Back in October 2010, i organized a group trip with a couple of colleagues to New Zealand.
We set off from Singapore to Auckland on board Singapore Airlines.
It was a pleasant flight except for 1 or 2 turbulence. The service on board the flight was good, they were attentive and all the crew members had sincere smiles on their faces.
We arrived in Auckland the next day at 12 in the afternoon after a 10 hour flight.
Auckland, known as the "city of sails" is the largest city in New Zealand.
Upon arrival and after clearing the customs, we were met by our friendly coach driver.
We hired a private coach to take us around in almost every place we were at for this trip.
The coach was clean and it smelt good. The driver knew his way around and we got to all our destinations smoothly
After we were picked up, we headed for lunch at a Chinese Restaurant at Mt Eden called Hees Garden Seafood Restaurant.
This family owned restaurant served authentic and delicious chinese food.
We then proceeded for a brief city tour of Auckland.
Our first stop was Mt Eden. Mt Eden is situated 5 kilometers south from the city center and features a magnificent view of the entire city. The eastern slopes is noted for it's horticultural display of camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. This place was really pretty and it made me feel relaxed.
Next, we headed to Parnell Village - The Creative quarter.
This place is the oldest suburb in the whole of New Zealand and it's famed for it's charming boutique-style stores, restaurants and cafes.
I shopped a little and got a really pretty and exquisite bangle in one of the shops here, cant remember the name of the shop but i will definitely go back to the shop if i ever go to Auckland again.
After visiting Parnell Village, our coach toured the city center and finally at about 4.45 we arrived at our hotel
We stayed at Hotel DeBrett, a 25 room Luxury Boutique Hotel in the heart of Auckland's City.
Sitting right at the start of Auckland's trendiest street, it is no surprise that this charming hotel has one of the coolest interiors you'll ever come accross.
The building has been there since the 1800's. It was recently restored to it's former glory by owners John Courtney and Michlle Deery. (completed in February 2009).
I stayed in one of the hotel's loft suite. You get to choose either a two level suite with a spiral staircase or a one level suite. I choose the 2 level suite and was very happy with my suite
The room was elegantly appointed with a king sized bed, has a luxurious goose down comfort layer, 100% cotton bed linens and a pillow menu. The room also had a double sofabed and a dining table. The bed was so comfortable that i fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the bed.
All suites are decorated with eclectic furniture, local art and crafts, and funky deep pile striped carpet. The suite has a LCD flat-screen in both the bedroom and the living room, a DVD player and a radio while the minibar is stocked with a selection of boutique New Zealand products.
Wireless broadband is free to guest throughout the hotel and faster wired access is available in the rooms.
The toilet is beautifully and luxuriously decorated with penny black circle mosaic tiles with warmed polished black granite floors complementing it. The bathtubs are divinely deep and there is a separate shower that comes with either rain-head or side shower heads.
I love how deep the bathtub was cause i could fully soak myself in it without leaving my knees out.
One of the main features of this hotel is the drawing room. The drawing room is found at the end of the atrium and you can go there to get away from the bustle of the atrium. The honesty bar just adds to the charm of the room. I didn't have the time to hang out in the room because i only had one night in this awesome hotel but if i had enough time i would come to this room and enjoy the tranquility it brings.
The hotel has a well equipped gym and you a personal trainer or yoga instructor is available on request.
The glass-roofed atrium is one of the other center pieces of the hotel's manificent restoration. Enjoy the abundance of light or the roaring fire as you either apperciate the decors or watch the world pass you by.
Sit back and enjoy a well deserved classically inspired cocktail, indulge in a glass of wine from a list of carefully selected NZ vineyards, or choose a local boutique beer.
The Housebar spans across 3 unique but connected spaces. The restored art deco bar adjoins a european styled coutyard which will then lead you to the atrium. The Housebar has a brother bar called cornerbar. It is an old school establishment and one of Auckland's icon. I had a drink here after returning from my dinner. I had a dirty martini, stirred, not shaken with an extra olive and it was a good.
Nestled in the heart of the hotel, the in-house restaurant Kitchen was voted best new restaurant by Metro Magazine in 2009. The head chef Mark Sycamore and his team uses only the freshest and locally sourced ingredients to create an unforgettable dining experience.
After checking into the hotel, we freshened up and headed for a harbor cruise dinner. We watched the fairy-tale lights of Auckland city pass, while dinning and cruising the Auckland Harbor.
I had Roasted beurre bosc pear with whipped goats cheese and Parma ham for my choice of entree. The sweetness of the pear balanced the saltiness of the Parama ham and the combination of whipped goats cheese made this dish perfect.
My main was a Roasted Big Glory Bay salmon, fondant potato, chargrilled vegetables, walnut tomato and lemon dressing. The salmon was really fresh and it was cooked perfectly. The walnut tomato and lemon dressing was perfectly tangy and enhanced the flavor of the fish without covering it's taste.
I skipped dessert because i was too full but this was a really awesome dinner.
After we ended our cruise dinner, we headed back to the hotel and as i mentioned earlier i headed to the bar for a martini.
This marks the end of the second day.
We'll continue posting about the rest of our days in New Zealand in other posts.
