ibis Budget Auckland Central

A very basic, clean, cheap place to stay, and it worked well as a base for exploring Auckland. It used to be student accommodation and that shows, but I'd stay again, booking a room-only rate. The hotel's $20 NZ breakfast comes as a voucher for a café a couple of doors away. I usually like an Ibis breakfast, but I'd skip this one. The café serves its regular customers as well as hotel guests and gets busy, so waits can be long. The special menu for Ibis guests isn't always the best value. I'd get breakfast elsewhere. The staff I met were polite and professional, though not especially warm. It's an easy walk from the Sky Tower or the train station if you're coming from the airport. Auckland is hilly, and the hotel is on a steep street, so keep hold of your wheeled suitcase. The room was basic, clean, and had a comfortable bed, a small fridge, and tea and coffee facilities. There was only one clothes hook, on the back of the door. The wet-room bathroom has a fairly high step to get in, good water pressure, and plenty of hot water.

The room on level 14 had a tiny terrace, with its individual AC unit above a pool of algae water. The floor was quiet. I didn't use the kitchenette, and the shower curtain enclosed a tight space. The step into the bath had no hand grips. The hotel sits halfway up a steep block, and reception didn't feel very welcoming. Having two elevators was useful for a high-rise building, and there was an indicator when one was under repair.

There's street noise, so earplugs would help. Otherwise I found the bed comfortable and the room spotless, with no unpleasant smells. It was a bit dated, but fine, and I didn't need the air conditioner since I slept with the window open. You can heat food in the microwave, and there's a kettle too. Woolworth is around the corner, which is handy for budget travelers. I arrived before 2 pm and got my room after a short wait. I'd seen plenty of negative reviews and expected the worst, but the hotel was fine. It's a good budget option in the city, within walking distance of everything, though it's not a luxury hotel.

I expected other Ibis hotels' standards and should've read the reviews first. From arrival, the staff seemed uninterested and unhelpful, and we had to ask for basic check-in information that should've been offered. The website photos made the room look like a studio with a kitchen, but there wasn't even a fork or spoon for making a simple meal. How is that a usable kitchen? I support sustainability, and I read the housekeeping policy. But that doesn't explain missing basic daily service like towel changes or a quick refresh. I wasn't expecting fresh sheets every day, just a simple clean-up. By late afternoon, we had to ask reception for it. Completely unacceptable. One night cost us more than $200. I regret not paying a little extra to stay somewhere else, and I'll share what happened widely so others can avoid the same mistake. Extremely disappointed.