Review: Park Hyatt Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand is one of my favorite countries in the world, though sadly this time around I was only visiting for one night. On the plus side, I had the chance to check out the Park Hyatt Auckland, which only opened in mid-2020, after a significant delay. This is one of the points hotels I’ve most been wanting to check out.

The Park Hyatt Auckland is a fantastic hotel, and offers great value for money. It has a luxurious design, friendly service, solid amenities, and excellent food & beverage outlets. While it’s no Park Hyatt Sydney, it’s also not priced as such.

Booking the Park Hyatt Auckland

The Park Hyatt Auckland is a Category 5 World of Hyatt property, meaning that a standard room free night redemption costs 17,000-23,000 points. For what it’s worth, I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each.

However, I decided to pay cash for my stay, as it represented a better value. The rate was 437 NZD (~$259). Ford booked me through the Hyatt Privé program. Hyatt Privé rates cost the same as standard flexible rates (not member rates, advance purchase rates, AAA rates, etc.), and include the following additional perks:

• Daily full breakfast for two in the hotel’s restaurant
• A $100 property credit per room per stay
• A one category room upgrade confirmed within 24 hours of booking (room-to-room or suite-to-suite) — based on availability at the time of booking
• Early check-in (as early as 9AM) and late check-out (as late as 4PM), subject to availability
• A welcome gift and letter

Admittedly some of these benefits overlap with my World of Hyatt Globalist perks, but getting an extra $100 credit was a nice extra perk. I would have probably spent that much on-property anyway, making this an even better value compared to redeeming points.

This is definitely one of the most reasonably priced Park Hyatts out there, at least as of now.

Park Hyatt Auckland location

The Park Hyatt Auckland is located right on the edge of the water, in Wynyard’s Quarter. There are tons of restaurants, bars, and shops, within walking distance, and I enjoyed walking around the area. I’m by no means an expert on Auckland, so I’m sure others will have more informed opinions on the area.

The Park Hyatt Auckland is a roughly 25-30 drive from Auckland Airport (AKL).

Park Hyatt Auckland lobby & check-in

While I love the design of the Park Hyatt Auckland, it doesn’t necessarily give me Park Hyatt vibes. Usually I think of Park Hyatts as being intimate and having understated and minimalist design, while this Park Hyatt feels quite “grand,” with 195 guest rooms and an atrium, and it’s also popping with color.

When you enter the lobby, there are two “U” shaped couches, and then an area where reception and the concierge desk are located.

The hotel has a resident dog from Blind Low Vision NZ — what a cool initiative!

The atrium spans all seven floors of the hotel — again, it’s not the typical Park Hyatt feel, but I have a soft spot for atriums going back to my childhood, and it’s not often you see these anymore.

The ground floor of the hotel also has some cute water features and art, so this is a pretty original space.

The check-in process was both efficient and friendly. I was thanked for being a Globalist member, and was informed that I had been upgraded to a harbor view rooftop room with balcony. While the hotel still had plenty of standard suites available for sale (which I’d technically be entitled to an upgrade to, subject to availability), I actually preferred this option, as I love having a great view and a balcony.

Within a few minutes I was in an elevator to the guest rooms.

My room was on the top floor, so below are some pictures of the atrium from above.

Park Hyatt Auckland harbor view rooftop room with balcony

I was assigned room 710, which was just down the hall from the elevator.

At 65 square meters (~700 square feet) my room was large, on par with the size of junior suites at some other hotels. The main part of the room had the bed and sitting area.

The bed was comfortable, with a soft mattress and plush pillows.

The sitting area was huge, with two couches, plus a dining table with a chair, which could double as a desk. I believe the hotel is intended to have a bit of an abstract nautical theme, given that it’s on the water.

Right by the entrance to the room was the minibar, which had a Nespresso coffee machine, a kettle, and a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase.

The bathroom setup was a bit unconventional, but I liked it. Near the entrance was a room with a toilet, which also had the sink.

Next to that was a large walk-in closet, which is where the safe was.

Then there was the main part of the bathroom, with double sinks, a soaking tub, and a huge walk-in shower.

Toiletries were from Le Labo, and were from the Bergamote 22 collection.

While the weather could have been a bit more cooperative, the best part of the room was the amazing rooftop balcony — wow! The balcony had a couple of chairs and a side table, and had an incredible view of the Auckland skyline.

Shortly after arriving to my room I was brought a welcome amenity, consisting of a tasty carrot dip with some crackers, as well as a bottle of water. Also, I’d like to recognize the assistant guest services manager for having the best handwriting I’ve ever seen.

What a fantastic room! When traveling alone, I think this is the perfect example of where a non-suite is better than a suite. I’d rather have a large room with an amazing balcony and view over a suite without a view like that.

Park Hyatt Auckland gym

The Park Hyatt Auckland has a 24/7 gym on the second floor, which has a large selection of both cardio and weight equipment.

