Melissa Nightingale experiences industrial-chic luxury in central Wellington’s The Intrepid
Getting there: The hotel is very close to the State Highway that runs through the centre of Wellington, so it’s not hard to reach by car. If you’re coming from the airport, it’s about a 15-minute drive.
Location: At 60 Ghuznee St, it’s just a hop, skip and jump from the lively Cuba St, and across the road from Glover Park where you can watch people enjoying beer and live music on outdoor bean bags. There’s plenty of places to eat nearby and all within walking distance, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.
The building: The four-storey heritage building was originally built in 1909 for Cadbury Brothers. It has recently undergone three years of build work for restrengthening and is reopening for the first time as a hotel with 18 rooms across three floors.
The room: We stayed in one of the Baker Street rooms on the second floor, which is one of The Intrepid’s mid-sized rooms. All the rooms follow the same style with small changes, including unique rugs and artworks in each room.
The decor is a mixture of exposed brick and steel beams with moody, deep colours, and cosy beds. Rooms come with bathrobes, a complimentary minibar, bluetooth radios, and 50-inch smart TVS.
Each floor also has a communal coffee area on the landing shared between six rooms, where guests can get coffee, tea, and still or sparkling water on tap. There will be pastries available at the coffee station in the mornings.
The bathroom: A separate toilet and bathroom, with a floor-level sensor light that comes on in the toilet to make those middle of the night bathroom trips a little easier on the eyes. The bathrooms have forestgreen tiles and gold piping, with Real World products that smell absolutely divine. There are no baths, which is part of the challenge when dealing with heritagelisted buildings.
What’s in the neighbourhood? All the joys of Cuba St, of course, but if you want to wander a little further you’re not far from the waterfront, Te Papa museum, theatres and function venues, and plenty of shopping areas.
Food and drink: The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant but the ground floor is home to Puffin, a fabulous natural wine bar.
Other facilities: Wi-fi included, a complimentary, optional turndown service, and an in-hotel shop, Seller Door, which will stock a carefully curated selection of items like vintage watches from Fivefortyfive, gifts from Brown & Co and records from RPM.
What doesn’t it have? The hotel doesn’t have its own parking, so if you’re coming by personal car you’ll need to either find an on-street park or nab a spot in one of the nearby parking buildings.
The price: The smaller-sized Precious rooms start at $225 per night, with the Baker Street rooms starting at $245 and the largest Mighty rooms from $295.
Perfect for: Travellers stopping over in Wellington who want a more boutique, luxury experience but still want to be in the centre of the action.
Contact: theintrepidhotel.com