Sm-art hotel offers unique experience
An ultra arty Dunedin hotel has all the mod-cons beneath the southern stars, writes Hamish McNeilly.
Anew hotel has opened in Dunedin, and it feels very grown-up. Dunedin is a city known for its students, wildlife (the animal kind), and built heritage.
But a new arrival, EBB-Dunedin, is offering a point of difference to the city’s accommodation sector.
The striking steel and glass hotel, which is billed as New Zealand’s first modernist boutique hotel, features prominent artwork from local artist Simon Kaan across its Filleul St facade, and again at the rear. So far, so good.
Perhaps the next noticeable point of difference is the lack of formal reception area. All check-ins are done online, and you are simply handed your room details by a staff member sitting with a laptop in a lounge-type area. It’s a nice touch.
The hotel features 27 rooms, as well as a penthouse suite, all pitched at adults.
With no children it is quiet, and the four-level atrium lined with themed artworks make it almost seem like you are staying in an art gallery.
The large photograph prints of Dunedin’s haunting coastline are particularly eye-catching.
Each level features a guest lounge, a nice spot where you can watch the stars above if it is a clear night (otherwise the roof closes at the slightest hint of rain).
The bedrooms are all unique, and there are some lovely touches, from the mood lighting to the sliding glass door which separate the bathroom.
If mini-bars are your thing, you’ll appreciate the wide array of Dunedin brands on offer at Ebb, from New New New beers to Ocho chocolates.
That nod to Dunedin is evident throughout the hotel, with the name also a
link to the city’s history.
The hotel was built on a site where once Otago Harbour ebbed and flowed, but that land has long since been reclaimed.
Now the hotel is staking its claim with its bold modernity in a city known for its gothic heritage.
EBB-Cafe, on the ground floor, is run by Dunedin chef and food writer Alison Lambert.
She is cooking up a storm as we relax in the atrium early on a Saturday.
The cafe’s menu, just like the hotel, does not forget its Dunedin roots, offering a diverse array of Dunedin favourites, including a bacon butty.
However, in keeping with the more modern surrounds, it also features organic, gluten-free and vegetarian options.
It turns out that the barista knows my partner, and her coffee arrives with a ‘‘whale’’ drawn into the flat white’s foam.
It is a place full of surprises.