BACKGROUND
Opened 30 years ago as a Sheraton, the property became a Langham hotel in 2005. It is a favourite both in the business community for meetings and events, and with locals for dining out.
WHERE IS IT?
At the top of Symonds Street close to upper Queen Street. Although this is not a marquee location – most hotels can be found down near the waterfront – one positive is that almost all meetings you might be attending require a pleasant walk downhill. A regular shuttle bus also runs to the downtown waterfront area and back.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
A ten-storey main building flanked by two smaller wings, the exterior of the hotel is unprepossessing. There are two entrances, one to the main lobby on Symonds St, and a lower level entrance on City Road. Its 409 rooms comprise 182 Classic, 184 Executive and 27 Club rooms, plus 16 suites.
Inside, a spacious, oval lobby area in rich marble leads to a plush sunken lounge called Palm Court where people meet, drink and take afternoon tea. Every time I passed by, day or night, it was buzzing.
ROOM FACILITIES
I was in an Executive suite – guests in Executive suites and Club rooms have Langham Club Lounge access on the 10th floor, offering a small but more than adequate breakfast buffet; fruit, snacks and beverages all day, and pre-dinner drinks and canapés. (Other suite benefits include butler service and wake-up calls with a delivered beverage.)
The guestrooms are 28 sqm as standard, but my suite was three times that size. The décor is a rich combination of greys, beiges and browns, with marble tiling, thick carpets and old-fashioned sofa and chairs in wood and velvety, embroidered cushioning. Dark-wood furnishings are fronted by attractive walnut panelling; the overall effect – and this is true throughout the hotel – is of a step back into a more genteel colonial age.
The minibar was comprehensive, and the Nespresso machine a welcome nod to current trends. The marble bathroom sported Chuan Spa products, a bath and an excellent walk-in shower, large with powerful pressure.
I particularly liked the Super King Blissful beds that the Langham uses across its portfolio – extremely comfortable and I slept very well. A small concern was that only on the final day did I notice the ecofriendly “clean sheets” note on the far bedside cabinet near the window, which requests that you place it on the bed if you don’t need to have your sheets replaced every day. I would have used it, but it was not prominently displayed – a shame.
BARS AND RESTAURANTS
Three F&B offerings include the ground floor Eight restaurant, Palm Court lobby lounge, and the Langham Club Lounge. Eight is the main eatery for all meals; designed around independent cooking stations through which you can wander and choose your preference, it offers eight different cuisines covering Asian and Western styles, all using fresh natural produce. The seafood bar was outstanding, and the restaurant atmosphere is bustling and energetic. Palm Court offers breakfast, light meals and a superb afternoon tea set designed in collaboration with Wedgwood.
MEETING FACILITIES
There are 13 function rooms ranging in size from four-person meeting rooms to the fittingly named Great Room that caters up to 1,400 people. The Crystal Room (up to 280 theatre-style) has recently been renovated in a more modern style with lighter décor, providing two very distinct choices for events.
LEISURE FACILITIES
Chuan Spa uses Oriental techniques, bespoke Chuan products and elements of traditional Chinese medicine in its array of personalised treatments. The health club includes a fitness room, sauna and steam room (with ice bucket rub-down area), plus a heated open-air swimming pool and Jacuzzi. All are accessed from the second floor. The gym is open 24 hours and is adequate if not the most attractive space, but the outdoor pool is a nice bonus for a city centre hotel.
VERDICT
While this type of luxury hotel may not appeal to those looking for voguish modernity, its stately approach to hospitality and plush furnishings evoked a pleasant nostalgia. I looked forward to returning each day – any hotel that can elicit that feeling is doing its job very well.
FACT FILE
- PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in an Executive suite in July start from NZ$769 (US$528) per night.
- CONTACT 83 Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland; tel +64 9379 5132; langhamhotels.com/auckland
Jeremy Tredinnick
