Arriving into Auckland at midnight, my friend and I were delighted to find such a comfortable place to stay for a couple of nights. The rooms were clean and fairly spacious. The room had its own fridge and bathroom and the shared kitchen was very clean. Car parking is available for an additional fee (cheaper than what you'll pay in the city carparks) and it is only a short walk down to the harbour. Great location!

I stayed there with friends of different nationalities. While they told some of us that they actually have 'long-term rates' but they denied that to our Saudi friend. Later, we realized that many young foriegn students especially those coming from oil-rich countries are thought of as millionairs to be taken advantage of.
The previouse European management ( a Swiss gentleman ), 2 years ago, was much better.
Making a long story short, two of us ( Europeans ) and our Saudi friend moved out to another non-racist place.
I'll never return to City Lodge, and advise all Saudis, Kuwaities, Qataries (etc) to consider other places.
Shame on you City Lodge for your "nationality-based rates" hidden system.
p.s. Many of other nationalities , including mine, were given the long term rates when asked for !

We stayed her two nights after arriving Europe. The rooms are clean and tidy. The rooms aren't very big but offer more than enough space if you just want to sleep and take a shower. The shared kitchen is very large and offers anything you need to make breakfast or cook dinner.

The location of the hotel is very good as it is in walking distance of the skytower and every other major sightseeing object in the city center. It is also nice that they offer parking spaces next to the hotel. If you have a rental car, this is very convenient.

Only drawback is that rooms don't have double insulated glass (actually, that seems to be uncommon everywhere in NZ) and so the noise from outside has no problem getting in. As there is a police and fire station just around the corner, the noise from the sirens can be troublesome especially when you're a light sleeper.

Plus points: pleasant, leafy street, but very central; staff helpful and flexible; unlike managers of a lot of the cheaper accom in Akl, those here are very fair and not constantly looking for ways to extract more money; rooms basic, but bright and cheerful, with reasonable bathroom, TV and fridge; good kitchen area.
Minus points: a lot of noise from the street, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, when there's shouting on and off all night; rooms hot in the summer; some of the mattresses soft and lumpy; no chair in rooms, just an uncomfortable stool.