Affordable decadence

The biggest surprise of this boutique, Brooklyn-style hotel in Auckland is the bargain pricetag, writes Lorna Thornber.

2024-04-22 -

The place

When you hear a “chic New York-style hotel” has opened with such features as a glass-roofed ‘Winter Garden’, a luxe lounge with a carefully curated library, and a co-working space that doubles as a gallery for local artworks, you expect you’d have to have to part with a fair chunk of your pay cheque to stay there.

Especially when the hotel in question, Abstract Auckland, also boasts a gym, restaurant, bar and day spa with some of the finest massage therapists in the city – if not New Zealand.

It’s not an out-of-the-way location that’s keeping room costs down either. Karangahape Road, arguably Auckland’s coolest street with its string of on-trend cafes, restaurants, bars, galleries and boutiques, is just a few steps away.

But Nigel McKenna, whose Templeton Group developed Abstract Auckland, appears determined to ensure that the Gen Zers this hotel is likely to appeal to will be able to afford to stay.

When Stuff Travel checked the website, rooms started from just over $130 a night for two guests – a surefire bargain considering the location, amenities and overall vibe.

The catch is that rooms are smaller than many will be used to – the ‘Little Lux Studio is just 14 square metres. There are larger rooms and one and two-bedroom apartments available, however, and the communal spaces are so inviting you’re bound to want to spend at least some time there.

The space

With its dark colour scheme, sleek decor and colourful contemporary wall art by Auckland artists such as Ross Liew, Hayley Brown and Fraser Clements, whose iconic photographic portrait of the late Graham Maunsel hangs in the lobby, Abstract has an edgy vibe entirely in keeping with the K’ Rd precinct.

The 290-bed, 11-storey complex also contains residences, so the communal spaces are designed to be places people are likely to hang out in for a while and keep returning to.

With sunlight streaming down through the glass roof, the Winter Garden enables you to get your nature fix whatever the weather. Strung with fairy lights and filled with plants, tables and chairs, it’s a lovely spot to eat breakfast, enjoy a drink in the evening and, on cooler days, cuddle up by the fire.

Adjacent, you’ll find a co-working space where you can feel a sense of communion as you tap away on your laptop, and the Library Lounge is just across the hall.

With plush crimson couches, two fireplaces, rather risque black-andwhite wall art and shelves stuffed with books on all manner of interesting subjects (some of which are quite risque themselves), it’ll make you feel like lord or lady of the manor as you enjoy your downtime.

The room

With its thick blackout curtains and midnight-blue walls, the one-bedroom apartment I check into seems perfect for those who’ll need a long sleep-in after a night on the town.

At 28sqm, it’s relatively small, but has everything I need for a weekend stay, including a kitchenette with a large fridge, stove-top and coffee machine, a TV with Netflix and a powerful hair dryer.

Located on the eighth floor, it overlooks the infamous Symonds Street Cemetery – an atmospheric place for a stroll by day but best avoided after dark.

The comfy bed has exceptionally plump pillows, the fan heaters warm up the space in a flash, and the yellow couch is a perfect place to curl up with a book from the library (just remember to return it afterwards).

The only drawback is the lack of space to put your toiletries near the kitchen sink, although there is a cabinet behind it you can store them in.

Food and drink

With dark wood panelling offset by appropriately abstract artworks, on-site restaurant Collage is a cosy spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and you can also opt to eat in the Winter Garden.

There’s a bit of a kerfuffle when I mention I am gluten and dairy-free, but staff soon come back with a menu highlighting exactly which dishes I can choose from, which is most of them.

The ceviche and snapper I opt for are both delicious, filling and fairly priced, although perhaps lack the X-factor of meals at some of K’ Rd’s better restaurants.

Abstract shines on the drinks front though. The small, speakeasy-style bar turns out quality cocktails with an Auckland twist (signature drinks include the Tāmaki Mojito and K’ Rd Old Fashioned, and mocktails that, unusually, taste just as good.

The highlight

The 150-minute signature massage at the Sa-Ni day spa with master therapist Jay. Her healing hands – and elbows and feet – left the old body feeling like it had been reborn.