Waterfront Seaview Hotel Apartments

We never got to see the place, but this experience alone means I wouldn’t recommend it. I booked two rooms for seven people through booking.com six weeks ahead. A week before the stay, they messaged saying I had to cancel because they’d decided they couldn’t take group bookings and expected us to be noisy. I told them we wouldn’t be noisy and got an email confirming we could keep the booking. Less than eight hours later, they said they couldn’t honor it and would cancel, with no explanation beyond group bookings and noise management. Finding another place in Auckland CBD in early Jan caused needless stress and financial strain. If you have more than three people, I’d book somewhere else.

There’s a washing machine, dryer, and full kitchen, which are useful. But the place smells odd, the carpet and walls are marked and stained, my towel had little stains, and the saucepans were still grimy. Someone had also left things in the freezer. There’s mould in the shower too. The name is misleading, since the view is of a large white building, not the sea. If you want somewhere super cheap and can tolerate poor cleaning, this might suit you.

We didn’t stay because the place was so disgusting. There was black mould everywhere, dirty stains all over the carpet, and the bed looked like someone had just got out of it. Grey pubic hairs were stuck to the glass table. The kitchen floor was sticky, the benches dirty, and cupboards and wardrobes broken. The furniture looked as if a homeless person had been sleeping on it, and outside was a green, mouldy mess. The owner said it was actually an air b&b, despite being called a hotel. This place is a health hazard. Do not book it.

We stayed on July 14, 2023. I gave the owner feedback and a chance to reply, but never heard anything. The apartment was poorly maintained: broken toilet seat, faulty bathroom sink and kitchen faucet, a bathroom extractor fan that didn’t work, ripped curtains, and only one dining chair. The paint was damaged and the furnishings were aging. It was expensive and disappointing, and I won’t stay again.