ibis budget Auckland Central — Hotel in Waitematā

1st 3 photos: Beautiful ceramic tiled bathroom, modern stylish designed bedroom with huge window letting in natural light. These are photos of a Danish Prison Cell. Maximum security. So, let me tell you about the Ibis Budget Auckland Central. I gave three star because of the partial honesty of Ibis by putting the name budget in their name but deducted 2 stars for not adding the words "Very Worst" after Ibis. Fourth photo is of my cousin's room service platter she ordered at her 5 star hotel, same night, in Auckland. I told her that her platter is the size of my balcony at the Ibis. (see fifth photo). Sixth photo: Yes that is a shower curtain next to the toilet. Why. Because the toilet is pretty much in the shower. (Tip one: put toilet roll in the other room when you have a shower unless you want soggy paper). This shower toilet arrangement I can see working positively for gents who like to pee while they shower. Before I go on: the corridor of the floor I was on (fifth floor) smelt terrible the first day. I thought it was because someone had emptied their bowels really bad. I realised that that is just the perfume of the place. They really put the toilet in eau de toilette. Seventh photo: Fan and tv. Eight photo: I call this the lamp. There is no lamp. Maybe because there is no bedside table. So when I wanted to see at night while in bed, I turned on the tv (and what is showing in this photo of the screen was what was showing on most channels). Ninth and Tenth photo: I call this the wardrobe for the short statured with arms the lengths of hoses. Can you see how tiny the drop is to hang your clothes? I would have measured it for you but I don't have hose length arms. And why hose length arms? I worked out the hangers were at least 229cm (7''5")high up (and that is not including the reach in). I am 165cm (5'4"). So I advise, if you have little clothes, but not long arms, bring a ladder. I gave four stars for service because the people at the desk are nice and helpful and made me feel welcome. Five stars for location HOWEVER the first night was very noisy; if you love the sound of music, celebrations, horns tooting, women screaming and loud voices of laughter and maybe aggression but drowned out by group singing in a key they all must have individually chosen randomly from a hat, then don't bring earplugs. The second and third night (I KNOW! I stayed a second and third night, getting to the reason why soon, hang tight) were quieter when I went to bed but I wore ear plugs I bought at the Chemist Warehouse downstairs, just in case the revellers turned up again. Why did I stay a 2nd and 3rd night? I see the silver lining around every cloud: the silver lining was I actually had a comfortable sleep plus there was good pressure hot water for my showers. I was so fearing the worst when I showered but was pleasantly surprised. Well lets be honest, I was darn shocked. So shocked it turned to elation. How sad is that! That I was so let down with the hotel situation that hot water was like a gift from the heavens. Like a teacher trying to find the best in their slack student so to not expel them, I gave this bad hotel a second and third night purely for the sleep and the shower. And that is why I chose the hotel in the first place. I knew I would only be sleeping and showering there and be out all day till late at night with family, so I went with the bargain. Why though the one star? Because it is actually depressing. There is no colour in the room. There is nothing pretty or cosy or warm. And I really thought I was a pretty basic person. I realised I really am not. I can be happy with just a comfy bed and good shower, but one needs to feel like the Ibis Budget is welcoming you, even though you are paying budget prices. I would think they should care that the room smells fresh, that the tv has a lot of working channels, that there is somewhere decent for people to hang their clothes, that there is some colour so that one does not feel like they are actually in prison. Unless it is a...

Whatever you do, do not stay here! It's one of, if not the worst, places I’ve ever had the displeasure to stay. I echo all those who have had a similar experience that this hotel is a disgrace. ||So, where do I start? Let me see…|Check-in wasn’t too bad, but ‘a mask’ on what we would find in each of the hotel rooms. I say rooms, as I booked 2 double rooms for 2 nights. How wrong was I.||Anyway, read on as it gets more interesting. If the words don’t say 1000 things, my photographs will. Talking of which, (mmm) the Ibis Budget Hotel website shows ‘one thing’ and I ‘tell and show’ another. Please check it out and see for yourself. Pure horror!||On entering the room, there was a faint smell of body oudour. Not the one day kind, but an in trenched kind of smell. The carpets had a shine to them, where they had been worn to the point the pile had turned itself into a smooth laminate kind of flooring. And yes, it was carpet, stained and grubby.||The bedding seems clean enough until you look closely at the throw with what I can only describe as body fluids, such as urine. ||Don’t expect bedside tables or lamps to place your treasured items on as you only have the floor, and you now know what that’s like. I made a frightful decision to dare look under the bed, and wow, that hadn’t seen a vaccume for quite sometime. The curtain (I think it was a curtain), was held up but a minimal amount of curtain hooks to the point, it was’t worth having up at the window.||Now lets get to the windows and the noise. We were on floor 14, so you would expect high up; noise wouldn’t be an issue. Well, when windows don’t close or lock properly, in flows the noise all night. We finally got to sleep around 4 am once the drug-fueled homeless guy stopped banging his drum in the street. If I’m honest, this area isn’t great, unless you like to feel unsafe, have to dodge the beggers and mix with those wanting cash instead of a coffee. The patetic excuse for a kitchenette was laughable. The cooked top didn’t even work properly, and the kitchen sink drain smelt so bad, I had to cover it over. The walls were dirty stained with fluids. So, this room scores a big fat zero. The second room was no different!||So enough was enough; I went to reception to check out and requested a refund for the 2nd-night stay. I asked the reception staff, “do you even check the rooms yourself to see what your selling?” Of course, the response was no, never. And I see why they don’t!||Ibis, you are trying to sell a dead donkey. I suggest ‘give it up’ and move on and out.|My advice is, people, to skip this pathetic excuse for a hotel, as there are Budget hotels and Budget hotels. This fall way way way below this. How does the Accor Group allow this to go on? I have stopped at Ibis hotels many times before, but not this one and will never again.||You’ve read my review… DON’T BOOK The Ibis Budget...

This is a VERY budget hotel however, the room gets a generous breeze, water pressure is decent, the bed comfortable and some staff are helpful.

Unfortunate negatives: 1) it's noisy from the traffic and people outside on the street so no double-pain windows 2) the smell of the floor and room is distinct, not bad but not the best 3) the bed board of the bed smells like someone homeless slept in it 4) one morning cleaning staff was upset by mgmt while communicating on the floor, they then proceeded to display their anger by banging the door(s) of the rooms they were cleaning 5) housecleaning did not replace dirty glasses/cups in my room after cleaning 6) I had to notify front desk of someone attempting to slip into the hotel that was either already on drugs or coming off of them...he didn't have a key for the elevator to get him to a hotel floor and had trouble standing up. Front desk wasn't even paying attention. That's not very safe. A tour group were in the front reception area, which could have folks easily slip through 7) The launderette for guest use is not cleaned regularly hence the rust around the detergent tray and build up of lint in the dryer lint trays 8) I attempted to do a "paid" late checkout because my flight was departing during the evening...again, I am willing to pay. I guess every Ibis hotel is different in what they offer members because I didn't experience this at the Brisbane AUS Ibis Hotel, also in a very busy area. Front reception said I would have to pay for a full night to check out at 6pm since housecleaning leaves before that and can't clean the room until the next day? Uh... it's a Tuesday here, I know the hotel is not sold out. So, that was off-putting.

Long story short, I won't be returning to this establishment. There are a number of improvements that can happen for such a well located hotel in Auckland. It's clear that ownership of the hotel doesn't notice or care for such details and only does the bare minimum for guests' stays.

Furthermore, I am very surprised that Allcor hotels, their parent company, allows for this condition especially since they also own the Movenpick and Sofitel hotels, which are some...