Kia Ora: Hilton Auckland Deluxe Harbour View Plus Room Review

This will be my home for the next 4 nights and my base to explore the North Island. There are plenty of aspiring hotels in Auckland. This is the city where you can find the most chain hotels. There are so many properties that I would love to try including the Sofitel, SO as well as the Cordis. There are also quite many deals going on. I ended up with the Hilton Auckland as the nights would come in pretty well for my requalification and I also simply could not miss out on staying at one of the most unique Hilton in the world. This has to be one of the most unique hotels in town and around the world. The Hilton Auckland is located right in the heart of the city centre and fact on the water. It is right at the end of Princes Wharf. The nautically-inspired hotel is lovely and boasts amazing views of the harbour. I love that the hotel has a very white facade and look.

Booking Process & Pre Arrival 

I book directly with Hilton using my Citi Prestige card. I got the base-level Guest room. My nightly rate was around 325 SGD including taxes. This was brought down by utilising my Citi Prestige 4th-night free benefit to 245 SGD. I have often found value using the 4NF. This is one of the best travel cards in my opinion. I was extended an upgrade to one of the Deluxe Harbour View Plus rooms ahead of the stay. This would usually go for around 600 bucks! Excellent value and elite recognition for being a Diamond member. Hilton Auckland features 187 guest rooms and suites spread across 7 categories. You can find the breakdown below.

Rooms	Bathtub	Room Size	No.of Rooms
Guest	Maybe	30 Sqm	69
Deluxe Harbour	Maybe	35 Sqm	99
Deluxe Plus	No	38 Sqm	2
Deluxe Harbour View Plus	Maybe	37 Sqm	7
Bow Suite	Yes	53 Sqm	7
Relaxation Suite	Yes	60 Sqm	1
Port Suite	Yes	50 Sqm	2

Checking In

I arrive at the hotel at around 5.30pm just before it got dark. We flew in from Queenstown and then took around 30 mins to drive from the airport to the hotel. The traffic was pretty bad as we hit the evening crowd. We went to the hotel first to offload our bags before deciding on where to park our car. There are a couple of parking options at the hotel and it depends on your needs and the amount of time that you are parking to see which is more worthwhile. To make things even more complicated, the rates are different on weekdays and weekends. First, you have valet parking at the hotel for 55 NZD with in and out privileges. You can also do self-parking right at Princes Wharf. Overnight parking from 4pm to 8am will cost 20 NZD. Do remember to use the ParkMate app for cheaper rates. You can check out more rates here. You can also use the Downtown Parking facility, it cost just 10 NZD max on the weekends. When in doubt, do check with the helpful concierge. He is very knowledgeable and friendly.

I was helped by two friendly associates as I went to check in and was addressed by name. They were expecting my arrival. I was warmly welcomed and thanked for being a Diamond member. The gorgeous is extremely lovely and I love the nautical theme. It looks so bright and the views of the harbour are amazing. I love the warm fireplace around the lobby and the bar. This kind of reminds me of my stay at Conrad Manila. I was informed that I will be staying in the Deluxe Harbour Plus Room for the first two nights and then be moved to the Bow Suite for the last 2 nights. That didn’t turn out to be true. A late checkout was also offered but that wasn’t required since my flight is leaving at 2pm. I was also provided with some drinks vouchers for Diamond Members since they do not have an Executive Lounge here

Sadly, that’s where the good experience ends. The front desk was a mixed bag for me. When I first checked in, I was told that a suite upgrade have been blocked out for me for the last two nights. The two guys also told me that 2 drinks vouchers will be offered every night of my stay and they just gave 4 first. I could come back to get another 4 later on as they are too thick to put all in the key holder. Subsequently, when I head back, the staff made me feel that I was greedy for more vouchers and told me that they only provide it once during check then reluctantly provided the remaining 4 vouchers. This is a turnoff.

Similarly, for the suite upgrade, I was told to have the last two nights in the suite but when the day comes, the staff had no idea about it and somehow they say I can only do the switch on my last night. I end up not taking it as it is pointless since I will be checking out at 11am the next day. It got confusing. The service is not standard and is a mixed bag. They have since sold the suite. I will rather them being upfront about it and not promising but retract it. The beat around the bush isn’t appreciated. 

Deluxe Harbour View Plus Room

I was assigned a room on the sixth floor, one of the higher rooms in the hotel. There is a total of 8 floors in the hotel. I was in room 605 which is located at the end of the corridor. This makes sense as the Deluxe Harbour View Plus room has a spacious balcony that opens up with a wide view of the Auckland harbour. 

