The Spencer Hotel — Restaurant in Devonport-Takapuna

Travelling for business, I had been booked in for the night before since my flight was arriving from Australia first thing on Saturday morning. |I was dropped at the hotel around 6:45am. The sign by the door said reception was open from 6:00am, but the door was locked and there was no response to repeated pressing on the intercom. After about ten minutes standing outside, shivering in the cold, one of the residents of the building (it is residential apartments as well as hotel) was coming out and let us into the lobby. The lobby was marginally less cold than outside. ||For the next 1 1/2 hours we attempted to get someone from the hotel to come to the desk to check us in to our room (tired after flying overnight, we just wanted to get some sleep) I had to find a toilet, going upstairs I finally found toilets in the restaurant/function room which was closed and empty. If there are toilets available from the lobby they are well hidden. ||I was shivering and crying with frustration as I made several calls to the booking agents to try and sort things out. They, in turn, were attempting to call the hotel - while I was waiting in the cold lobby I counted eleven times that the phone rang and was not answered. I was tempted to go behind the desk and answer it myself - probably could have checked myself into a room at the same time. ||Right about the time we had arranged alternative accommodation Robin (he deserves to be named and shamed) appeared and came behind the desk. Although we had our luggage stacked in front of the desk ready to check in he ignored us until we approached him.|When we explained that we had been waiting for an hour and a half he said he had been sorting out internet connection for a customer in a conference room upstairs. He was not at all apologetic and in fact quite dismissive of our experience. ||On Monday, I later heard my employer was informed by the hotel that we had been recorded as a “no-show”, meaning the hotel could attempt to bill for the night of accommodation that was not used. The only no-show was Robin who felt that an internet connection was more important than paying customers being ignored...

Reading the reviews, I did not want to come to this place but I'm glad I did. Here are some things I noticed. ||Reception doesn't seem to be manned between 230pm and 3pm, so I don't think there is any point coming early. ||The lifts are great and the 11th floor hallway smelt fresh. We were in 1108, a suite with balcony (not the additional $10 for a view), and it seemed to me that this category of room was always on a corner, offering interesting views. We were facing north so straight at the Sentinel building which I actually really liked. It's attractive and being scared of heights it made me feel not too high up. We could see Tiritiri out one side and Lake Pupuke on the other, but facing south would have been nice too, getting Rangitoto, sunset and the city lights.||Our room was bigger and fresher than I expected, though furniture, carpet, walls and bathroom might not have been changed for a decade. A bit tired but clean. Linens lovely and clean, AC efficient and you can change the temperature and it does what you want.||Position of hotel is fantastic. On-street parking nearby and we know Takapuna but were still amazed by the range of quality eateries and shops within 5 minutes walk. ||The tennis and gym and pool were good on level 2. Both pools were big and heated, ideal temperature for swimming and then relaxing in spa.||Staff we interacted with were friendly and efficient, but usually no one was behind the counter. You need to ring the bell.||Free coffee and biscuits in reception and nespresso machine with 2 capsules in room as well a generous quality assortment of Dilmah teas, hot choc, coffees etc ( also had dishwasher, clothes washer and clothes dryer such I couldn't get working).||Thank you Spencer Hotel! I hope to stay...

Last-minute stay ended up being a fair disappointment due to mold in several areas of the bathroom, and inattentive cleaning around/behind skirting/furniture as well as disgusting dust build-up on bathroom extractor cover directly over where you shower in the narrow 1970’s tub and air system vent covers. Heating also did not work. We were essentially told upon speaking with the front desk “somehow we missed blocking this unit off; we are currently deep cleaning all the bathrooms and doing overhaul maintenance unit-by-unit” and thankfully we were offered a discount on our stay without prompting.

Stayed above the 11th floor so road noise was minimal; disappointed to find out upon arrival that there was no dining/bar option as the website leads you to believe.

Very overpriced meals advertised in elevators from a nearby cafe that doesn’t even deliver to the hotel. Example: frozen beef pie for $40; available at nearby grocery store for $21 for 100g less volume.

Serious lack of consideration for sustainable ways to provide laundry or dish soap which are abundantly easy to come across in 2024 in a major metro like Auckland.

Regarding “4-star” status, this is a joke. Besides the above-mentioned items, the lobby hardwood floor is splintered (Health & Safety issue) and fairly destroyed in highly visible areas (plus unsightly); no room service; no business center nor spa services; there are no minibars in rooms; the bedroom is barely 11.75sq meters so a decent way off from the 14sq meters internationally regarded for the bedroom in this star rating; no bedside USB; no complimentary bottled water; no valet; no dry cleaning offered… you get the point.

In its current state, a marginal 3-star by...