ROOM CHECK
The InterContinental Auckland has opened its doors. Anna Sarjeant steps inside to see if its sparkling, waterfront exterior harbours an equally dazzling interior.
InterContinental Auckland opened its doors last week, but that didn’t stop eager cruise-goers trying to book a bed days prior, such is the kerb appeal of this new high-end hotel on the waterfront. Even on a bad day, the bronzed facade is dazzling. On a good day, as it is when I visit, blue skies and sunshine cast an almost angel-like halo over the building. Straddling
Quay St, but officially 1 Queen St, the hotel is a stone’s throw from the Auckland ferry terminals, including those that bring in swathes of cruisers, and yes, they do forgo a pre-paid bed on board for a one-night change of scenery, which in this case includes cuttingedge hotel design and rooms that absorb every inch of the city’s downtown refurb.
In a King Harbour View room, blackout blinds electrically rise on cue when guests cross the threshold, creating an almost god-like status that I’d personally never tire of. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows lend themselves to idle people-watching and ferry-viewing. Of course, there are also plush beds dripping in white Egyptian cotton and fixtures that are as modern as they are stylish. A particularly nice touch is the use of local iwi artwork in every room. That’s level six. Rooms and suites fall over levels six to 11. Ascend to the eleventh floor and you’ll find spacious one-bedroom suites and a higher price tag. Additional floor space and XL ensuite bathrooms are an obvious upgrade, whereas other more subtle points of difference include darker timbers used on the lower floors and blond timber used up here, in eleventh heaven. Either way, outside every door, on every landing, you’ll find slick black taps delivering fresh, filtered water. It certainly beats a flimsy plastic bottle in your fridge. As New Zealand’s first six-green-star hotel, such things are obsolete in the InterContinental Auckland.
This is not a hotel that does things by half. That’s not to say the InterContinental Auckland sees itself as a beacon of exclusivity, to the contrary, staff are keen to communicate that the InterContinental Auckland is an approachable and relaxed venue. From reception, I can see Whitcoulls in Commercial Bay and there are two entries from the downtown mall into the hotel (as well as entry via the main foyer fronting Quay St), which means you’re more than welcome to purchase your new pencil case and pop into the InterContinental afterward for a cocktail. Something they’re keen to facilitate at Advieh, the hotel restaurant and bar.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with bar snacks in between, Advieh breaks off the shackles of a traditional hotel restaurant, the ones we tend to think are predominantly for guests and more out of convenience than choice. Advieh is in a different league, which is the point. With an open bar and kitchen, tiled dove-grey flooring, accents of brass and amber, as well as my personal favourite – brown fur dining chairs – it’s every inch the trendsetter and far from stuffy. All are welcome here.
Partner chef of Advieh, Gareth Stewart runs us through the Middle Eastern-meets-Mediterranean menu, which he also describes as inherently Kiwi. Everything is sourced from New Zealand. Imagine Aotearoa’s finest cuisine and pepper it with culinary techniques from the Middle East and Europe, and you’ll land on Advieh’s tastiest plates. It’s also highly sustainable, with Stewart explaining that the seafood (as just one example) is ordered and then caught, rather than vice versa. Hero dishes include duck and ribeye, both of which are carved table-side by Stewart himself. That should get myriad patrons through the door: hotel guests, cruise-goers, mall shoppers et al.
I leave as I always do after moseying around brandnew, exquisite hotels. Jealous. Especially of those — the lucky first few — staying overnight for its grand opening. I can see why those cruise-goers came banging on the doors days earlier. I would too if I’d swung into Auckland Harbour, dressed in all its summer glory, and seen this beauty shimmering on the horizon.
Bookings for InterContinental Auckland and Advieh Restaurant and Bar are now open.