Hotel check: Langham Hotel Auckland

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Hotel check: Langham Hotel Auckland

Originally published on www.businesstraveller.asia 30/06/2007 - Filed under: Tried & Tested » Hotels » Tried & Tested » Tried & Tested » Hotels » New Zealand »

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WHAT’S IT LIKE? It was European hospitality right from the doorstep. Well-groomed and gracious staff greeted me with confident smiles upon arrival. The former Sheraton underwent a renovation as part of a rebranding exercise and put on a sophisticated European decor characterised by drapes of elaborate curtains and armchairs decorated with fluffy cushions.

WHERE IS IT? The hotel is centrally located within walking distance from Queen’s Street and Karangahape Road, two of Auckland’s main shopping streets. A complimentary shuttle service leaves the hotel every half-hour to the corner of Queen’s Street and Customs Street, where you can shop at DFS, walk down Queen’s Street or take a short stroll to the ferry terminal for a ride to the nearby islands.

The Link Bus service stops right outside the hotel every 15 minutes to take you to shopping and dining hot spots like Ponsonby, Parnell and Newmarket for NZ$1.50 (US$1.13).

HOW MANY ROOMS? 410 guestrooms including 214 Superior Rooms, 108 Executive Rooms, 70 Langham Hotel Club Rooms and 12 Suites, all refurbished with plush furnishings and offering a range of personalised services.

ROOM FACILITIES: The Club Room (pictured) comes with a luxurious king-size bed and a 42” plasma screen television. One of the biggest draws of the Club Room is the personalised service offered that includes butler service and free pressing for three garments on arrival.

I particularly enjoyed the breakfast drink service that follows every morning call, although sometimes the service staff had to be reminded repeatedly to bring my refreshment of the day. I also found myself relaxing on the armchair quite a bit, especially during the day when it’s perfect for reading the papers in natural daylight.

The Club Room offers access to the Club Lounge on the 10th floor that serves espresso coffee, tea and snacks all day. I was more than happy to relax in the comfortable tea room setting whenever the weather went into one of its mood swings.

RESTAURANTS: The hotel’s signature fine dining restaurant Partingtons, which had just been awarded New Zealand Restaurant of the Year, features European-inspired cuisine combined with New Zealand flavours. The Winery, located next to the lobby, has the classic setting for afternoon tea with its rich décor and upholstered high back chairs. It serves a delicious platter and is a great place to chill before dinner. The SBF Brasserie offers the only 24-hour buffet in the city, while the SPE Bar and Restaurant offers wood-fired pizza if you are looking for a casual fare.

BUSINESS FACILITIES: The Club Business Centre on the 10th floor is a small room equipped with two terminals with delightfully fast internet access, and offers faxing, photocopying, scanning and printing service. The terminals are not only enabled to display multi-languages, including Chinese, but have the MSN messenger installed in them as well. This really took a load of my communication concerns as I was able to catch up with friends and even business associates in real time.

LEISURE FACILITIES: A fully-equipped gymnasium and an open-air swimming pool are located on the second level.

VERDICT: Excellent service that rolls luxury, comfort and business efficiency into one elegant bundle.

PRICE: Langham Hotel Club Room with Club benefits available from NZ$376 (US$284) or get the best rates for next 28 days online from www.wotif.com

CONTACT: 83 Symonds Street, PO Box 2771, Auckland 1, New Zealand, tel 64 9 379 5132, www.langhamhotels.com

Wong Yee Fong