The Surrey Hotel

After a long flight, we enjoyed the walk into the city centre from the Surrey Hotel. It was clean and nice, though not especially modern. I'd definitely stay again.

I was in town from Invercargill for work and stayed for a couple of nights, Monday, November 10 to Wednesday, November 12, 2025. The rooms were quiet, which was a big plus for me, and they looked clean, fresh, and nicely presented. The bathroom and toilet were impeccable. My room had a small fridge and facilities for tea and coffee, and the bed was comfortable enough. Room service did a good job as far as I could tell. My only complaint was U.H.F milk instead of real milk in the room. The attached restaurant was convenient, with a good menu, pleasant staff, and reasonably swift service. I enjoyed the food, which was just what I expected and liked. You could happily walk in off the street to eat there even without staying at the Surrey. The staff I dealt with were a credit to the place. I'm happy to recommend it and would come back. Four stars from me.

The Surrey can be a good Auckland base if your expectations are moderate, especially if you're travelling by car. It's fairly central, and Toast and Tonic nearby serves some of Auckland's best coffee. The rooms have been upgraded over the years, but some maintenance details still need attention: the glass shower doors were misaligned and jammed, and bulging rubber hoses were exposed at the shower handles. The restaurant had run out of chocolate powder, so they couldn't make chocolate drinks. We initially had only two towels for three people, but the on-call staff fixed that quickly and were friendly and helpful.

We were really happy with our two nights at the Surrey. The pool kept the kids happy, and the pub food was delicious. We had breakfast and dinner with a group of 10, and both times the food was hot, fresh, and tasty. The rooms were clean and fresh, and all the staff were super friendly and helpful. It's not a fancy hotel, but it had everything we needed for our little Auckland vacation. Being close to the zoo was a big help too.