QT’s quirky and tasty fun in the city
Hidden inside a gruff exterior, Trupti Biradar finds a polished and spectacular pearl of a hotel in central Auckland.
The boutique QT Auckland hotel is in a great Viaduct Harbour location for summer drinks in the sun, and as a base for the upcoming America’s Cup.
The place
QT Auckland, the third New Zealand property from Australian hotel brand QT Hotels & Resorts. The newcomer is located in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour with easy access to the city’s waterfront bars and restaurants.
The space
Almost camouflaged among the beige office buildings, it can be hard to spot, but it’s like a whole new world inside.
Luxury and quirk come together in an exciting way. The ground floor features the lobby and Esther restaurant, as well as a digital art display, and quirky glass sculptures designed by
Nic Graham using hand-blown glass by Lava Glass from Taupo¯, which Graham discovered on a holiday through Aotearoa.
The room
Room 417 on the fourth floor is a junior suite with views out to Auckland Harbour. The spacious room has a king-sized bed, a workstation, a chaise longue, and a corner seating area, as well as all the amenities you expect in a room of this calibre – Netflix, Nespresso, bluetooth speaker, and a Dyson hairdryer.
The bathroom has a large two-person bathtub, two sinks and two showers, as well as the toilet. Alice amenities are available.
The design in the room and through the hotel plays with bold colours and textures. Graham drew inspiration for the decor from an oyster on his first visit to Auckland, juxtaposing the outside shell’s rough texture with the smooth luxury within.
QT Auckland has nine room types across 150 rooms spread over five floors. Each room is a little different to the next while maintaining common design elements. The rooms range from more than 50 QT king rooms featuring city and harbour views, to deluxe and executive options for additional space, and 10 premium suites.
The service
Nothing is too much of an ask for QT Auckland staff. Clad in fashion by designer Maggie Marilyn, with a signature makeup look by Aleph Beauty, the staff were friendly, attentive and fun.
Kelly Truus Ah Kiau, one of two Directors of Chaos, told Stuff: ‘‘My aim is to add a little magic into every guest’s stay. We fulfil requests and give insider tips into local secrets, pointing guests to anything they may need while staying with us.
‘‘We love personalising every stay as much as we can, adding special surprise touches. We’ve framed a photo of a guest’s dog, and delivered recovery packs for some in-room pampering after a late-night flight or big night out.’’
The food
Even if you’re not a guest of the hotel, dinner at Esther comes highly recommended. Inspired by chef Sean Connolly’s travels around the Mediterranean, the food is clean, fresh and flavourful and makes the most of local produce and a ‘‘less is more’’ philosophy.
‘‘Especially in a time when travel is off the cards, I wanted to bring these tastes to Auckland. The menu is my personal travel diary in food form,’’ Connolly says.
The menu features flavours and soft spices from Sicily to Southern France and Morocco, but you won’t find any fusion items on the menu as each dish maintains its authenticity.
My personal favourites included puff bread, baked fresh in a giant disco ball oven in the openplan kitchen, served with taramasalata; the lamb souvlaki with rosemary and garlic toum (sauce); and the salt-crusted fish.
In Connolly’s words, ‘‘Esther embodies a lively spirit, a feminine presence and modern traveller
skipping around the Mediterranean, gathering flavours as she goes. Esther also happens to be my grandmother’s name, so bringing the restaurant to life has been of great personal significance to me. I wanted the restaurant to have the spirit of her warm joy and happiness throughout.’’
The highlight
A cocktail in the sun at the rooftop bar on the 6th floor, and the incredible dinner.
The lowlight
I had the hardest time closing the curtains so there was no light peeking through. It’s a bugbear that I find an issue across many hotel rooms.
The verdict
Whether you’re staying the night, drinking with friends at the rooftop bar, or dining out at Esther, the experience will be top-notch.
Top things to do
‘‘There are so many great things to do in this city, but three of our favourites at the moment are blissing out at Studio Red Wellness, heading to Sweet Axe Throwing for something a bit different – and of course you can’t go wrong with escaping the city to Waiheke Island,’’ says Kelly Truus Ah Kiau.
Essentials
Rooms are from $309 a night. See qthotels.com. Visit travel.stuff.co.nz for the latest deals on QT Auckland.
The writer stayed as a guest of QT Auckland.