Princeton Apartments

It suited my trip since I was out most of the time, and the room was tidy with an okay bed. The shower was good, and the room locked, which I liked. You get accommodation that mirrors the rate. There's a little kitchen right outside the door, so dishes from neighbours might wake you up.

I stayed for a week as a traveller, and the security felt good. Reception was always open and ready to help, and the place was clean, with cleaning available if you ask. The four stars are really for the location: the museum, universities and most of the city are easy to reach on foot. Just keep in mind it's a student apartment with very limited space.

The price is low, but I wouldn't trade comfort for it again. The whole building had nasty smells that made me uneasy, and I felt cramped and disgusted as soon as I entered the apartment. Shared showers and toilets can be fine, but this bathroom was awful: hair from other guests was stuck to the shower walls, and the toilet seat looked about a decade old. It felt like a money-hungry operation run by Asians who don't know how to maintain a hotel.

The shared kitchen is cramped, and being beside a main road meant it got quite noisy at night. On the plus side, staff were helpful and quickly brought us extra kitchen equipment when we needed it. The location is central, close to both the city centre and Auckland Domain, and the bathroom is “private” in the sense that only you and a roommate share it.