The room is a good size and measures 37 Sqm. Upon entering the room, there is a long entryway and to the left, you can find the bathroom. The bathroom is spacious. The decor feels a bit different than the rest of the room. I am not a fan of those white tile look. It comes with only a single sink. All sorts of amenities and toiletries are provided including mouthwash. Crabtree and Evelyn’s products are offered. Sometimes another Australian brand ZAMBEL was provided. 

The bathroom also comes with a separate bathtub as well as a standing shower. Both of them are pretty spacious. The standing shower only comes with a handheld showerhead, one that can be fixed to the wall and taken down. I did wish that the water pressure is a little bit stronger. 

Heading in, you can see the wardrobe next to the entrance. It is on the smaller side. It’s come with everything that you might need including an ironing kit, bathrobes, bath slippers and plenty of hangers. There is also a portable luggage rack and a safe here too. 

The main space of the room is in a rectangular orientation. The TV is mounted on the wall on the side. There is a platform below that gives you some additional storage area. The TV is of a good size and comes with a good number of both local and cable tv channels. While it is mounted on the side, the TV is mounted on a movable rack that allows it to be pivoted towards the seating area or the bed. 

Next to it, you can find the mini bar chest which is nicely stocked with both a kettle and a proper coffee machine. There is plenty of packaged tea provided and also a fully stocked fridge. 

The working desk is found by the balcony doors. It is a glass table and slightly on the smaller side. Outlets are within reach and the wifi connection is strong in the room. Bottles of drinking water can be found here and kudos to them for offering both still and sparkling options. It’s a nice touch to find Antipodes water here. These are replenished during daily housekeeping or on request. 

Left on the table is a very generous welcome amenity consisting of some chocolates and a bottle of NZ sparkling wine in addition to a personalised note. 

On the opposite side, you can find a small sofa that is good for two and a side table. It is always nice to find a separate seating area even when you are not in a suite. I wish that they had put a proper and larger coffee table. 

The plush king-size bed takes up most of the space and it faces the amazing harbour view. I love the setup. The mattress is excellent and the same goes for the pillows. We got some firm ones and I had a great rest. Waking up to this view is a great way to start the day. The beddings were good. On both sides of the bed, you can find nightstands. The outlets are within reach and you can also find switches for the lighting. Refreshingly, left on the bed is a tag that you can leave out if you do not need housekeeping. In exchange, you get a 10 NZD credit daily. 

The highlight of this room got to be the harbour view. It comes with an amazing 90 degrees view on both sides of the room. It is spectacular! The room comes with a huge balcony area with two deck chairs and a table outside. The views are amazing and this is the reason why this room cost so much. It would be nice if they had electronically controlled blinds and sheers. 

In contrast to the rest of the room, this place is badly maintained. I am not sure if it is the weather or just being in proximity to the seat. The flooring is moudy and looks like they are to drop off any moment. The seepage is very bad. There is a water infestation on the tiles. 

Fitness Centre 

Both the Fitness centre and Swimming pool are located on the 4th Floor. The fitness centre opens 24 hours. It’s on the smaller side and it felt quite gloomy. It does get the work done if you require a simple workout. You can find the usual typical gym pieces of equipment. 

Pool

There has been a lot of fanfare about the pool and how it is unique. Kinda opens out to the harbour and you can get a good view of the ocean when underwater. In reality, it is rather disappointing. The swimming pool opens from 6.30 am until 10 pm. The pool is similarly located on level 4. To get to the pool, you have to cut thru the gym. I do not know what to feel about the pool. The regular shape does allow for some laps to be done but it is quite small. It doesn’t feel that comfortable doing laps in it when there is someone else using the pool at the same time. 

By the side of the pool, you have like 10 deck chairs. It is a rather good place to get some sun when the weather is good but does note that you are exposed to the room and offices nearby. The deck chairs are well maintained but I can’t say the same for the pool which is quite dirty. Leaves and dirt are floating around. There is no service by the pool but it is said that you can order drinks. I can’t imagine spending time here relaxing especially in this season. 

Bellini Bar

Bellini bar is open from 8am to 11pm on weekdays and from 9am on weekends. It is one of the lovely spots of the hotel and super cosy. It is right next to the reception on the ground floor and is gorgeous. I love the nautical theme. The bar also boasts an amazing view of the harbour during the day. In the evening, it turns into a cosy spot for drinks by the fireplace as you watch the Auckland lights glittering over the skyscrapers. I came here a couple of nights to enjoy some drinks, courtesy of the drinks vouchers that they provide in place of an Executive Lounge. 

You can check out the menu here. There is a dedicated menu that you can order from to utilise your welcome drink vouchers as well. 

Throughout my stay, I tried the beer, the Chardonnay, the Rose as well as the Gin Tonic. I love to sit by the fireplace and rest my legs after a long day out sightseeing. 

