Review is for the 'Q' portion of the CQ Hotel…read more Pros: I ordered a Queen suite that was extremely spacious with kitchenette and sofa. The Wi-Fi internet connection held true and was faster than what I'm accustomed to in hotels. TV had some good American shows after 5pm. You get all the basic amenities including A/C, mini fridge, closet with hangars, etc. Room is fairly quiet. The hotel has a great coffee shop and cafe in the lobby. You can add them to your room service if you like. Check in and check out were simple processes. I had no unexpected or hidden charges. The staff has a direct line to the cab company that will take you to the airport. Cons: The room gets HOT during the day even in the Spring. I left my A/C on full blast while I was at work and would still come back to it being pretty unbearable. Temperature would normalize around 6ish, I'm betting it gets unbearable in the summer though. Breakfast was not included with the suite. Basic things like eggs, bacon, and toast were $20 NZD and just not worth it. I didn't try any food at the cafe or hotel because there's too many options just outside on Cuba street with higher quality and better prices.

Just come for the coffee and pastry deal after doing my market shopping so can't comment on…read moreaccommodation.

After spending the day before in the rugged high-country landscape and mountainous scenery of the…read moreHakatere Conservation Park, we sailed to New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, also known as "the coolest little capital." So, we asked what makes this city "cool?" And we set out on a 15-minute shuttle bus ride from the Port of Wellington (Aotea Quay) into the CBD, where we noticed the architectural mix of Victorian structures and adventurous modern designs, beautiful and colorful murals with British historical and Maori influences, high-end international and local designer stores mixed in between fast-food cafes such as McDonald's and shawarma cafes. Before getting off the shuttle bus, our guide mentioned the historic yet updated Wellington Cable Car as a popular attraction and pointed out its tucked-away lower station off Lambton Quay, a shopping street. He cautioned that many residents and University students use it, so we might have to "squeeze in" during peak hours, but assured us that during the ride up, we'd be treated to a cool light show similar to 70s disco flashes. At the top of the hill or Kelburn Lookout, there would be a panoramic view of Wellington CBD, a cute museum and cafe, public washrooms, and a free shuttle to Zealandia Bird Sanctuary, Victoria University, and the suburb of Kelburn. As it turned out, after hearing from our shuttle bus guide, four other fellow passengers and their spouses decided to follow us by browsing on Lambton Quay, riding the Cable Car, and going to the Wellington Botanic Garden. I suddenly felt "stressed" because these eight others put their faith into our navigational skills, even though we told them this was our first time in Wellington. We each purchased a single or one-way ticket ($6.50 NZD), waited a few minutes for the funicular railway car to pull into the lower station, and boarded. Along the short, under 8-minute (we stopped at 3 stations along the way) journey, the "cool experience" traveled through 3 tunnels of blinking colored lights, made stops at 3 intermediate stations along the railway, where most of us either craned our necks or contorted our bodies to catch the picturesque views along the way. After exiting the cable car, I rushed over to the lookout area by the cafe took a photo while the others looked for the restrooms. I told them to meet in the museum then we'd regroup then look for the botanic garden. Meanwhile, I asked the store cashier for a map of the city, and she obliged with a free one, even pointing out access to the Wellington Botanical Garden across the street. I breathed a sigh of relief as I regrouped with my husband and the rest of the gang to "lead the way" to the Wellington Botanic Gardens and more. Riding this cable car was a short, scenic, and fun experience which I'd love to return to.

The Wellington Cable Car is both public transportation and super fun tourist attraction in the…read moreheart of Wellington CBD. You can get the low end right in downtown; it has a handful of stops up the mountain which crosses highways and allows you to avoid a plethora of stairs. It runs constantly so you're never waiting more than a few minutes. The upper end is at the top; you'll find botanical gardens, a cafe/restaurant, the free Cable Car Museum, and free shuttle to Zealandia Eco Sanctuary; all these things are must-visits if you love birds and flowers. Tickets are reasonable, and they have student and monthly passes if you live in town. You can buy one-ways or round-trips depending; if you plan on the Botanical Gardens you only need a one-way as it's all downhill back into the city. At the top station there's also a small display from Weta Workshop, which is a fun addition. It's also a great photo location with panoramic views of the city and bay below. This is a must-visit spot in Wellington.

Great location! It is located between two major streets: Terrace and Lambton Quay…read more Walkable to all the attractions, such as cable car up to Wellington Botanic Garden, Beehive, Parliament Building, Old St. Paul's Church, Te papa Museum and many nice shops, grocer, restaurants and cafes. The breakfast at their 3rd floor Sterling was pretty good; loved their smoked salmon on bagel! The only gripe I had was that the shower hot water was not reliable. I had no idea what caused this "extremely slow coming"?! All in all, I do recommend this place.

We were staying in Wellington overnight so we could visit the Museum and enjoy the waterfront. The…read morehotel looks like new. We requested a king room with extra room and a good air conditioner. We were given a nice room on the 13th floor. It was large with a nice kitchen. It had a great shower and a nice view of the downtown area. The hotel is in a good location with many shops and restaurants. We were very pleased with everything about the room. We stayed in Mar 2017.

