New Zealand is thought for its terrain, pure magnificence, adventure-filled actions and meals and wine, however not essentially for its number of chain lodges and points-friendly lodging.
Nonetheless, a minimum of in Auckland, that’s altering. There are actually a number of upscale lodges within the metropolis the place you may earn or redeem factors, get pleasure from elite standing advantages and avoid wasting cash.
The brand new 284-room JW Marriott Auckland is likely one of the newest entrants in New Zealand’s resort scene, having simply opened in December 2022. In contrast to the beautiful Park Hyatt Auckland, which opened in 2020, the JW Marriott will not be a new-build property.
As an alternative, it’s a refresh of what was as soon as the Stamford Plaza Auckland … and it reveals. A full renovation is not slated to be accomplished till mid-2024.
Nonetheless, the JW Marriott Auckland is open and accessible for stays, so whereas my household was within the metropolis final month, we checked in for an evening to test it out in its present type. Here is what our keep on the new JW Marriott Auckland was like and what it’s good to know.
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Central location in Auckland
The JW Marriott Auckland has probably the best location for a keep within the metropolis. It is in what’s known as the Central Enterprise District (CBD), however do not let that idiot you if you’re on the town for leisure. It is nonetheless an ideal spot for that, too.
Principally, the whole lot we did in Auckland (aside from transiting to and from the airport) was inside strolling distance of the JW Marriott.
The resort is a brief stroll away from the colourful Viaduct Harbour and the Wynyard Quarter with its waterfront cafes and eating places, the ferry terminal the place we departed to (cannot miss) Waiheke Island and the bus terminal the place we headed out of city to Hobbiton and the glow worm caves.
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The Sky Tower and New Zealand Maritime Museum are additionally in pretty shut proximity, in case these points of interest are in your want listing.
Proper worth
Whereas nightly room charges fluctuate, it is common for paid costs on the JW Auckland to begin round $190 to $250 per evening, which is not dangerous for an upscale model like JW in a significant metropolis (all costs are in U.S. {dollars}).
In the event you’re wanting to make use of a Marriott 35,000-point certificates, chances are you’ll be in for some actually good luck, as most nights are at present priced at or beneath 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening. This implies you possibly can use a Marriott 35,000-point certificates plus a top-up of round 10,000 Marriott factors, which is strictly what we did for considered one of our rooms.
And sure, I stated “rooms” within the plural. Regardless that one of many customary room varieties is a 387-square-foot house with two double beds, like in a lot of New Zealand, the utmost occupancy in a single room is three individuals.
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As a household of 4, this meant we would have liked two rooms, which stung a bit much less when one room was booked with a free evening certificates plus factors whereas we locked the opposite one in at a low money charge.
Good Marriott elite advantages
The primary bit of fine information was {that a} Marriott Suite Night time Award for considered one of our rooms cleared into what the resort calls a junior suite, which fits for a few hundred {dollars} extra per evening than a regular room.
In actuality, this didn’t appear to be a junior suite to me however somewhat a generously sized regular room. Nonetheless, we appreciated the additional house.
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The opposite extra tangible Marriott Platinum advantages got here once we had been instructed of a free joyful hour that takes place every night within the foyer bar. I am instructed that is taking place whereas there is not a lounge accessible for friends.
The bartender stated we might choose just about any wine or beer, and whereas I feel the joyful hour was to incorporate one drink per particular person, we weren’t charged for any, although we every had two glasses.
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We chosen breakfast as our Marriott Platinum profit on this keep. Most of it was on par with different resort buffet breakfasts we would had in New Zealand — beans, sausage, chilly meat, bacon, scrambled eggs and fruit taking heart stage. Nonetheless, this one had one particular shock: a juicer.
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It was a whole lot of enjoyable to toss pre-peeled oranges, lemons, carrots, celery, and so on., within the juicer and immediately have fresh-made juice. This was a novelty, even amongst our varied resort stays in New Zealand.
Final however not least, late checkout was honored upon request with none trouble.
