IHG’s InterContinental Auckland open today: Top suite from $4000 a night
Windows were being cleaned at 1 Queen St where the new InterContinental Auckland opened today.
InterContinental Auckland opened today, with its top suite on level 11 of the refurbished Deloitte Centre building priced from $4000 per night.
Hotel general manager Ryan South, an Australian who arrived from Sydney for IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the 100sq m east-facing presidential suite had a marble kitchen with a butler’s pantry, sit-down dining for eight to 10 people, a dressing room, lounge and black marble bathroom.
“It will be from $4000/night to ... the sky’s the limit,” said South, a keen surfer who has already bought a house here after arriving a year ago to head the luxury hotel operations.
The action is all at 1 Queen Street on the waterfront opposite the Ferry Building, in the refurbished 21-level ex-HSBC building on Quay St, owned by Precinct Properties and where a $310 million renovation is nearly completed.
Scott Pritchard, Precinct chief executive, was at the opening today along with Ngarimu Blair of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
The building has a rooftop bar and restaurant, while the new hotel has 139 guest rooms each with a woven harakeke (flax) art honouring atua (God). On level six, for example, it’s all Papatūānuku - the earth mother. Rooms are from levels six to 11 in 8827sq m. The presidential suite is 120sq m.
The GM is no stranger to this country. From 2013 to 2016, South was general manager of Holiday Inn Auckland Airport Hotel.
South has headed one other new hotel opening: Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley.
At InterContinental Auckland tonight, about 80 people will stay including paying guests, IT consultants and staff, South said.
About 100 staff are now employed at the hotel, which links directly into Precinct’s Commercial Bay shopping centre, alongside Whitcoull’s.
South expects some 130 staff to work at the hotel once it is fully operational.
On the menu this morning, served to guests for the 8am opening officiated by Mayor Wayne Brown, were:
- Petit crumpets, Ora King salmon pastrami, and cultured cream topped with Osetra caviar;
- Eggs Bene: poached quail’s egg, Jamon Iberico, truffle potato rosti, hollandaise;
- Grass-fed wagyu ‘mince on toast’, sourdough, salted and smoked egg yolk;
- Toasted pretzels, crushed avocado, Annabelle’s sheep halloumi, Advieh butter;
- Brioche French toast, passionfruit curd, raspberry preserve topped with pink fairy floss;
- Maple waffles, rare breed bacon jam, blueberry jelly.
Gareth Stewart, partner chef at the hotel’s new flagship eatery Advieh Restaurant and Bar, said the emphasis was on local produce and dinner would be served from 5.30pm.
He is confident there is nothing like Advieh in Auckland and said he was looking forward to surprising guests in the best possible way. Advieh will put a contemporary twist on Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine championing New Zealand’s finest produce, Stewart said.
He has also designed the food for the Club InterContinental lounge and the in-room dining menu. He was previously the national executive chef for Nourish Group, now Foley Hospitality, with a range of big-name restaurants in New Zealand.
InterContinental’s name has been here previously, on what is now Pullman Auckland Hotel, at the corner of Waterloo Quadrant and Princes St. That building has been a Hyatt previously. So South described InterContinental as making a “brand re-entry” to Auckland.
Luxuries inside the rooms include Kōkako Organic Coffee Roasters’ fare, being served from Nespresso machines alongside Zealong Tea. A 50ml bottle of Spirit of Waiheke gin is $20 from the minibar. A 50ml bottle of Kawakawa Summer Vodka is the same price. A 375ml bottle of Veuve Cliquot is $79.
A waterfront-facing 38sq m room on level six is $495 per night.
Matthew Tripolone, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ managing director for Australasia and the Pacific said the hotel would contribute to the local economy, “and we believe that the power of the world’s largest luxury hotel brand family will bring business and leisure travellers from around the world”.
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts says it is the world’s first and largest luxury hotel brand with more than 200 hotels in 60 countries and 71,000 rooms. It was founded by Pan American Airways founder, Juan Trippe in 1946.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.