The Shakespeare Hotel

The burger was tasty once it finally showed up, but a basic burger and chips took 70 minutes, and it wasn't worth that wait. After half an hour, a staff member abruptly said they were busy and it would be another 30 minutes. When I checked again after an hour, the manager, who had taken my order, said the wait was at least an hour, despite the fact I'd already been waiting that long. Neither of them apologized when the food arrived; both came across as not caring. The person beside me waited 45 minutes for fish and chips and got the same attitude, with no apology. I expected an ordinary pub meal, and left very disappointed. I won't go back while I'm visiting Auckland.

Room 12 smelled like vinegar and mould, though I couldn't quite identify the smell at first. It was tiny and awkward, with a badly sunken spot on the bed where people had sat on its only accessible side. The TV didn't work unless I signed into my own Netflix account, there was no milk for the instant coffee, and a fan outside the window kept making an inconsistent noise. The aircon remote seemed broken, though I managed to switch it on manually. I could keep listing things. Staying in my car would've been better, and free.

The online menu prices were $10 less across the board than the menu we were given at the restaurant. When I asked the manager about it, he said they needed to update the website. We finished our cocktail and left for somewhere else. Before that, we'd walked over because the food looked good and reasonably priced, but my wife's cocktail arrived without the lime she requested, and we waited another 10 minutes for it. Not a good experience at all.

The farmer's salad was so delicious, and the portions were huge, with roasted and fresh vegetables. Brianna was a wonderfully gracious host when we arrived around 9 pm, and our order came quickly. The margarita pizza was piping hot and had fresh ingredients too. Sitting out on the balcony in the perfect night air made the evening. Thank you! We'd happily go again.