The Hotel Britomart

The Hotel

The Hotel Britomart opened on 8 December 2020 — eight months after the Park Hyatt's opening — as the architectural counterpoint to the larger waterfront five-star, six blocks east in the Britomart heritage precinct that has anchored Auckland's central waterfront regeneration since 2003. The architectural commission to Auckland practice Cheshire Architects (Pip Cheshire's studio, which has shaped much of contemporary Auckland's restoration architecture) was the principal proposition: take two early-1900s Edwardian warehouses on Galway Street — the Buckland building (1903) and the adjoining Masefield (1908) — and build a contemporary timber-frame hotel into them, preserving the original brick-and-cast-iron facades on the street side and adding a deliberately quiet contemporary timber tower above. The result was admitted as New Zealand's first 5 Green Star certified hotel, the country's highest sustainability rating, on opening.

The 99 rooms — including 5 Landing Suites — are arranged across the building's ten floors. Standard "Cabin" categories at 22 to 28 square metres are deliberately compact (a Cheshire architectural decision rooted in the Britomart-precinct heritage-building footprint), with white oak interiors, original 1908 timber beams preserved in selected upper-floor rooms, and locally sourced wool textiles. The five Landing Suites at 60 to 80 square metres on the upper floors are the headline category, with private balconies overlooking the Britomart laneway. The Penthouse Suite at 110 square metres on the top floor is the milestone unit. Bathrooms are travertine and brass; bath products are Aotearoa New Zealand-made Ashley & Co.

kingi is the headline restaurant — opened with the hotel as a sustainable-seafood concept under chef Tom Hishon (formerly of Auckland's Orphans Kitchen), with the menu programmed around line-caught New Zealand species and a specific commitment to single-vessel-traceability for every fish on the list. The kitchen has been one of the most-reviewed Auckland restaurants since opening and is the booking proposition for travellers wanting the architectural-and-sustainable register over the larger Onemata at Park Hyatt. Maker's Bar handles the cocktail and aperitivo programme on the ground floor; the small mezzanine wine bar runs the evening programme. There is no pool or spa — the principal limitation of the offer relative to Park Hyatt — but the building's compact footprint and the location's walking access compensate.

The Britomart address is the unambiguous booking decision. From the front door it is 90 seconds to Britomart Station, two minutes to the Britomart restaurant axis (Café Hanoi, Cocoro, Ortolana, Amano), four minutes to the Auckland ferry terminal for Waiheke and Devonport, six minutes to the Wynyard Quarter and Park Hyatt, eight minutes to the Sky Tower and Federal Street axis, and ten minutes to Albert Park. For travellers prioritising the heritage-precinct walkable-Auckland brief — particularly for solo travellers and small-suite couples wanting the architectural booking over the larger Park Hyatt — the Britomart is unambiguous. Park Hyatt is the harbour-and-pool alternative; Britomart is the heritage-and-architecture alternative.

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