waterfront view of Hilton Auckland from the hotel’s website
After our Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne, we only had one night in Auckland, and wanted to take advantage of some hotel points redemptions, since for many of our stays in New Zealand, we wouldn’t be able to do so. We booked one night at the Hilton Auckland. It was a category 7, so it cost a steep 50,000 points for one night in a standard room.
Upon check in, we were upgraded to a nice view room. Not bad for Hilton Gold status. Our first impression was that this was a beautiful modern hotel in a nice location right on the water, with easy access to central Auckland.
The lobby of the Hilton Auckland
Once we got to our room, and saw the large balcony, and the view was good, but certainly not what we were expecting…
A cruise ship preparing for departure
Within a few minutes the ship was on its way, and our view was much improved.
Back towards the city….
and out towards the harbor.
Deluxe Harbour View King Room
The room itself was lovely, spacious with lots of natural light. I was quite pleased with this upgrade considering being only a Hilton Gold, and this booking with HHonors points. Plus we got some sweets as an in-room amenity, plus a free drink in the lobby bar and free breakfast buffet.
Deluxe Harbour View King room
in room amenity
The bed was very comfortable, and we had a 90 degree view of the harbor.
The bathroom was spacious with separate bath and shower. In the room are Hilton’s standard Crabtree and Evelyn bath products.
Walking around Auckland
After we dropped our bags, we headed off to explore the city. The Hilton is on Prince’s Wharf, and its easy walking distance to the central business district. We had a beer in the lobby (couldn’t turn down free), then went walking. We were there in November, and there was still lots of evidence of recent excitement from the recent Rugby World Cup Final held in Auckland a few weeks prior to our visit.
Auckland Sky Tower
There are a bunch of restaurants and pubs within a few minutes of the hotel. We eventually settled on a place in Viaduct Harbour, which was actually 5 minutes or so from the Hilton. As with most places we experienced, the food was fresh, tasty, and there was great wine available.
ha! A little down under humor humour.
The Hilton had an excellent breakfast buffet, with a wide array of fresh juices, fruits, and both hot and cold items. The staff in the restaurant and really all over the property were excellent. Prior to breakfast I went for a nice run primarily along Quay Street, next to the harbor as suggested by the concierge. This hotel is one of the more expensive hotels in Auckland, but its hard to beat the location. I was very happy with the benefits we received, and would recommend it, particularly if one is looking to use Hilton points for a booking.
Unfortunately, our time in Auckland was short, as we only stayed one night then had to get on the road headed southbound to our next destination, away from the big city, and some more natural sights in and around Taupo and our stay at the Hilton Lake Taupo.
