As many of you know, we’ve been big fans of Airbnb on our travels. There’s something really cool about staying in someone’s place and getting a real sense for what it’s like to live there.
However, there are definitely occasions when we love a great hotel stay. Boutique establishments are our favourite, and we’re happy to report we have discovered what just might be the BEST boutique hotel in Auckland.
Hotel DeBrett has a colourful past. It was one of Auckland’s first hotels dating back to 1841. The historical building has survived two fires; two rebuilds and is now a super cool art deco hotel in the CBD with 25 rooms and suites.
We arrived into Auckland from Sydney pretty late after our flight was delayed; around 11.30pm by the time we got into the city. Despite that, we were greeted by the awesome hotel staff who happily gave us a tour of the hotel. The bar on the first floor was still buzzing and the open fire in the dining room roaring away. On first impressions, this place is definitely not your average anonymous hotel!
Our boutique suite on the second floor definitely had the WOW factor! The attention to detail at Hotel DeBrett is second to none. From the mix of old and new finishes to the gorgeous choice of toiletries in the bathroom, everything meticulously thought out by Michelle and John who own the place. Little extras like a great mini bar selection and free Wi-Fi make staying at Hotel DeBrett an exceptional experience.
The space in the room was so lovely. One of our pet peeves about hotels is that they usually cram way too much furniture into a really small space making it hard to move around in there! Not here. The bedroom was spacious with a super comfy bed (amazing in fact!), the separate living and dining area was a great place to chill out and enjoy the late night room service we ordered. The hero for me though had to be the bathroom and in particular the amazing bathtub! A long soak in there was exactly what the doctor ordered, the ultimate in relaxation.
The full experience at Hotel DeBrett wouldn’t be complete without a meal at DeBrett’s Kitchen. You’re also invited for complimentary pre-dinner drinks between 6.30 and 7pm in the drawing room; a great opportunity to mingle with the other guests whilst enjoying a tipple (sparkling water in our case!) before dinner. The food in the restaurant was fantastic! I had the market fish of the day; Elaina went for the lamb, which was amazing! Highly recommended so book a table with the guys at reception and they’ll hook you up.
We’re not usually fans of hotel breakfasts, soggy cereal and stale toast isn’t our bag. Good news is this place does a mean Bircher muesli and great coffee so the complimentary continental brekkie was actually really good!
As regular visitors to the area we definitely think we’ve found the best hotel in Auckland! These guys have certainly set the bar pretty high. Big thanks to Michelle and the rest of the staff, we’ll be back for sure!
Location: Hotel DeBrett, 2 High Street, Auckland