The Park Hyatt Auckland is a luxurious waterfront property that opened in 2020 and has quickly established itself as a top-tier property in both Auckland and New Zealand as a whole.
Auckland is one of my favourite cities in the world, and after a lengthy absence due to the pandemic, I was looking forward to kicking off my long-awaited return at this gorgeous property.
Park Hyatt Auckland – Booking
As a luxury property within Hyatt’s portfolio, the hotel’s nightly rates begin at $430 NZD ($260 USD, $350 CAD) and climb to $800 NZD ($485 USD, $640 CAD) during peak times.
The Park Hyatt Auckland is currently a Category 5 property under the World of Hyatt loyalty program, and I paid a standard rate of 20,000 World of Hyatt points. You’ll also find pricing of 17,000 or 23,000 points on off-peak and peak dates, respectively.
We value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point (USD) or 2 cents per point (CAD). In this case, my redemption beat out our target valuations, and I was pretty pleased with the value.
If you’re booking a cash rate at the Park Hyatt Auckland, get in touch with a travel advisor with access to Hyatt Privé , Hyatt’s preferred partner program.
You’ll pay the same as the publicly available refundable rate, but you’ll get extra perks such as free breakfast, a $100 (USD) property credit, a room upgrade, and more.
Book with Prince of Travel and Hyatt Privé
Book a hotel stay with Prince of Travel through Hyatt Privé and enjoy exclusive additional benefits at no cost to you, including:
Daily breakfast for two guests
One-category room upgrade at time of booking, subject to availability
Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
$100 (USD) property credit (benefit may vary)
Welcome gift and letter
Third, Fourth, or Fifth Night Free at select properties
Book Park Hyatt Auckland
Park Hyatt Auckland – Location
Auckland, which is New Zealand’s largest and most cosmopolitan city, flaunts a captivating skyline with towering skyscrapers. It’s a city of many contrasts, laden with vibrant harbours, volcanic landscapes, art galleries, and beaches.
Nestled perfectly on the water’s edge, Park Hyatt Auckland has a prime spot with sweeping views of Wynyard Quarter’s Lighter Basin and Waitematā Harbour. The area is well-established as a prominent hub for business, so there’s a multitude of offices, apartments, and other hotels nearby.
More Auckland Hotels
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Beyond this, it’s quite easy to meander around. From the hotel, it’s a leisurely stroll to an array of restaurants and local bars, all of which offer stunning views of the harbour.
A short walk from the property will also take you to Queen Street, the main shopping hub. Then, heading across a pedestrian bridge takes you to the Britomart area, which offers a mix of historic buildings, new developments, and open public spaces.
The Park Hyatt Auckland is also a stone’s throw from many major hotspots. It’s a 20-minute journey by vehicle to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Sky Tower, and the SKYCITY Auckland, so all the action is right at your fingertips.
Lastly, the Park Hyatt Auckland is a 30-minute drive from Auckland Airport, and I was in great spirits as I arrived at the hotel by Uber on a beautiful day in the city.
Park Hyatt Auckland – Check-in
The entrance to the Park Hyatt Auckland sits directly off Halsey Street in Auckland Central, where a porte-cochère welcomes you inside.
The hotel’s exterior immediately carries a distinctly modern design, adorned with pivoting bronzed stainless steel mesh screens that are meant to represent a traditional Māori cloak called a korowai .
Park Hyatt Auckland – Exterior
Park Hyatt Auckland – Entrance
To add to this, the hotel draws inspiration from the Auckland Harbour and New Zealand’s rich natural beauty. It incorporates locally sourced materials and many Māori touches, alongside industrial elements and urban references.
The hotel showcases numerous works of art. The first piece of Māori artwork is the hotel’s façade, while the second installation occupies the entrance wall – a wooden waka by Lyonel Grant, a renowned New Zealand Māori master carver and sculptor.
Park Hyatt Auckland – Entrance artwork
Park Hyatt Auckland – Interior hallway artwork
As a striking contrast to the low entry porte-cochère, inside, you’ll be greeted by a breathtaking seven-storey central atrium, encircled by the hotel’s guest rooms.
The atrium of the hotel incorporates elements inspired by the Māori. Irregularly shaped fins extend upwards on both sides of the atrium, and overhead, and the spaces between these fins are glazed. This enables natural daylight to illuminate the interior as it moves throughout the day.
The lobby is outright striking, with tukutuku panels and a multi-coloured art display by artist Peata Larkin. This backdrop features painted woven patterns that are illuminated with LED lighting to echo Māori weavings.
Park Hyatt Auckland – Lobby lounge
When you enter the lobby, there are two curved couches and colourful ottomans which sit over a strip-patterned rug. To its right, a map of the Auckland area hangs prominently on the wall.
Park Hyatt Auckland – Lobby lounge
The front of the lobby is where the check-in and the concierge desks are located, while towards the back is an open-air event space.
After checking out the space, I headed over to the check-in area. Here, three desks are framed by slatted wooden structures, and more tukutuku panels serve as a backdrop.
Park Hyatt Auckland – Check-in desks
Ordinarily, Hyatt Globalist members are entitled to a “Standard Suite” upgrade upon availability at check-in; however, it wasn’t looking too good in terms of getting an upgrade upon arrival, since the hotel was quite full.
Nevertheless, the hotel was able to find a Park Suite for me between the time I arrived and the check-in hour at 3pm. In fact, the Park Suite I was allocated is one of the better ones, as it’s situated on the corner of the building, albeit on the third floor closer to ground level.
Indeed, most of the other corner suites on higher floors with a similar layout are designated as Harbour Suites, and are typically not given out to Globalist members. If you’re staying at this hotel as a Globalist, it might be an inspired move to ask for the “Park Suite on the corner on the third floor” as your Standard Suite upgrade.
