smeags_nz

I wouldn't consider the Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour or Sofitel Queenstown crappy. Or Pullman Auckland either for that matter. Although some of their Mercures and Novotels are pretty average.

sbiddle

Mercure Auckland is NZ's worst hotel. I actually got a refund there last year after staying there.

Ibis Styles in Auckland is terrible not worth the money even if you get it for $69 per night - you'd better off staying at a backpackers for 1/2 the price. The Pullman in AKL was very average with hopeless customer service. The last time I was there the buffet breakfast had run out of 1/2 the food halfway through the service and the response of "we'll give it to you 1/2 price next time" isn't much use when there won't be a next time. Crazy to think they happily accepted that response at a high end hotel and let me walk away unhappy.

I haven't stayed at either Sofitel so can't comment on those, but it's safe to say that my view of the Accor standards in NZ is very low. Most of the hotels are owned by the same owner(s) and there seems to be very little enforcement of Accor standards.

DomesticGoddess

Sofitel Auckland is excellent; I just wish they had an executive lounge.

sbiddle

I tend to stay at the Crowne Plaza in Auckland, tend to always get an upgrade to the executive floor with my IHG status which is great.

DomesticGoddess

Have stayed there twice (as IHG Platinum) and have never received any recognition other than a wifi code and the offer of a morning newspaper.

Is there a lounge on the exec floor? Edit: have just found that there is.

oranjemakker

The standard of hotels generally in NZ is in my opinion very average globally. Service especially.

Five star in NZ would be four star anywhere else (at best)

The biggest ripoff in the country is the Auckland Hilton, horribly espensive for what is now quite a dated hotel.

sbiddle

The exec floor has a lounge in it for evening drinks and canapés and breakfast in the morning. Both were a nice offering.

Last time I was there a couple of months ago Platinum could also upgrade to the buffet restaurant breakfast for $5 per person from memory.

I do have to agree about NZ hotels lacking - I think one of the main things is the customer service which is a problem in many parts of NZ, not just the hotel industry. While I still dislike the whole US fake smile thing, in the past couple of years I've really begun to appreciate the level of service that many people are willing to give in that country in many customer facing roles. If you go back to my post above about walking out of the Pullman in a grumpy mood, I just don't see that as something that would happen in the US if I was to express dissatisfaction at something. Staff want to keep customers happy.

I've had some fantastic hotel experiences in Japan, the buffet at the Hilton in Tokyo really is amazing.

Xiaotung

Hilton Taupo is no better. Just had a stay over there and thought to myself with that price I paid, is Taupo Singapore?

But I guess it makes sense when all the motels like those under Choice in New Zealand charge easily $150-$200 a night so Hilton's gotta charge a lot more.

Just noticed Airpoints has a new partner called Sudima Hotels. I have never heard of it. They haven't had a real new hotel partner for nearly a decade now.

http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/airpo...artners-sudima

DomesticGoddess

There's a Sudima basically next to CHC Airport. Bloody awful.

cavemanzk

Agreed, although it beats what used to be know as the Mecure Willis Street in Wellington.

Last time I stayed at Sudima, it was painfull all Night long there was noise from people leave & arriving off crazy hour flights.

oranjemakker

The Sudima in Auckland airport is on the face of it not a bad hotel, very modern and comfortable 3/4 star, but they use an outsourced airport shuttle bus service that works to other hotels as well. not only do you have to pay ($5 each way per person), its totally unreliable. My wife almost missed her flight as the bus was 10 minutes late, to their credit they did run her in, but it wasn't fun.

Seems to me if you are operating an airport hotel the single most important thing is being able to get people to and from the airport reliably!!!

Kiwi Flyer

Given the shuttle is shared with other hotels they have little control over accurate scheduling. In that case the onus is on you to allow sufficient time - if a 10 minute delay causes to miss a flight then you should take the earlier shuttle.

IIRC Sudima is also close to a bus stop used by the route 380 public bus that runs to the airport, so that may have been another option (plus of course taxi).

oranjemakker

Or you stay in the novotel and wander across 20m to the terminal to check in!

However, i disagree with your comment, I think that in an airport hotel the airport shuttle is a key aspect of their service offering, and why outsource such a key aspect? Generally in business you want to keep control of your key service offering or at the very least partner with someone who is reliable.

And my wife shuttle was 20 minutes late, for a shuttle running every 30 minutes supposedly thats pretty poor IMO.

If your suggestion is best practice is to allow a 30 minute in the case of Auckland you might as well stay downtown! i would have thought the point of an airport hotel is to create a more stress free travel experience

I will vote with my wallet and wont stay there again, will choose the novotel or downtown....or even better will try and route international flights straight in and out of CHCH, avoiding auckland all together

Kiwi Flyer

Yes, although the same applies for bus or cab from CBD - need to allow time for running late, bad traffic, etc.

ajnz

I stayed very frequently at the AKL CP between 2004 and 2008 but they were always fairly useless (as IHG Platinum the whole time), I don't recall any benefits or upgrades ever, but a lot of suboptimal rooms (right next to elevator) or random housekeeping issues. Sounds like they've got better.

Langham has been my go-to hotel in Auckland for quite a few years now, if I am not staying with family.

I was quite impressed by the Hilton Taupo in May 2014; our corporate rate was very attractive and they gave me (HH-G) a 1br suite and continental breakfast (which they were happy to let me pack up and take away on an early morning departure). I'd definitely return there.