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Auckland is a vibrant city in the northern region of New Zealand’s North Island. It’s much bigger and more populous than the New Zealand capital of Wellington, which is why it’s a major attraction for tourists looking for sun, sand, history, and culture.
This chic urban city is packed with high-rise buildings but also offers easy access to scenic coastlines and beautiful beaches, giving visitors the best of both worlds.
If you’re planning to visit Auckland for the first time, you might be wondering which area to stay in. Not only is Auckland city center home to countless excellent neighborhoods but there are also lots of great suburbs on the outskirts of the city that attract vacationers.
Let’s take a look at some of Auckland’s most popular areas for tourists and highlight some of its best hotels to help you decide where to stay.
Central Business District for Sightseeing
Photo Credit: ChameleonsEye
Highlights: Sky Tower, Auckland Art Gallery, The Lightship, Viaduct Harbour, New Zealand Maritime Museum, Britomart, Queen Street, Aotea Square, Albert Park
The Central Business District, also known as the CBD and Auckland Central, is the heart of Auckland and the best place to stay to navigate the city’s main attractions. There are many iconic landmarks to admire, such as the 1,076-foot Sky Tower, which offers incredible views from its lookout. The CBD also has some great cultural sights to explore, such as Auckland Art Gallery and The Lightship.
Viaduct Harbour, also known as Auckland Viaduct, is another hotspot for tourists in the CBD. Not only is it home to the popular New Zealand Maritime Museum, but it also serves as the city’s main public transport hub, where buses, trains, and ferries connect Auckland CBD with other neighborhoods throughout the city. There are several fantastic spots for admiring the busy harbor here, particularly at Halsey Street Wharf. Britomart, a popular waterfront shopping center, lies nearby.
Queen Street is a major thoroughfare that runs south through the city center from Britomart. It’s lined with shops, restaurants, and bars and is always teeming with tourists. Aotea Square, a popular public plaza lined with trees and benches, lies just off Queen Street and is surrounded by important cultural attractions, such as Herald Theatre, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Q Theatre, and Auckland Town Hall.
There’s a huge variety of hotels to choose from in the CBD. Those situated close to the waterfront are expensive, but they tend to offer incredible views. If you want to be at the very heart of the city with the main attractions a short walk away, it makes sense to stay in the CBD.
Where to Stay in Auckland Central Business District
Stay at one of these popular Auckland hotels in the Central Business District:
- Cordis Hotel is one of the Langham Hospitality Group’s range of 5-star hotels. It’s a large, luxurious property with a fitness studio, a spa, a swimming pool, and a club lounge. Rooms and suites are available.
- SkyCity Hotel Auckland is an indulgent resort with a host of on-site amenities, including a spa, restaurants, cafes, bars, and a casino. You can expect spacious, contemporary rooms and world-class hospitality.
- Hotel DeBrett is an art deco-styled boutique hotel with 25 distinct rooms, each with its own unique personality. Mid-century furnishings come together with New Zealand art to create a chic, striking environment.
- Park Hyatt Auckland is a very good 5-star hotel that lies right on the waterfront and offers fantastic views across Waitematā Harbour. It has 195 guestrooms, a day spa, multiple restaurants and bars, a fully-equipped fitness center, and an infinity pool.
- M Social Hotel Auckland is a 4-star hotel with 190 rooms, all of which have views across Princes Wharf and are equipped with satellite televisions, refrigerators, and free WiFi. On-site facilities include a restaurant and bar, a fitness center, and a business center.
Ponsonby for Nightlife
Highlights: Bars, restaurants, Ponsonby Central, Victoria Park Market
Ponsonby is a 30-minute walk west of Auckland CBD and is considered one of the best places in the city for nightlife. It’s a classy area with lots of chic bars and pubs. Foodies will love Ponsonby for its diverse range of eateries, which includes fine dining restaurants, cool gastropubs, timeless seafood bistros, and hip food trucks. Many of the best places to eat and drink can be found in Ponsonby Central, a strip lined with trendy establishments serving a variety of local and international food and cocktails.
Victoria Park Market in the adjacent neighborhood of Freeman’s Bay is another great spot for shopping and dining. Freeman’s Bay is one of the city’s oldest and most affluent districts so there’s plenty of attractive architecture to admire here.
Ponsonby is primarily a residential area, but there are a handful of cool boutique hotels here. If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city center but don’t want to miss out on the atmosphere after dark, Ponsonby is a great place to stay.
Parnell for Local Life
Photo Credit: Boyloso
Highlights: Auckland Domain, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Parnell Rose Garden, Ayr Reserve, Ewelme Cottage
Parnell lies just east of the city center and is very easy to reach either on foot or via public transport. It’s one of Auckland’s oldest suburbs. The spacious Auckland Domain, also known as Pukekawa, crowns the area. It was developed on top of an extinct volcano in the mid-19th century and is home to multiple attractions, including the Auckland War Memorial Museum and the Domain Wintergardens.
There’s more green space to explore in Parnell when you head to Parnell Rose Garden (also known as Dove Myer Robinson Park) in the northeast and the Ayr Reserve in the southeast. These pockets of nature in the busy city make Parnell an attractive residential neighborhood for some of Auckland’s most affluent communities.
There are fewer hotels in Parnell than in the Central Business District. It can be a great spot to find private vacation rentals if you’re looking for self-catering accommodation. If you want a taste of Auckland’s local life while staying within easy reach of the city center, Parnell’s a great destination.
Where to Stay in Parnell
The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre is one of Auckland’s most popular apartment hotels. Its air-conditioned units are equipped with kitchenettes and offer city or harbor views, and free parking is included.