Sometimes on Fridays and weekends, they have some performance or special event in the evening. It is a delight as we caught an opera performance on one of the nights that we are staying here. Certainly a nice touch from the hotel and we could enjoy drinks with the performance.

FISH Restaurant

FISH restaurant is the hotel’s signature restaurant and it is open for both breakfast and dinner. Currently, they are only open for dinner and you can find the menu here. There are both set menus and ala carte options Prices are very fair in my opinion, especially for Auckland. Do note that Hilton Gold and Diamond members get to enjoy a 25% off the menu. That makes it so attractive! We were warmly welcomed by the host and shown to a lovely table. 

We got dinner here on the first night of my stay after a long day of travel. The restaurant is located on level 1 and it is so gorgeous with warm lighting. There isn’t much of a view at this hour since it is already dark. During the day, you can get a lovely view of the harbour. We were famished and got a couple of dishes to share. We first got the Grilled Octopus which cost 25 NZD to start with. It is char and lovely. 

Then we had the Cloudy Bay Clams which is no doubt one of the best dishes of the night. The clams are fresh and the pasta simply soaks up all the flavour and juices. It is also something like a fusion of Asian flavours. We love it! I didn’t expect it to go so well with XO Sauce. The dish cost 28 NZD. 

We then got the Mt Cook Salmon. The salmon was first poached and then finished in the oven. It is extremely tender and flavourful. It come with some charred prawns and corn which was lovely. The sunflower seed is a nice touch. I did find the sauce a little too creamy. It cost 44 NZD. 

The staff here are excellent and the service is polished. Prices are pretty good and we even enjoy 25% off. The whole meal came up to 72 NZD. Very affordable. It might even be one of the cheapest meals we had in town. I would love to be back if we had more time in town.  

Breakfast at FISH

Breakfast is served at FISH Restaurant from 6.30am to 10.30am on weekdays and 7am to 11am on the weekends. I appreciated the long service hours as well as the extension till 11am on the weekends since guests might wake up later. This will be conducive for business travellers. The restaurant was bright and welcoming with tons of natural light. It is a different vibe from the evening before. I love it. It’s pretty quiet and you should have no trouble finding a table. Do note to come early if you want those with a view. You can check out the menu for the breakfast here. Breakfast normally cost 33 NZD for Continental Breakfast and 43 NZD for Full Breakfast. You get access to the hot items and in addition, you can order off an ala carte menu. Elite members are offered continental breakfast here. That is pretty awesome considering that you are extracting 66 NZD of value each night. If you don’t have breakfast included, you can top up 10 NZD for a full breakfast. Staff service is excellent and the view of the harbour is amazing. Hot drinks are served to the table. Tea by T2 and brewed Atomic coffee are offered. If you want barista coffee they are chargeable. I feel it is a little stingy that hotels in New Zealand don’t even include an order in the buffet. The filtered coffee is pretty good and robust. 

The continental buffet consists of all items on the buffet beside the hot items. Breakfast here is mostly Western offering with no Asian food. Everything looks so fresh and delicious. It is well-plated and shown on the table. You can find whole and cut fruits, cold cuts, cheese, salad stations, cereals, pastries and fresh juices. Special mention goes to the juices. They are amazing and high quality. Here are some pictures of the buffet. 

In addition to what is offered on the buffet line, they had this machine where you can have freshly squeezed OJ and press juices with other vegetables. This is amazing. I took advantage of this every morning. Having freshly squeezed OJ is such a great way to start the day. 

For guests that opt for the Full Breakfast, there is an ala carte menu where you can order dishes that are freshly made.

This includes all sorts of eggs and pancakes. The eggs are awesome. I love the omelettes. 

You can find a small selection of hot food by the buffet. This includes oat porridge, waffles, baked beans, roasted tomatoes, bacon, hash brown, mushrooms and sausages. While the selection isn’t huge I appreciate that everything is delicious and high quality. There are some slight changes to the items from day to day. I wish that they could have more variety. 

Conclusion

I enjoyed my stay here. Keeping in mind that while this is one of the most promising and unique properties in town and around the world it is also pretty pricey in the Auckland market. I enjoyed FISH. Breakfast and dinner are excellent here and the prices are very attractive, especially with the 25% discount. I will recommend it here even when you are not a staying guest. I had some mixed feelings regarding the front desk. It was excellent at the start and I felt very well treated and valued. Sadly, it fell apart throughout and different information was communicated. This can be seen from the drinks vouchers as well as the suite upgrade. This might be the most luxurious property in Auckland and the view was excellent given the hotel location. Some parts of the room need renovation or maintenance. Out of all the Hilton that I stay in NZ, this has to be the most luxurious one.