Review: InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel

What we loved: A modern, luxury accommodation at a reasonable price that is located in the city centre with easy access to the ferry terminal. The hotel’s Club InterContinental provides an exclusive lounge experience with great service, plus food and beverage offerings throughout the day. 

What we didn’t love: The hotel is lacking in amenities common to other properties of similar standing, like an in-house pool or spa.

How to book on points: This hotel is part of the IHG One Rewards program. You can expect to redeem anywhere from 32,000 points per night during low-season or up to 120,000 points per night during high-season.

InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel – About the Property

The InterContinental Auckland, an IHG hotel, opened in January 2024 and is one of Auckland’s newest luxury 5-star hotels. The hotel is a global leader in sustainable design and construction, earning a prestigious 6 Green Star rating, the highest sustainability rating in New Zealand.

The property participates in the IHG Luxury & Lifestyle program, a preferred partner program that you can access through our in-house travel agency, Prince Collection.

By booking through us, you’ll pay exactly what you’d otherwise pay (and sometimes even less), plus you’ll get access to a handful of exclusive benefits, such as a guaranteed 2pm late check-out, breakfast included daily for two at the hotel restaurant, $100 (USD) hotel credit, space-available upgrade to the next room category on arrival, bottled water and fresh fruit/snacks in room upon arrival, and other great value-added amenities.

Located on the harbourfront of the city centre, the InterContinental Auckland makes for a great base to explore the city of Auckland.

The ferry terminal is conveniently located directly across the street, giving easy access to day trips to the stunning islands of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, which offer beautiful beaches, scenic hikes, vineyards, and wildlife sanctuaries to explore.

Additionally, if you wish to learn more about Auckland, Auckland Free Walking Tours start their tours directly across the street from the hotel at the ferry terminal entrance.

The hotel is also directly connected to Commercial Bay, a sprawling retail center that brings shopping, dining, spa treatments, bars, and cafés right to the hotel’s doorstep.

From Auckland Airport (AKL), it’s a 35–40 minute drive to the hotel. If you won’t be renting a car for your visit, Uber and DiDi are also available.

Common day trips from Auckland include visiting Piha Beach (60-minute drive), Hobbiton (135-minute drive), or Waitomo (160-minute drive), just to name a few.

I visited this property with my husband on a cash rate booked through American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program. This allowed us to apply my husband’s annual $200 (all figures in USD) FHR credit to our stay, a benefit from his American Express US Platinum Card.

Cash rates for this hotel range from $220–600. Booking through FHR, our one night stay cost $316.95, but with the $200 credit, our out-of-pocket cost was effectively lowered to $116.95, with the added benefits of a free breakfast and a $100 credit for dining.

The cash rate is quite reasonable during the shoulder season, making this an ideal property for using the $200 credit. Interestingly, the FHR rate was also slightly cheaper than what we saw on IHG’s website.

This FHR program is also offered on the Canadian side, and both the American Express Platinum Card and the Business Platinum Card from American Express offer a $200 (CAD) travel credit each anniversary year that can be used on any travel booking made through Amex Travel, including on FHR bookings.

One thing to note is that the InterContinental Auckland does not currently participate in Canadian Amex’s FHR program, though hopefully it gets added soon.

InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel – The Check-In Experience

For our visit, we rented a car, and when we arrived at the hotel, we had some difficulty finding where to pull up. There’s no driveway up to the hotel entrance, but rather there is a small lane where a maximum of two cars can fit.

Once we figured this out and positioned ourselves accordingly, hotel staff quickly came out to us curbside, unloaded the car, and directed us into the hotel.

If you’re driving, note that the hotel charges $70 (NZD) per night for valet parking. Self-parking is available offsite at the Downtown Car Park, a five-minute walk away. Car park fares there are about half the cost of valet, but you will need to remember to top up your parking meter every 12 hours (it can be done through an app), and you won’t have in and out privileges.

The main lobby of the hotel is located one floor up from the entrance, so after you enter the hotel, you can hop in an elevator or up an escalator to check-in.

The lobby is small and simple, consisting of a small check-in desk on one side and a small seating area on the other.

Staff are dressed elegantly in navy-coloured uniforms, and they were courteous despite the fact that we had no elite status with IHG One Rewards. (Actually, I took the opportunity to sign up for our first IHG account at check-in.)

Our FHR amenities were discussed with us, and a room upgrade was provided from the King Classic room that we had booked to a King Classic Harbour View room.

Club InterContinental offerings were also detailed. If access to the hotel’s newly opened Club InterContinental isn’t included in your hotel rate, it can be added at check-in for $200 (NZD) per room.

