The Spencer Hotel by Castle

The location is a real plus, with the beach a five-minute walk away and plenty of shops and places to eat nearby. Our balcony view was also lovely. Staff were nice at check-in and let us bring our own snacks and drinks into the old bar area, which helped since neither room had enough space to host us. But the hotel is looking very tired, and $35 a night for parking felt steep. Having rooms serviced only every three days seemed odd. We were disappointed the pool and spa weren’t available because they weren’t heated during our mid-September stay. The coffee and biscuit spot by reception had no biscuits or milk, and the machine didn’t seem to work. What we paid was a lot for what we got.

We keep choosing the Spencer for its location, and have stayed here many times over the past 10 years. It’s an easy walk to the CBD for restaurants, bars, shopping, and beach walks. The views are great, especially from corner rooms, which look over Lake Pupuke, the harbour, or both. Our upper-floor ‘05’ room photos were taken from the balcony. Check-in and checkout were easy, and reception was very friendly. The room was comfortable and we slept well, though it felt a bit tired. The reception-level floor has been delaminating for over a year. At $340 for the night, the suite felt overpriced, and parking was expensive too.

The balcony overlooking the city and the clean bathrooms were the best parts of my stay. The room itself was just okay, with dusty tables, old flooring, and a bed that wasn’t very comfortable. The gym had plenty of equipment and was quite nice, though the tennis court was run down. I was disappointed to find the pool, hot tub, and restaurant closed after paying $220 US dollars for one night.

I was really disappointed to find both the pool and spa pool closed. The pool has apparently been shut for “maintenance” since October, and I don’t understand why they didn’t do the work in midwinter so it would be ready for summer. The location is great, and reception staff were nice.