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Good indoor pool and fitness center
The JW Marriott Auckland has a pleasant indoor pool and scorching tub on its prime visitor flooring. The pool was open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the fitness center listed as being open 24 hours a day.
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Nobody was utilizing the services throughout our go to, and the pure gentle courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling home windows made for an inviting house to take a dip or get in a exercise.
The rooms are simply OK
I’ve largely led with the positives, however as you might have already gathered from a few of the images, the JW Marriott Auckland will not be in its accomplished type.
It is open, operational and price contemplating. Nonetheless, the rooms (and far of the remainder of the resort) should not absolutely renovated, and that is apparent from the second you stroll within the entrance doorways.
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The resort nonetheless appears to be like prefer it did earlier than it was a JW, based mostly on researching some older images on-line. If you’re searching for trendy design, decor and performance, you will not discover it right here fairly but. The rooms, hallways and different services have a really feel that’s a minimum of a decade outdated.
It is also price figuring out that earlier than changing into a JW, this resort was used as a 14-day managed isolation quarantine facility for these getting into New Zealand throughout COVID-19. That probably explains why some components of the rooms appear to be they’ve fairly a bit of wear and tear and tear, with people being confined to a small house for an extended time period.
Causes the JW Marriott Auckland won’t be for you
We loved our one evening on the JW Marriott Auckland, nevertheless it could be your best option to your journey. Listed here are a number of causes which may maintain you again from reserving it:
- It’s totally brown. The carpet, the partitions, and even a lot of the accent decor on the JW Marriott Auckland are very firmly rooted within the tan and brown palettes. All of it appears to be like the identical when your eyes are closed, however if you’re searching for modern environment while you’re awake, this is not it (but).
- It is not completed. To get the resort as much as the present requirements of a JW Marriott, there will likely be work moving into phases for a minimum of the subsequent 18 months or so, so friends ought to put together for some development and noise.
- Whereas the resort itself is not model new, it is new to Marriott, so there are nonetheless a number of studying curves to navigate. A great instance was the “free” joyful hour, the place it was unclear what was really free or how that will work.
- Staffing is a combined bag. We encountered some useful and type workers members, but in addition some who appeared far much less engaged or informative. As one instance of combined service, it typically took some time to get assist from the bartender although we had been seated on the bar with few different patrons round.
Do you have to choose the JW Marriott Auckland or Park Hyatt Auckland?
If you’re searching for the “nicer” factors resort between the JW Marriott Auckland and the Park Hyatt Auckland, the Park Hyatt wins by a big margin.
Nonetheless, you will additionally sometimes pay extra for what you get on the Park Hyatt. For instance, on a randomly chosen Saturday a number of weeks from now, rooms on the JW Marriott begin at $184 per evening, whereas rooms on the Park Hyatt begin at $331.
So long as that worth differential stays, it will probably make sense to choose the JW if you’d like an honest room at a very good worth in a central location.
If you’d like a extra luxurious keep — or have Hyatt factors somewhat than Marriott ones — the Park Hyatt could be my choose.
Once we stayed there instantly after our evening on the JW Marriott, it was a noticeable step up within the services, meals and repair. Because the resort was purpose-built and incorporates an unbelievable quantity of paintings from New Zealand artists and craftspeople, to not point out a few of the metropolis’s hottest eating places, that is to be anticipated.
As soon as the JW Marriott’s renovation is full, maybe its rooms and facilities will likely be inside putting distance of the Park Hyatt.
Testing
Not less than for now, it is protected to say that the JW Marriott Auckland — whereas technically one of many latest lodges on the town — is not but the nicest.
Whereas I would favor the close by Park Hyatt if all issues had been equal, I do not remorse saving some cash on our first evening in Auckland on the JW Marriott. It is a resort with some potential and could possibly be an much more compelling possibility as soon as it has been absolutely reworked right into a modern-day JW Marriott.
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For charges and charges of the Marriott Bonvoy Good Amex, click on right here.
