City Lodge — Hotel in Waitematā

This would have been a Glowing report but after what just happened No Way! Staff were great, till it was time to go. As I was driving up the driveway I was stopped by reception and told that the cleaner had made it into my vacant room and said I had taken the cups ,tea and coffee! The time frame of me leaving the room and reception stopping me was too quick from my point of view. I don't drink either because of my 5 heart conditions. She had not even put either item in my room to start with! So to have her say I had taken the cups was a lie! I had even taken out the rubbish. To then have security show up and say it's time for me to go!! I was asking them to go over the camera footage and they were not interested in doing that. Cause the elevator I was in started on the 7th picking me up, stopped on the 4th floor which the gentlemen declined joining the bags and box. Basement is were I left the elevator to go to the car, it was taken by an older gentleman who went to 1st floor to then go on to picking up the lad on 4th to bring him down to basement kitchen to join his family. The cleaner would need to have been on my floor the 7th to get in and see missing items that were never there. I'm not taking this very well as I'm now the scape goat for a woman who is not doing her job Clearly! She has Accused me of stealing and they will not look at their own footage or sort it out. I have been told I'm not welcome to stay again! What the heck!? My reputation is ahead of me most of the time and people know me to not lie. I asked the security guy to come and look through my bag's, he declined!!! Why? How is it possible for someone to accuse another person and then not back themselves by asking to look for said stolen items? 2 cups with tea and coffee. No manager to talk to even. I have asked to talk with the manager when they finally show up. My advice is to take a photo of your room before you walk in!! I will be doing so...

It is true the small single rooms can be uncomfortable, as the bed is too narrow and is unstable, to a degree you can counter this by angling the mattress slightly like an aircraft carrier flight deck. The basic double standard for about $420 a week is good value as you get a basic ensuite, and a good double bed and a large variety of freeview, including repeat news and parliament. The basement kitchen and lounge has 40 channel sky, everything including Fox and RT, all music and sports channels but no film channels and everybody from the Middle East to Austin only watches ESPN most of the time anyway. . Generally city lodge drys most of its clientle from specific groups. Middle East students, Brazilian, French and Italians 20 yr old couples for similar reasons such groupings go to base. You might also finds a few English, a few Germans, odd Australians and sometimes groups of Texan college students. It can be a radical cultural challenge in the lounge with women in full burkas with their minders and good looking US students. A lot of the congregation and socialising of the Europeans and South Americans is in the area of the outside courtyard opposite the Grey road council flats, after the lounge closes about 10.30pm. The better features is that 7 nights here usually cost 5 nights tariff. Best service is more likely to be achieved 8am to 4pm because a full variety of office staff...

Check in was quick enough - they do charge an amount to your card and refund it the next day, (not just a $1 hold like other hotels) but this was relatively smooth. Was handy they sell water at reception, so you don't have to go out again.||Walked to most places from this location and seemed a pretty safe area. ||Room was super clean and comfortable. I had a single room, so it was small but price was reflective of this. Nice view out the window of the sky tower, and it was good the window opened as there was only a ceiling fan, no aircon. However by having the window open the outside noise did keep me awake - from people yelling to the bin trucks at 4am - I was a few floors up but it was quite noisy. Temp was fine without aircon with the window open, so not necessarily needed, other than maybe to block out noise. ||Decent bathroom, provided some liquid soap only. Nice hotel shower, decent water pressure. Managed to fit in a small desk and decent size fringe also into the room which both were handy.||Overall decent value hotel as its cheaper than alot of other options for similar standards. Handy for one or two nights, but wouldn't stay for long...