How sad that it was such a bad experience. Four of us...booked the Penthouse...no gas in the fire so the apartment was freezing. There were cheap plastic fans dotted around. The dishwasher had the previous guests dishes unwashed. No tea in the container. The pot plants in the master ensuite had seen better days. The second bedroom had an ironing board, iron, heater and air con unit cluttering the room. As if this wasn't bad enough sadly the staff weren't interested.
FindHotel
Hotels.com
Don’t know why other people are complaining.. this is a stunning building and my room was beautiful. Harbor views in two different directions from separate windows, immaculate modern bathroom and period style brand new seating area to enjoy the views from. Fridge, electric blankets, free standing full length mirror, original fireplace. fabulous value compared to a regular motel or CBD hotel. Friendly and helpful hotelier. Great bar area. Can’t believe my luck value-wise.
This is no experience in revelling in the history of what was once a fine and grand hotel. It's shabby, tired and currently disrepected. The service seems chaotic and it had all the hallmarks of a Fawlty Towers episode. The room was tired and sad. Curtains were faded, paint was peeling, the fridge had been left off so was leaking and the bathroom had some weird wiring experiment going on with NO lights above the mirror. It's a beautiful that needs to be cherished and nurtured. It certainly isn't getting that treatment now and the rate we paid $175 (!) was certainly a rip off.
At weekend at faulty towers...on checking in the receptionist had no record of our booking, insisted on photo ID and even suggested we had booked under a different name?
I was given the pile of check in information to see if I could see our names among the people already booked into the hotel, so much for privacy?
The room and bed was very substandard, we had to request the floor be vacuumed as there was hair all through it.
The smoke alarm went off at 4 am the first night in the room next door and continued for one hour! Room service does not include clean towels or washed cups.
We took the ferry over to Devonport to have an afternoon away from the buzz of Auckland . We explored on foot and popped into the Esplanade for a drink before heading back across the water. It wouldn't have taken much for us to decide to stay for dinner, but it wasn't to be.
While we were there entertainment arrived with his guitar and played a few numbers before we left. Shall we say he put his own take on the songs and we weren't inspired to stay, so moved on relatively quickly.
We were told that we had booked superior room. We decided that we would make the most of the Harbour Sun Room and booked an extra night. We were disappointed, and appalled at the state of the room:-
There was a discarded used paper towel left on the sunroom floor.
The sunroom seemed to be used as a storeroom, 2 heaters and a fan, furniture and cushions in disarray.
The venetian blinds did not work. The curtains were hanging from their hooks.
The carpets in the room had not been vacuumed properly for some time, anything put on the floor was covered in dust.
The glass surfaces, tables and mirror, had not been cleaned properly
The breakfast provided was substandard, when we asked for fruit juice we were told that it would be extra!!
We can understand that in these times the cost of maintenance can be challenging, but shabby does not need to be unclean. A pre requisite of hospitality are clean, well presented rooms and a simple well prepared and well presented breakfast.
