SkyCity Auckland — Attraction in Waitematā

My Uncle & I stayed at this hotel for 5 nights while on holiday in Auckland. We arrived in the evening around 7.30pm, the check-in process was smooth and fast. We had booked our rooms through the Agoda website and paid in full at the time of the booking. The hotel did request for a NZD500 security deposit, which they refunded to my credit card a few days later. We booked a twin deluxe and we have no complaints whatsoever. The room was spacious, clean and quiet. All the expected amenities were available in the room: digital safe, electric kettle, coffee, tea, sugar and milk, hairdryer, basic toiletries, flat screen TV, etc. The WiFi and air-conditioning worked perfectly. The buffet breakfast is decent, with many hot and cold options, as well as coffee machines to make yourself some specialty coffees.||The Skycity Casino is located within the same building as this hotel, and inside the casino, there are a number of dining venues available. We dined at the Food Republic, which offers Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Western food.|IMPORTANT TIP: If you are planning on staying here and dining in any of the venues inside the casino, you should sign up for the complimentary Rewards programme for the casino. You will be given a Rewards card which gives you a 10% discount on all your dining bills here. The Rewards card is needed to play on any of the slot machines but you don't have to gamble in order to get the card.||The best thing about this hotel is its location! It is located in central Auckland City, a few blocks from the waterfront(Viaduct Harbour). To get to this hotel from the airport, took the SkyDrive Express Bus which picks passengers up from the Auckland Domestic and International Airport terminals and brings them directly to the bus stop right next to the Skycity Hotel. At this point in time, the 1-way fare for adults is NZD18 and NZD12.50 for senior citizens. We used this service from & to the airport and found it to be extremely convenient and economical. The buses run every 30 minutes both ways. You can pay the bus driver on the spot with a credit card each time, there is no need to pre-book your bus tickets.||All in all, we had an enjoyable stay here and will definitely stay here again on our future trips...

Our experience at SkyCity Casino 2-4 May 2025 was nothing short of appalling. My elderly parents, both Philippine passport holders, visited the casino during their trip to New Zealand to celebrate the birth and baptism of our child. They were there simply to enjoy their time as a family. However, after exchanging just NZD $200 at the cashier, they were abruptly approached by security and asked to leave.

No explanation was given at the time. The staff simply said they were following the casino’s “stupid rules.” Even the security personnel themselves admitted to us that these rules were ridiculous and unfair. Now, we’re being told it’s because my parents provided their residential address in the Philippines. Apparently, SkyCity’s interpretation of New Zealand’s AML legislation discriminates against anyone from so-called “high-risk jurisdictions,” like the Philippines, regardless of the amount of money involved or the person’s intentions.

What’s most disturbing is that the casino staff didn’t provide any clear reason at the time of the incident. My parents were left feeling embarrassed, confused, and humiliated—all for exchanging a small amount of money. Now the casino has the audacity to demand “proof of wealth” for a $200 exchange. My parents are elderly and own a simple clothing business in the Philippines. This is clear discrimination and an abuse of AML legislation.

If SkyCity truly cared about fairness and respect for its guests, it would handle situations like this with dignity and transparency. Instead, they ruined what should have been a joyful family celebration. I urge others, especially those from overseas, to think twice...

Althought the Sky City carpark is large with plenty of parking, it can be inconvenient if you can't find parking close to the lifts, you'll end up having to lug your bags through the carpark.

You need to take two lifts to access your hotel room floor.

One lift from the carpark to the ground floor and either go up a short flght of stairs or walk across the atrium to a ramp that leads to the Hotel Reception.

The second lift is located adjacent to the Hotel Reception which allows access to your hotel room floor.

The check-in process can be a long wait, even with only a few guests checking in. However, the staff are professional.

The common areas in the hotel (lobby, lift, hallways, etc) are clean, tidy & nicely presented, as was the hotel room.

However, I think some rooms should be offered at a discounted rate, for example the rooms on H2 floor with views of the service area & roof over the entrance to the Hotel & Casino (off Federal Street) and those rooms on H1 floor with a view of the Hobson Street Convention Centre construction site.

The rooms are equipped with what you would expect of a good hotel (i.e. toileteries, hair dryer, tea & coffee making faciities, USB charging ports & Sky TV, etc) & the TV has Chromecast.

Although there is basic instruction on how to use the airconditioning, on the information page of your hotel room TV, I found it difficult to navigate, and suggest you give reception a call for assistance.

The bathroom has a single basin, shower with rainhead & handheld head & toilet (excl. bath tub) & has a good extractor fan & large well-lit fog-free mirror.

We stayed there twice and our stay...