A posh hotel break, who doesn't want that?

If you’re going to truly spoil yourself then you can’t go far wrong than a stay at the new luxurious Park Hyatt in Auckland. Perfectly positioned by the waterfront with the city centre attractions just a short walk away it’s the place to see and be seen.

First and fore most this is a big hotel. The lobby itself is huge with long open corridors to rooms looking down over the reception area. It has original Maori artwork on display and several bars and restaurants which I will come to later.

First up though are the rooms – which are more mini suite than bedroom. An entrance lobby leads through to the bedroom and lounge area. Outside there is a huge, enclosed balcony complete with marble table and chairs to relax after a long day and enjoy the fresh Auckland sea breeze. The powder room, (toilet to you and me), the dressing room (walk in wardrobe) and the bathroom are all tastefully done. The bathroom being complete with double sink units, a lovely walk-in shower and a large stand along bath complete with blind to either leave up or down. I’m not too sure about the bath with the view to be honest, I feel rather conspicuous soaking in a bath easily visible to passing folk below.

A Nespresso machine offers the much-needed morning coffee, which is a nice touch to enjoy when you are sat outside on your private balcony listening to the buzzing city below come to life. There is also a well-priced mini bar if you don’t feel like heading downstairs. I would however recommend that you do head downstairs though as the Captains Bar and The Living Room are excellent places to relax and sample a few beverages. The Living Room is open all day from breakfast through to dinner. It’s popular for afternoon tea, and I can totally recommend their lunches which are out of this world. The Prawn Caesar salad with a glass of Akarua Brut was just the treat. Captains Bar is a more sophisticated moody venture designed for later in the evening. It offers a tapas style bar menu and has a selection of cocktail offerings. There is also an excellent wine by the glass list showcasing New Zealand. Unlike so many Auckland establishments they are fair and generous with their pouring measures too, you get a proper glass of wine not a half measure!

For light snacks during the day there is The Pantry with tables overlooking the Wynyard Quarter, it’s a laid-back comfortable spot to linger over cake and coffee or a more substantial meal. I had a cheese scone for breakfast one morning which was delicious.

The hotels flagship restaurant is the place to try though. I had breakfast and dinner there on a wet and windy Auckland day and wasn’t disappointed. The tables look out over the Viaduct Harbour with its millionaire yachts, the chatter from the bars across the water lingers in the air and the Sky Tower glows bright lit up in the darkness peeking out over the cities high-rises. The tables are all nicely separated so you don’t have that awful impression that you are sat on top of one another. The food is exquisite, small plates to start with that are made to share with larger plates to follow. We choose two small and two large and every one of them was beautifully presented, and I must say tasted even better. Nothing was rushed so you didn’t feel you had to eat fast to ensure you had a hot plate of food. We stayed until the staff advised us that they were closing and would we like to move down the hall to the Captains Bar, we happily obliged having lingered for several hours in such a lovely place. The breakfast was equally good, friendly service and the floor to ceiling windows ensured you looked out over perfect views of the waterfront and city.

Viaduct Harbour, Auckland, the cities playground

Now I’ve come to the end of my story about a luxurious weekend in Auckland I realized I’ve forgotten to mention one of the best parts, the Hydro Centre. The infinity swimming pool is a delight, a top spot to enjoy a swim whilst watching folk pass by on the street in front. The Viaduct Bridge opens every now and then to allow the ships through from the harbour. It has some lovely deck chairs to laze about on. But inside behind an unassuming door that I thought was a toilet I found the best part of the hotel (well to me anyhow). A fantastic changing area complete with private showers and lockers that led on to a hydra centre with bench hot pools and fantastic lay down benches for the ultimate water massage. There was even a neck massager. The steam room and sauna were incredible too. What a place to enjoy a weekend, expensive but oh so worth it for revitalizing the soul.