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan (or just a movie nerd in general), the Wētā Studio Tour is a…read moremust-do in Wellington. Walking through the workshop where so many iconic props, costumes, and creatures came to life was seriously cool--it felt like stepping behind the curtain of Middle-earth. What surprised me most was just how many films Wētā has worked on beyond LOTR--blockbusters, indie films, you name it. Their fingerprints are everywhere in the film world, and you don't even realize it until you're surrounded by all the displays. The best part? You can tell the people who work there love what they do. Everyone we met was excited to talk about their craft, and their passion was infectious. It made the whole experience feel less like a tour and more like a peek into a community of insanely talented (and genuinely happy) creatives. Highly recommend carving out time for this if you're in Wellington--you'll come out with a deeper appreciation for all the magic that goes into movie-making.

I ordered a Labyrinth figure in 2022 for $60 and placed it on shelf. It was the only item on the…read moreshelf, and the shelf was securely mounted to the wall. No pets or children reside in the house. The figure ('Sarah + worm') fell off the shelf overnight and the worm's head fell off. I emailed Weta to let them know, someone named Tessa said she's look into it and get back to me. I even sent pictures. A production manager was supposed to see what they could do for me. When I emailed again for an update, they said 'Sorry, this ticket is closed, we can't do a thing for you.' Then then refused to replace it or refund me. Worst quality products ever

We took the KiwiRail Northern Explorer route from Auckland to Wellington. I definitely recommend…read morethis mode of transportation if you're a nature lover or train enthusiast, and you are making this route! While it's a long ride (about 11 hours), it was actually one of my favorite things we did while on New Zealand's North Island. The open air viewing car offers wonderful views of mountains, canyons, rivers, coastlines, and forests that you might not see if you are just flying over. As I said, this is basically a full day's train ride so you will see a lot, but you will also eat and drink a lot! The food in the dining car was actually not bad for being train food, and the coffee was delicious from the cafe. There are also a few alcoholic beverages available for purchase in the dining car too. The seats were comfortable and the windows at each seat were VERY large, offering great views along the way. It is definitely a long ride, so if you can handle being on the train that long (with beautiful scenery passing you by!) then I would highly recommend this journey!

We used Kiwi Rail to travel from Christchurch to Picton. Paid over 600 New Zealand dollars for a…read moreride for 2 adults and 2 kids (standard tickets, not even Business class). There is only 1 train going to Picton and one train to go back to Christchurch. The departure time is at 7am from Christchurch, but you have to check in 40 minutes prior. Not the best option when you travel with kids. Bus is much less expensive, but I chose train because we had to connect to a ferry... My travel did not go as planed. The train was supposed to arrive 1 hour prior to the ferry check in deadline. It arrived almost 1 hour after the deadline... About 2 hours after the schedule. The worst is the attitude of the train employees. They were simply laughing to my face when I expressed my concerns regarding missing the ferry. Supposedly the train was late due to signal problems. But there is only 1 train going, it could not collide with another train! As they say, you get what you pay for. It was quite the opposite in my case. In the USA, I do not pay that much for a few hours of traveling on a train. This train is called Scenic, but I was not really impressed with the views. If you ever been to Arizona, the views are similar and prices are less. The main point here is Kiwi Rail sells train and ferry combo, but they do not take any responsibility when the train is late due to their own issues.

I did a LOT of riding the Metlink, Wellington's bus network. As the capital city and since it is…read morequite spread out, there are over 100 bus lines, the funicular, some ferries and even a few suburban trains. Some of the buses are diesel and some are electric, most of the buses have bike racks on front. It is the most used public transportation system in the country. As well, the city's hilly network makes a public transport system quite the lifesaver. Metlink converted from paper tickets to a tap in / tap out debit card system though it is still possible to purchase fares from the driver with cash. The card system is called "Snapper" and the cards can be loaded online (if you have an online account) or from kiosks around the city. When you "tap in" the cost for your fare is displayed and how much credit you have remaining. Easy to use and relatively inexpensive. I found the bus frequency to be plenty often - I never waited more than ten minutes. And it was pretty awesome to have up-to-date information displayed on the screen at the bus stop. [Review 494 of 2024 - 143 in New Zealand - 21526 overall]

there is something magical about a 3 PM check in and don't try it at 2:55. That is unless you have…read moreone of the most expensive rooms in the hotel because regular customers -- people have to wait until the clock strikes exactly 3. The people stuttering at the desk trying to explain why my room wasn't ready but would be at exactly 3 PM. Hate mid level hotels that try to be oh so much more then kind, clean and helpful. I would never stay here again ...... especially in a city with lots of other choices.

This hotel is starting to look tired and dated. The room was clean and spacious. But the decor is…read morenot as modern as other hotels. The frosted glass of the bathroom that looks into the bed area was weird. The bed was comfortable and big. The kitchenette has a frig and microwave, as well as an electric stovetop. Parking is very limited. I had to park my vehicle at the street. It was cheaper since it was a friday and the staff said it's free on weekends. I'm not sure how safe it is though, so better take out all the valuables.

This is the cruise ship port for Wellington. It is an industrial/commercial port. Shuttle buses…read morewere provided that took us to two different spots in downtown Wellington. The first stop was near the cable car and Wellington Museum while the second stop was a 10 minute walk away near Papa Tongarewa. Shuttles arrived every 10 minutes. Volunteers with maps answered questions and provided directions once we got off our shuttle.