Mount Eden for Family Vacations
Photo Credit: SOMPHOTOGRAPHY
Highlights: Maungawhau
Mount Eden is the neighborhood surrounding the volcanic peak of Maungawhau, which is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. The crater at the top of the peak is a must-see, but there are also epic views across the city to admire. You can easily spend a few hours here appreciating the peak’s natural beauty.
Other than Maungawhau, there are few attractions in the Mount Eden neighborhood. It’s primarily a residential area and compared to the likes of Ponsonby and Parnell, the atmosphere in Mount Eden is much more relaxed. However, there are plenty of great cafes, restaurants, and bars to enjoy. Mount Eden’s nightlife centers around a quiet dinner with friends rather than a bar crawl, but this makes it a great neighborhood for families to stay in. You’ll find plenty of lodges and B&Bs here rather than the high-end hotels of the city center.
Newmarket for Shopping
Photo Credit: Emagnetic
Highlights: Westfield Newmarket, Highwic House
Newmarket lies just south of Parnell and is primarily a retail district. The majority of stores here offer upscale and designer goods, with both independent and multinational brands represented. Westfield Newmarket is the area’s biggest mall, and it has a cinema, a pub, and a wide range of eateries in addition to its many stores.
Some consider Newmarket a miniature version of the CBD because it has a sophisticated atmosphere and great amenities. It’s much lighter on cultural attractions, but there is the fascinating Highwic House to explore, which is a Carpenter Gothic mansion that dates back to 1862. The hotels in Newmarket are more affordable in the CBD, and public transport links are excellent, which means you can reach the city center sights with ease.
North Shore and Takapuna for Beaches
Photo Credit: ChameleonsEye
Highlights: Beaches, Killarney Park, Torpedo Bay Navy Museum, Mount Victoria
North Shore lies on the northern side of Auckland Harbour and is a popular destination for beach vacations. It’s accessible via the Auckland Harbour Bridge or ferry, and there are several attractive neighborhoods dotted along the shoreline, including Devonport, Bayswater, and Takapuna.
It’s Takapuna that attracts the most visitors thanks to its long stretch of beach with golden sands and calm ocean waters that are perfect for swimming. Takapuna also has some lovely green spaces, such as Killarney Park, which is home to the Pumphouse Theatre and offers spectacular views across Lake Pupuke.
Devonport, which lies south of Takapuna, is home to some great cultural attractions. The Devonport Museum showcases the history of the area, while the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum shares insights into New Zealand’s naval history. Cheltenham Beach and Devonport Beach are popular sunbathing and swimming spots, while Mount Victoria offers incredible views of Auckland Harbour and the city center skyline from its summit.
If you’re looking for a relaxing beach holiday, North Shore is the place to be. There are ample hotels, guesthouses, and holiday resorts to choose from, many of which are located on the waterfront to provide gorgeous views and easy access to the beach.
Auckland Airport for Short Stays
Highlights: Butterfly Creek, Manawa Bay Shopping Outlet, JK’s World of Golf
Auckland Airport is a 30-minute drive from the city center, although it takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach it by public transport. If you’re only taking a short trip to Auckland or you have an early-morning departure, you might find it useful to stay near the airport itself. There are several good hotels to choose from, many of which offer convenient airport shuttle services.
There are a few hidden gems to check out near the airport if you have time to kill. You could spend a few hours shopping and dining at Manawa Bay or practicing your swing at JK’s World of Golf driving range. If you have kids, visit Butterfly Creek. It’s a fun miniature zoo with a butterfly house, crocodiles, monkeys, meerkats, and many other resident animals.
Where to Stay Near Auckland Airport
Check-in at one of these popular Auckland Airport hotels:
- Pullman Auckland Airport is a luxury hotel that’s ideal for business and leisure travelers. It has a restaurant, a bar, a fitness center, and a 24-hour front desk. Plus, it offers room service and serves breakfast daily.
- Ibis Budget Auckland Airport is an affordable hotel that is ideal for those with a stopover or early morning flight. It has a 24-hour reception and free parking, and there’s an airport shuttle service available for an extra charge.
- Novotel Auckland Airport is a great mid-range hotel that lies just outside the airport’s international terminal. Its rooms have soundproof floor-to-ceiling windows so you can get a peaceful night’s sleep and enjoy plenty of natural light during the day.
Waiheke Island for Natural Beauty
Photo Credit: Tim Yim
Highlights: Wineries, hiking trails, beaches, Museum of Waiheke, Stony Batter Historic Reserve, Dead Dog Bay
Waiheke Island lies west of the coast of Auckland and is accessible via ferry in around 35 minutes. It has gorgeous beaches, incredible wineries and restaurants, and beautiful unspoiled forests, making it the perfect destination for a relaxing escape. It offers lots of opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, boating, and fishing.
You’ll find some interesting cultural attractions on Waiheke Island. Learn about the island’s heritage at the Museum of Waiheke, and see relics of World War II at Stony Batter Historic Reserve. Check out the work of local artists at the galleries in Big Oneroa Beach, and head to Dead Dog Bay to see sculptures dotted amongst pretty gardens.
It’s common to visit Waiheke Island for just a day, but if you’re looking for a tranquil break surrounded by natural beauty, you could easily spend a few nights or up to a week here with plenty to keep you busy. There’s a variety of accommodation options on offer, including hotels, guesthouses, chalets, villas, apartment rentals, and cheap hostels that are great for adventuring backpackers.
Choose Your Auckland Accommodation
Auckland has some fantastic neighborhoods to choose from with accommodation options to suit all tastes and budgets. Which area will you call home when you visit this vibrant region of New Zealand?