Park Hyatt Auckland pool, hydrotherapy, and spa

The Park Hyatt Auckland has a pool on the second floor, open daily from 6:30AM until 9:30PM. While it’s no doubt cool to have a 25-meter infinity pool in a city hotel, am I the only one who feels like something about it doesn’t feel like what you’d expect at a luxury hotel? I don’t know if it’s the pool tiles, or what. I’m probably the wrong person to ask, since I’m not much into pools anyway.

What I did enjoy was the hydrotherapy area, also on the second floor, with the same hours. This area had a jacuzzi, a cold plunge pool, a sauna, a steam room, a locker rooms, and more. How nice to have access to this as a hotel guest, without even having to go to the spa area.

The Park Hyatt Auckland also has a spa, though I didn’t get any treatments during my short stay. Here are more details about the Park Hyatt Auckland spa.

Park Hyatt Auckland Onemata

Onemata is the Park Hyatt Auckland’s signature restaurant, described as offering a menu driven by the farmer, fisherman, and seasonal ingredients.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor (as are all the restaurants at the hotel), and serves breakfast on weekdays from 6:30AM until 10:30AM, and on weekends from 7AM until 11AM. It’s also open on select days for lunch and dinner, and you can find the menus here. Unfortunately I was staying on a night where it was only open for breakfast.

Breakfast was included with both my status and rate. It’s a pretty nice restaurant, with floor-to-ceiling windows and great views of the water. The restaurant also has an outdoor sitting area, though it was a bit too chilly early in the morning during my stay.

Below you can find the Onemata breakfast menu. If your rate includes breakfast you get the “Kitchen Table” breakfast, which includes the buffet, any item from the menu, and coffee of choice (with refills).

To drink, I ordered a latte, which was excellent.

From the menu I ordered the salmon with smashed avocado, soft boiled egg, sourdough, and rocket, which was exceptional. It was a nice twist on your typical avocado toast that you find everywhere nowadays.

As far as the buffet goes, I’d describe it as being small but high quality. There were two cold pressed juices, including apple and orange.

Then there was a fridge with a variety of cold cuts, yogurt, muesli, avocado, and smoothies.

Then there was a selection of fruit, croissants, pastries, bread, and cereal.

Again, this is by no means like a buffet you’d find in Southeast Asia or the Middle East, but the quality and overall experience was top notch.

Park Hyatt Auckland The Living Room

The Living Room is the standard lobby lounge at Park Hyatts, and this property is no exception. At the Park Hyatt Auckland, it opens each morning at 10AM, and serves everything from drinks, to light meals, to afternoon tea. You can find the all-day dining menu here, and find the afternoon tea menu here.

The Living Room is cozy, with a variety of seating options, ranging from booths, to tables, to couches.

I had a light meal here the afternoon of my arrival — I had a Greek salad (a little different than your traditional Greek salad), plus a cappuccino.

Park Hyatt Auckland The Pantry

The Pantry is the Park Hyatt’s version of a coffeeshop, open on weekdays from 7AM until 2PM, and on weekends from 8AM until 3PM. This place seems to be popular with locals, and for good reason. It has exceptional coffee, and for that matter it’s more than a coffeeshop, as it also has legitimate food — you can find the menu here.

The Pantry can be accessed directly from the street, and feels much more like a local coffeeshop than something in an international luxury hotel chain.

I had lunch here on my day of departure, and of course had a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

To eat I had the broccolini with feta and almonds, and the miso glazed eggplant with rice, herb salad, and fried egg. Both dishes were delicious… yum!

Park Hyatt Auckland Captain’s Bar

Captain’s Bar is the Park Hyatt’s main bar, and it’s open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4PM until 11PM, and Fridays through Sundays from 4PM until 12AM. You can find the menu here — as you can see, it has light bites and lots of original cocktails. I didn’t end up going here (I had enough to drink while flying!), but I did snap a few pictures.

Park Hyatt Auckland service

Service at the Park Hyatt Auckland was excellent across the board. This isn’t the most intimate hotel, in the sense that you won’t find Park Hyatt Sydney levels of personalization. However, every single employee I interacted with was genuinely friendly and eager to please.

From the very welcoming front office staff, to the great service in the restaurant, I didn’t have a single negative interaction.

Bottom line

The Park Hyatt Auckland is an awesome new addition to the Hyatt portfolio, and to the Auckland hotel scene. For those visiting New Zealand’s biggest city, the hotel has large and luxurious rooms, a great location, solid amenities (pool, hydrotherapy, gym, etc.), and excellent food & beverage outlets.

My only real criticism is that this doesn’t really feel to me like a traditional Park Hyatt in terms of the layout and design. Maybe that just reflects that Park Hyatt isn’t as consistent of a brand as it used to be, at least design-wise. This could also easily be a really luxurious Grand Hyatt. But at this price point, I’m happy either way.

I’d absolutely recommend staying at the Park Hyatt if visiting Auckland, and I hope to return the next time I travel to New Zealand.

What do you make of the Park Hyatt Auckland?