WHAT’S IT LIKE? With its grand foyer chandelier, walnut furniture and staff in waistcoats and pinstripe trousers, the five-star Langham Hotel Auckland is the epitome of old school grand as far as hotels go, despite the dated brown and gold 70s exterior. The hotel has recently expanded its meetings and conference facilities and now boasts more than 2,300sqm of venue space, divided between 12 rooms, not including the bars and restaurants. The Langham Auckland is also a Leading Hotel of the World.
WHERE IS IT? The Langham sits at the very top of Queen Street, one of Auckland’s main shopping streets, and just around the corner from the bohemian Karangahape Road, famous for its off-the-wall eateries. Follow Karangahape Road (or ‘K road’ to locals), take a right up Ponsonby Road, and you’ll eventually find yourself in Ponsonby, an area popular among Auckland’s more trendy and arty residents. The hotel is a bit of a walk from the city's main shopping area at the bottom of Queen Street, near to the waterfront and ferry terminals, but there is a free shuttle service for guests which runs every half hour until about 10.30pm.
ROOM FACILITIES The 410 rooms are divided into three different guestroom types, ranging in size and price from the standard Classic Room to the Langham Club Room, and 12 suites, the largest being the palatial Royal Suite. The Langham Club room and most of the suites come with Club access, a special room on the top floor where guests can help themselves to a free breakfast, complimentary pre-dinner drinks between five and seven every evening and refreshments any time of the day such as fruit, ice cream and tea or coffee. There is also a small business centre for Club members with free internet access, printing, photocopying and fax facilities.
The guestrooms are decorated very much as you’d expect them to be at a Langham – grand, slightly ostentatious, walnut and marble and with beds decked out in silk and velvet cushions. The suites are more contemporary depending on the theme, such as the “Orient-inspired” Chuan Havens suite.
The bathrooms are mostly marble and the suites get Molton Brown toiletries. The smaller rooms have combined bath and showers, while in the suites there are separate cubicles.
Other room facilities include fruit, large LCD TVs with news, sports and entertainment channels, pay-per-view movies, a safe, iron and ironing board and tea/coffee making facilities. Wired internet is available via an ethernet cable but is charged at NZ$29.95 per day.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS The hotel has three restaurants: Barolo serving Italian cuisine; the SBF Brasserie, open 24 hours a day with an a la carte menu; and the new SPE Bar and Restaurant at the far end of the function room area. Located opposite the foyer is the Winery, which as its name suggests has an extensive list of fine wines.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES There are 12 venue rooms including the 1,171sqm Great Room and the Waitemata Room at 334sqm. Both these ballrooms can be divided into four and three smaller rooms respectively. The other ten rooms range in size from 46-182sqm. The largest venue, the Great Room, can hold 1,400 people theatre-style, while the smallest, the Waiheke room, can accommodate 12 in boardroom-style only.
LEISURE FACILITIES As well as an outdoor heated pool there is a well-equipped fitness centre, sauna and herbal steam room free for guests to use and all part of the hotel’s Chuan Spa wellness centre. There are also a number of paid for treatments using the hotel’s own products.
VERDICT Surprisingly good value for money given the favourable exchange rate, and Club rooms come with complimentary evening drinks, breakfast and 24-hour snacks. The business centre was also extremely useful. Everything about the hotel oozes old-fashioned grandeur and class, so definitely not for anyone who prefers modern minimalist hotels.
FACT FILE
HOW MANY ROOMS? 410 rooms including 70 Club rooms and 12 suites.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS Rooms have an international power socket adaptor free to use, just in case you forget yours. Club rooms come with a butler service, and a complimentary clothes pressing service. Heated mirrors in the bathroom stop them from misting up.
PRICE Best Available Rate for a mid-week stay in March starts at NZ$403 (£177).
CONTACT auckland.langhamhotels.co.nz
Andrew Gough
