed a cab which wisked me and my luggage to this lovely location with the nicest front desk staff who worked diligently to get me to a room as quickly as possible. Let me add here I was at the hotel at 9:30 AM and the room availability was 3:00 PM. Yes, I actually planned to check in and leave my luggage to tour the city....best made plans, I didn't plan on getting ill. It did take a couple of hours but I ate a great breakfast, drank several cups of coffee, a liter of sparkling water and tried my best to remain in an upright position in the lounge. The concierge tracked me down and escorted me to my lovely room before noon. I was pleasantly surprised by the furnishings and quality of the hotel, don't get me wrong I don't do cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but I assumed the first available room wouldn't be the one I reserved. Great king bed, soft pillows, huge TV that I never used, desk, bar, refrigerator, hot water pot....bathroom with a huge soaker tub, separate shower, double sink...I was impressed. Then I started reading the room service menu....oh yeah I was thinking I could camp here and never leave. Since everything converted to NZD from USD the prices were cheap by Hawaii standards. The restaurants and room service were top shelf. The staff from concierge to bellman were fantastic. The check-in staff were awesome. This hotel is five star all the way.

If you are ever invited to an event, a wedding or a corporate function at Mantells make sure you…read moreseize that invitation and enjoy one of the best function venues in Auckland. You are welcomed through the heavy, blue-black curtains into a pristine entrance and immaculate white bar. Polished floors and huge geometric spaces dominate the rest of the venue, each sectioned off as needed for your event. We made good use of the outdoor courtyard that backs onto Auckland Harbour (with it's own bar) and the wide divans beneath the marquee. Mantells is made to dazzle your guest, the sharp edges of the venue smoothed by the genuine staff service and warmed in the glow of gas fireplaces.

I went to this venue last night for an industry event and spent the whole night trying to come up…read morewith an excuse to hire it out myself; this place is amazing. From what I've heard it's usually a wedding venue, which kind of lets you know it's pretty swanky. Nestled in between the boat yards in Westhaven, Mantells on the Water is yet another reason to visit the awesomely awesome Wynyard Quarter. Looking out over Waitemata Harbour with the sun setting behind the Harbour Bridge and a drink in hand is not a bad way to spend an evening. There is a real sense of relaxed kiwi vibes combined with super stylish decor. Wooden floors, high ceilings and industrial lighting give off a New York loft feel, combine that with the large outdoor area and you've got a close to perfect venue! Yummy drinks, knowledgeable staff and reeallllyyyy tasty snacks - that's my kinda night!

This stay was a reminder that you don't need over-the-top luxury to get everything right…read more The location is spot-on, just off Queen Street, close enough to walk everywhere but far enough to escape the constant buzz. Sky Tower, great food, shopping, and transport are all within easy reach. The room was immaculate, modern, and incredibly comfortable. The bed deserves special mention, excellent sleep every night. The room was impressively quiet given the central location. Everything felt thoughtfully designed and well maintained. Service really stood out. Staff were consistently friendly, professional, and genuinely helpful, from check-in to checkout. It felt welcoming rather than transactional, which makes a big difference. This hotel excels at the fundamentals: comfort, cleanliness, location, and service. No gimmicks, just a well-run operation that delivers exactly what travelers want. A flawless city stay. Comfortable, calm, and perfectly located. I wouldn't hesitate to stay and again and would confidently recommend it to anyone!

I generally stay at Marriotts when I travel due to the points and status, but generally even the…read morebad ones are a decent place to stay at. I try to find a Marriott that is closer to where I am going (i.e. to a client or convention) or walking distance from things to do (shops, restaurants or general activities.. when I'm on vacation and can do that.. mainly cause I don't want to drive when on vacation). Well this Marriott did not disappoint. Not only was the room great (they did upgrade me due to status, but in the US when they say that you don't really notice a difference). The room was amazing at a high floor as requested on my profile. Couldn't exactly view the skytower from our room (it was at a corner where you had to stick your head to the window to just about see it :)), nevertheless the view was still great. It offers two exits (you can use the second exit/entrance as an entrance after you have your room keycard) great location to walk to the stores, but just away from the stores so it feels a bit more private. 5 to 20 minutes max walking from most places (12-15 minutes to sky tower), employees were very helpful when asked something, a fridge, safe, iron and coffee maker in the room and some parking for those looking for that (I would check with hotel though as it seems limited so you would have to make sure they have spots available when you are going). I would recommend this place and stay there again.