Since The Hotel Britomart opened in October 2020, Auckland’s luxury, 99-room hotel has been garnering accolades, among them being named New Zealand’s number one accommodation in TripAdvisor’s 2023 Travellers’ Choice Awards.
From the very beginning, The Hotel Britomart has had impeccable environmental credentials, earning five Green Star Design and Build ratings from the New Zealand Green Building Council for its construction, and regularly reaching its ambitious sustainability goals.
Located close to the waterfront, in a once unsavory but now thriving six-hectare precinct, the hotel is within a short stroll of the CBD and attractions like the Sky Tower.
The Landing suites
Staying in one of the hotel’s suites, named after its sister property The Landing in the Bay of Islands, adds another layer of indulgence. As suite guests, we are met by a chauffeur-driven, top-range BMW at Auckland Airport and are at the hotel within 20 minutes, and soon into our expansive top-floor suite, named Wairoa.
A lovely feature of this suite is an outdoor terrace, with a warming gas fire in the corner, from where we can look over Waitematā Harbour and across Auckland to Sky Tower, all lit up on a Friday night, while enjoying a complimentary soft drink and snack from the minibar.
Staying in one of the hotel’s suites, named after its sister property The Landing in the Bay of Islands, adds another layer of indulgence.
The suite is stylish but homely, with an ensuite master bedroom and separate lounge featuring built-in sofas, as well as a second bathroom near the front door. It has large windows showcasing those amazing city views, is soothingly clad in timber and features artisan-made ceramics throughout. A handy control panel allows us to dim the lights, monitor the air-conditioning, lower or open the blinds and even ignite the outdoor fire.
The super king size bed feels opulent, with a luxury topper and the finest organic sheets. There is a turndown service each evening, which includes ‘relax’ tea bags and a chocolate.
Gastronomic marvels
Sustainability is also at the core of the hotel’s on-site restaurant, Kingi, with Executive Chef Tom Hishon championing New Zealand’s best, ethically-sourced seafood.
On a Friday night, Kingi is buzzing with both guests and locals and delivers a memorable dining experience. It begins, for me, with green-lipped mussels in a rich nduja broth, centered on a delicious Blackfoot paua (abalone) tagliatelle with squid and diamond shell clams and chili. My vegetarian companion starts with local wood-roasted mushrooms before moving onto ricotta gnocchi with golden beetroot and walnut, and ending with a 70 percent chocolate mousse with Chantilly cream.
On a Friday night, Kingi is buzzing with both guests and locals and delivers a memorable dining experience.
Breakfast the next morning is also at Kingi, which is again frequented by locals, and includes huevos rancheros with black beans, fried egg, avocado and lime, and slow poached eggs with nduja hollandaise, rosti and smoked kahawai (Australian salmon), as well as ‘green fusion’ and ‘choc banana’ smoothies that are a meal in themselves.
On our second morning, we indulge in breakfast delivered to our room, another privilege of staying in The Landing suites.
Britomart tour and the Libraries lounge
Also included if you’re staying in a suite is a brief tour of the local Britomart waterfront development. Led by Hotel Operations Manager, Ciaran Molloy, ours takes in the Saturday morning markets.
Britomart is New Zealand’s largest-ever heritage restoration project, and has helped preserve 18 historic Britomart buildings and the best local dining spots, including the excellent Amano Italian restaurant – where Molloy books us in for dinner.
The Libraries provide a relaxing milieu for business meetings or evening drinks.
Back at the hotel, we drop into The Libraries lounge – situated in the adjacent Masonic and Buckland buildings – which is a private space for Britomart guests. The lofted wine cellar, which includes some of New Zealand’s and the world’s finest vintages, is set in an chic industrial design, featuring exposed brickwork and wooden beams around the banquette seating. All this makes The Libraries the perfect place for a relaxing business meeting or evening drinks.
Eye for detail
From its impressive handmade brick exterior to its glass-encased reception area and its timber-lined rooms to its outstanding on-site restaurant, The Hotel Britomart has an exceptional eye for detail and understated luxury that is quintessentially Kiwi.
Booking into one of The Landing suites simply adds another layer of desirability and indulgence to a stay here, with guests seamlessly looked after from the moment they arrive.
Most impressive of all is how the boutique property manages to be both stylish and deeply sustainable, and loved by both guests and Aucklanders as a happening hub in their evolving waterside. Booking into one of The Landing suites simply adds another layer of desirability and indulgence to a stay here, with guests seamlessly looked after from the moment they arrive at the airport to the moment they are transferred to their next destination.
