QT Wellington

For a work trip, this place had a lot of character and a quirky atmosphere that made it stand out from a typical corporate hotel. The central Wellington location is hard to beat, and the service was good. My room was comfortable and well appointed. I did find that a few toiletries hadn’t been replaced after the previous guest. It didn’t spoil the stay, but housekeeping should check that everything gets refreshed during room service. With a little more attention to those bathroom details, this would be a great choice for a central stay with some personality.

The bed had no support at all. It was so floppy that lying on top of the covers for a couple of minutes was intensely painful on our backs. This was only half an hour after our afternoon check-in, so we called the office. They said the beds were like that but would send up a board to add support. Nobody brought one, so we went down ourselves. Then they said they didn’t have the board anymore (?) and all the beds were like that, so we could take it or leave it. We hadn’t touched anything except the top of the covers, and the hotel couldn’t provide a decent bed, so we asked them to cancel and refund the booking. The manager first said he’d move us to another room because the beds were all different, contradicting what he’d just told us. When we asked how, since he said they were the same brand and firmness, he claimed there might be manufacturing tolerance differences. That was absolutely a lie. He said he’d refund us if he could, but couldn’t. When we asked why, he went back to “check with IT,” sitting alone in a visibly empty office for three minutes. Then he said it wasn’t possible because we’d booked through Expedia. We pointed out he could cancel without refunding the admin fees, but he had no answer and simply refused. All in all, the manager admitted the beds in this place are bad, and when something went wrong, we got openly lied to for about an hour with no resolution or customer service. I really, truly recommend steering clear. You could stay anywhere else and expect less back pain and better customer service.

The location’s handy, with lots of bars and restaurants nearby. Check-in staff were welcoming, but checkout was unpleasant: the staff member was rude and unfriendly. The bed gave no back support, and calling the service desk didn’t lead to much help. There’s no desk for working in the room, and charging for plain water felt cheeky and annoying. I can understand a charge for sparkling water.

I’d read some reviews that made me wary, but our two nights on Dec 25 and 26 were great, and I’m already looking forward to coming back. The art collection throughout the hotel is amazing. Room 436 had a lovely harbour view from the balcony, and the room itself was bright, stylish, and roomy, with a comfy chair, side table, and desk. The artwork in the room and on the balcony was fantastic. The bathroom was a highlight too, with a big tub, lovely amenities, super soft robes, a Dyson hairdryer, and bath salts. Everyone we met on staff was great, and so was the food we tried.