tom911

Was invited to the General Manager's Executive Evening reception this evening. It was scheduled for 6-7pm, but I ended up chatting with other guests and hotel management for 1 hour 45 mins, discussing everything from travel, the hotel industry and world issues (just like lots of other FT events I've been at). Drinks and canapes were offered (NZ sauvignon blanc for me). Mads, the GM, is from Denmark, and Angus, with the team here, is from Taupo, where I'll be at a Hilton property later this week. Very enjoyable start to the evening and something other properties could benefit from.

In the photo: Tom, Mads, Angus and another hotel guest

Zurich

Thank you for sharing your impressions. I will be there in February for my first time (while re-visiting Hilton Lake Taupo und Hilton Auckland, too). I contacted the GM well ahead for my accommodation preferences to be met, if possible. He replied that he and his team will take care of me during my stay. Whatever the outcome might be, your photograph makes me looking forwards to meeting them.

tom911

I come to Wellington every couple of years and always enjoy it here. My first visit about 25 years back was with backpack in tow and staying at the YHA. It's a great walking town and no shortage of restaurants. Location wise, you're about two blocks off the waterfront (you'll pass a small electronics store and the Intercontinental on the walk down there), and could continue onto the Te Papa museum. Had looked at a day trip by ferry to Picton, something I have done twice before, but one ferry line is sold out and the other is priced too high for me for last minute travel. The scenic ferry approach into Picton is memorable.

I'll be adding photos over the next few days to my website in this gallery: https://tom911.smugmug.com/Travel-Ne...-Wellington-NZ

bgriff

Stayed here as a Gold for a few nights.

Overall it's a really lovely hotel. They did an outstanding job with the renovation from old office building into hotel -- honestly some of the build standard would have you think of much, much higher-end hotel brands than Doubletree. I was upgraded to a "Deluxe" room in advance of arrival which is a decent-sized room, though from the description & floor map it appears the standard rooms are much smaller. Deluxe room has a nice large marble-finished bathroom with rainfall shower, though no tub. Room is very smartly designed, with tons of outlets everywhere you could want them, including two regular outlets and two USB plugs on each side of the bed, and logical easily-accessed light switches including a master switch to turn off the lights on both sides of the bed. (Why can't more hotels get basics like this right!)

The main downside to this hotel is that some things had to be compromised to fit into the footprint of the old building -- most notably the gym is pathetically tiny, with just one bike, one treadmill, one elliptical, one bench, and some dumbbells. I was in there when 2 other people came in and it was already uncomfortably crowded. The main lobby is also small and awkwardly laid out, and I could imagine gets quite crazy at busy times. Elevators are actually pretty big for an old building, but the elevator doors themselves are a lot smaller than they would be in a modern building.

The restaurant where breakfast is served is also fairly small, though again has a lovely design that honors the age of the building. As others have reported, Gold members are given the cold buffet with the option to buy up to the hot items for NZ$10/person. I think the buy-up includes ordering custom eggs, eggs benedict, and omelette, or pancakes from the kitchen, though the place seemed a little understaffed so it was hard to flag someone down to place an order.

Wellington is also a lovely small city, would definitely recommend stopping for a few days for anyone doing a tour of New Zealand. The hotel's location is fairly good -- just about everything in town is within a 15-minute walk or so; the main dining and nightlife districts are a bit to the south maybe a 10-15 minute walk away, but that does mean there's no street noise at night, and the hotel is also very convenient to the cable car.

I'd stay at the Doubletree again if in town for vacation. If I was here for business the tiny gym would probably give me pause though.

Haarlem Globetrotter

brilliant. i'm going there later this month and this info is really helpful

Zurich

About three weeks ago I completed my first stay, three nights, at this hotel. We came by ferry from the South Island and chose a taxi ride to arrive at this hotel. The driver had to unpack his personal items in order to store our luggage. After all he rounded down the bill from 18.60 to 15.00 NZD. Six years ago we had an unpleasant taxi ride going to the ferry terminal, so this was a sort of déjà vu.
Check-in was professional. We have been pre-upgraded from a standard room to a one bedroom king junior suite on 4th floor. The agent found us a room on floor 6 and we ended up in room 601. This was a very long, stretched room that had a considerable draw back: it had one comparatively small window which was shadowed by facade ornaments. These ornaments are a feature on 6th floor windows only. There are rooms with more windows, however our room and several others had one window only. Those showing to the side street might get more daylight because the buildings on the other side of that street are less high.
Our room was spacious and had a large bath room. Unfortunately the windows cannot be opened. We had a coffee machine with capsules (no Nespresso) which were replenished daily twice. Turn down left two bottles of mineral water and two of these Belgian chocolates.
We received two drink vouchers. When I asked at the reception the agent gave us two more saying that four vouchers are the maximum.
The breakfast was good. Although served in the small hotel restaurant on first floor it was never crowded. However, we could not imagine to have dinner there. The air-condition was blowing hard and we saw other guests, too, struggling with it. They eventually put it down on the second morning but it was blowing again on morning three.
That said, it was a good stay and the central location in the CBD was a plus.

Schwann

Stayed here for two nights. Originally booked a standard twin room on a redemption as that was all that was available at a price point I was willing to pay. Emailed the hotel a few weeks before and said I'd prefer a one bed if they had it and they upgraded me there and then to a King Deluxe which was appreciated. No further upgrade at check-in, but that to be expected as I had already had one and they were completely full. I originally had a room on the 3rd floor but it seemed like the road noise could be an issue so asked to change rooms up to the 6th floor which was quiet.

Breakfast wasn't extensive but the buffet had a reasonable selection. I believe they charge for non-continental if you are Gold and Diamonds get it included. No drinks vouchers.





You got a facemask each day on the bed!

Xiaotung

The duty manager's understanding of the Hilton policy is for Diamond members the upgrade is one category only. She pointed out that since I had booked a basic room, she upgraded me to a Deluxe room and that's it. If I wanted the Junior Suite I would have to pay $65 but she offered me a discounted rate of $40. I declined and pointed out that the type of room booked is irrelevant. There is no such thing as one category upgrade. She then came back and offered me the suite as a courtesy not as a policy.

I am not sure they play this game when both Hilton Auckland and Taupo would offer me a suite without question as long as they are available.