Abstract Hotel — Hotel in Waitematā

Handy. Comfy. Funky. Rome and Bangkok meet New York and London

​​I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best. —Oscar Wilde

Handy. Comfy. Funky. These are three desired qualities for a city-centre accommodation, and they are no abstract representation of The Abstract Hotel in Auckland’s CDB. This new, New York style hotel – the vision of Nigel McKenna and Sarisa Nasinprom – embodies them all and left us with one and one question only: when will our next stay be?!

We chose Auckland was our destination for an early summer’s weekend city escape, and The Abstract Hotel was the perfect match in every respect. Not only did its central location invite open air explorations, with nearby parks and other little hideouts, but it also offered a wide range of shopping and dining options within walking distance.

While a chain of Western and Eastern eateries nearby tempted us in, our first night dinner was a done deal, as we had already decided to begin our culinary adventures at the in-house restaurant, Alla Prossima – which in Italian literally means ‘until next time’: a promise that is easy to make and even easier to keep after sampling the a la carte menu.

Whether you’re as seasoned connoisseur or late lover of Italian cuisine, you simply cannot miss this cosy and charming restaurant. We enjoyed a three-course dinner: ‘Bruschetta Poker’ as a starter to share; Gnocchetti Mare e Monti & Balanzoni Bolognesi for dinner; and Tiramisu for dessert. A couple of glasses of Lambrusco – a gem amongst gems in the wine list – were the perfect accompaniment.

The Head-Chef Gabriele Marangoni’s thoughtfulness and talent shone through his choice of prime-quality ingredients and his magic of harmonising flavours – a marriage made in heaven and consumed on earth. So, our one-line review is: Gabriele’s dishes are simply and sophisticatedly delicious.

For our first visit we chose a 1 Bed Metro Unit, which was perfect in size for two people. The Dyson purifiers in the living room and the bedroom ensured circulation of fresh air and a comfortable room temperature. The firm mattress did a brilliant job of back-and-neck support, creating a restorative good-night and sleep-tight.

Our downtime and mind-and-body pampering was further enhanced at the in-house Spa, Sa-Ni – the names of the hotel’s owners as well as their vision coming through once again in an inviting and intimate way. The wide range of fairly-priced and fairy-packaged Sa-Ni treatments literally took our experience to another dimension.

The welcome tea session calmed the body and transported the mind to a space to be found in far-way exotic luxury resort islands. Except that you are in the middle of a city and a short flight away. The skilful therapists made sure that sore spots disappeared in no time and that time itself sopped during the treatments.

Other parts of the hotel showcase the same vibes of chic and convenience comfort: a garden space for outdoor breakfast and parties; a soul-warming library for pre- and post- meal conversations and drinks; commissioned b&w photographs and stylish interior design that makes you think you are in New York or London – with Rome’s palate and Bangkok’s pampering drawing you in…

Finally, on our first visit we were lucky to enjoy the uplifting company of the hotel’s owners, Sarisa and Nigel, a Thai Irish combo of smart entrepreneurship and warm hospitality that is the real magic of The Abstract Hotel. And the hotel’s general manager, Anmole Gulati, graced our stay with his thoughtfulness, warmed it with his friendliness, and enlivened it with his sense of...

We arrived before our room was ready even though we were told in correspondence 1pm would be fine beforehand. We were able to leave our luggage at reception to explore - bonus - but even though its a good location its not great if you can't walk far due to the insane hilly terrain surrounding it. Definitely an uber ride to the wharf and surrounding areas.||We had a 2 bedroomed unit and found it presentable. The online pictures give the impression of vast spaces in each room where in reality they are quite small when trying to navigate around the bed. The unit gives off an urban vibe with its.industrial unfinished show the cables ceiling and painted dark everything but with that comes the lighting problems. The bedrooms were very dark even with the main light on and no extra bedside light meaning the main light needs to stay or the bathroom one. Lots of drawer space but unfortunately no full length wardrobes, just half ones meaning you cannot fully hang longer items and with no iron in the room (checked every cupboard).you end up with creased items. There had obvioisly been a msoker in the room before us as the insides smelt quite heavily.of stale tobaccco. We were facing the inner courtyard but with no privacy nets or blinds found we had to keep the curtains shut for most of our 2 night stay which then caused the problem of again not being able.to see much. The Tvs in each room kept cutting out due to internet issues which became quite frustrating so we gave up. Lots of greasy finger and palm prints on the doors and surfaces which gave us the icks. The kitchenette is basic with cutlery and crockery but no tea towels or detergent. There was a note saying you could get a kitchen pack from reception but with no.phone to reception you would have to wait for the painfully slow lift to get down there.||Showers were hot and great and who doesnt appreciate the bonus of toiletries. Toilet seat wouldn't stay up though so that was a not nice forgotten surprise at 3am 🤣 ||When we returned after our evening out for a nightcap we were unimpressed with a sign attached to the terrace door entrance saying it had shut at 9pm. I would have expected a hotel bar would have stayed open later even on a Tuesday. Off to the room we went where we discovered there was no bar knife or bottle opener. Infuriating.||Recommend for just a night if you're off to a concert on that side of town. Wouldn't say this is a 4 star hotel due to cleanliness and lack of amenities working, not working, not open. The rooms look tired and even the knob for the air con had given up and...

Firstly the bad design of the hotel and court yard if loud the noise travels through the hotel there was only one group there while I was there and was very very loud but then no aircon in the rooms so couldn’t shut window to make quiet (definitely could use some more greenery or sound damping). No air cons only a “bathroom type” ventilation fan in the bedroom which was very noisy but needed to be on due to no aircon and loud courtyard, which would be fine if it sucked air out of the room but it blows air from the courtyard in to the room, so if someone is smoking in the courtyard the whole room ends up smelling like smoke or whatever any one is having to eat down below. Everything in the room is on a sensor, including the power points and room ventilation, which is great for there power bill but isn’t good if you are trying to charge things or air out the room. Bed is extremely small, I am 6ft and I had to be curled up all night as bed is in a very small spot definitely not a queen or a double bed. Rooms seem to be unfinished, construction rubbish in the cable trays in the celling, cables dangling down from the trays, un finished and sealed holes in plaster board in rooms, painting issues. Rooms say they have smart tvs which is true but the wifi to the tv is unreliable (not hardwired) and there is no tv connection to the tv so everything is streaming which is unusable use to it being used thru wifi. Paper thin walls can hear every noise from the other rooms, On the two nights we were there there was a guy yelling and screaming all night, and another guy snoring all night, Bad shower pressure, nice soaps tho. Phones in room not working or existing so no way of contacting reception with issues, lack of help form reception, they seem to just sit at the desk in a gaggle and steer everyone down as they walk in and out. Rooms very dusty as they look as they haven’t been properly cleaned since construction, the room is hazy with dust doesn’t help the ventilation blows not sucks. Overall a terrible stay, and not a very nice experience in what is supposed to be a boutique hotel but definitely isn’t living up to its standards that...