One reason for this is not the hotel’s fault but the unfortunate circumstances. Right beside this apartment block they were building another apartment block, and if I say “right beside” I mean right beside – about 50 centimetres from our window. If you want to avoid this, make clear you get a room with a street view to either Aitken or Mulgrave Street.
We were surely lucky that we were there from Friday until Monday, so did not have any noise problem. When they started working on Monday we were already awake. Brrrrrrrrrm, brrrrrrrrrm LOL
However… As the management knows of works and tradespeople moving around under the noses of their guests they could at least have installed a curtain at the window, to allow a tiny bit of natural light get into the room, and privacy. Perhaps they thought the window was dirty enough, so nobody would be able to look into the room. Anyway, we had the (dirty) blind closed the whole time, and sure, with such a room you have to leave the building to check on the weather. Zero points for privacy.
The room itself was clean.
The modern furniture was cheap, with a clothes rack only and no wardrobe. The kitchenette was in working order, coffee and tea sachets and milk were stocked every day. As we knew that we would go out for dinner we booked a studio unit only – and would surely not cook in such a small room and have all clothes in the cooking stink. They have bigger apartments with separate bedrooms for such cases – but I do not know if they have better views ;-)
The bathroom was acceptable but not great. In one corner there were signs of water damage from above, there was a small board over the basin where you could not store more than four or five items. The drawers below the basin were not perfectly clean, so I did not want to use them.
I think if you are busy visiting all the attractions and running around the whole day the standard of those apartments would be ok, would there not be the horrible construction site next door and no daylight at all. As the walls of the neighbouring building were not up yet, we still could see if it was day or night. When this job once is finished, it will be dark on this side of the apartment block at all time, and you will feel like in a cave – as we did thanks to the no curtains policy of the house.
If you get a room to the other sides of the building, you will be perfectly fine, as already mentioned.
The location is fantastic. It is just a 2 min walk to the Railway Station (where you have a New World supermarket) and the bus exchange, 3 min to Parliament House and the Beehive, 2 min to Old St. Paul’s, 5 min to the bus stop on Lambton Quay (to Karori).