We made our way to our room after check-in and were pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of carbonated Manuka honey water and a couple of small desserts on our dinette table with a note from the staff as our welcome amenity.

InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel – King Classic Harbour View Room

The King Classic Harbour View Room had a minimalist design and was decorated with rich, dark brown wooden floors and walls, creating a cozy yet sophisticated ambiance. Lighter-coloured carpeting and furniture provided a refreshing contrast.

Sustainability is an important initiative at the InterContinental Auckland hotel. They’ve replaced disposable water bottles with refill stations on every floor, opted for large bottled bathroom amenities instead of single-use items in the bathrooms, and installed motion-sensor lights and blinds in the rooms. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide a great view outside and maximize exposure to natural sunlight.

As soon as we opened the door to our room, the window blinds automatically began to rise. They closed when we left the room and reopened upon our return, helping to regulate the room’s temperature, which I thought was a pretty neat feature.

I also appreciated how spacious the room was. It accommodated a king-sized bed, a large sofa, and a small dinette set, with plenty of space left to move around in.

The bed was incredibly comfortable, topped with a mattress pad. One feature I especially appreciated was the slanted headboard, which provided excellent neck support when I was seated on the bed. Both USB-A and USB-C charging ports are wall-mounted and available on either side of the bed.

The turndown service included local products, featuring two bags of manuka green tea and two sticks of manuka honey to complement it.

The bathroom featured dark brown and grey tiles that created a somewhat dim atmosphere, but the shower’s translucent wall let sunlight from the bedroom filter in, helping to illuminate the space. The bath amenities were by Byredo.

InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel – Other Room Types

If you’re looking for a bit more space, you can book into a Junior Suite, which features a larger separate seating area, wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows, and a standalone bathtub.

One Bedroom Suites have all the features of the Junior Suites and also feature a dining area in addition to a full living room area.

All Junior Suites and Suites also come with complimentary access to Club InterContinental. There are only several of each suite type available at the hotel, so if you’re travelling during peak season, book early.

InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel – Food & Drink

Breakfast is served at the hotel’s only restaurant, Advieh Restaurant & Bar. The Full Advieh Breakfast Experience is included with the FHR rate, and it includes the continental buffet plus one main course off the menu.

The continental buffet featured many pastries and breads, smoothies, fruit juices, yogurt, and charcuterie items. The croissants were fantastic, being crispy and light, and I enjoyed the shakshuka as well.

If you have access to Club InterContinental, breakfast can also be enjoyed there. It provides a quieter, more intimate setting to enjoy breakfast with almost identical food offerings.

Beyond breakfast, Advieh Restaurant & Bar offers a menu crafted by renowned Chef Gareth Stewart, specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Don’t miss the crispy kataifi with scampi and crayfish, and if you love lamb, the Coastal Lamb Neck is a must-try.

Other dining options close by include several seafood restaurants by the harbour, the food court in Commercial Bay that serves up options from nearly every cuisine (try Argentinian, Asian, Indian, Italian, burgers, and more), and Ahi, a popular restaurant serving New Zealand cuisine.

If you’re looking for a round of drinks, you can enjoy them at Advieh, which features a bar in its restaurant. The hotel’s Club InterContinental also served up a fantastic selection of drinks.

Other options include Kemuri Hi-Fi, a Japanese jazz bar just outside the main entrance of the hotel, or Queens Rooftop Bar, located on the 21st floor of the hotel’s building.

InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel – Club InterContinental

The greatest feature of the InterContinental Auckland is their Club InterContinental which only opened this summer. Having visited countless executive lounges at Marriott and Hilton properties, I was excited to visit my first Club InterContinental, and in fact, it ended up surpassing my expectations.

The Club InterContinental is an exclusive space where you can unwind in a luxurious setting, socialize with family and friends, and enjoy a bite or drink while you’re there.

Located on the third floor of the hotel, the space overlooks the Waitematā Harbour. Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, natural lighting pours into the elegantly decorated space which has a variety of seating arrangements.

Access to the club lounge is more exclusive than other hotel chains, as even IHG One Rewards’ top-tier elite members don’t have access. It can only be accessed by booking a room rate that includes its access or if you pay separately for access. As a result, it was more quiet and exclusive than other lounges I’ve visited.

The lounge staff were courteous, sociable, and waited on you as if at a restaurant. They also provided check-in and check-out assistance and can help with concierge-type services.

In terms of food offerings, light refreshments were available throughout the day, with three special food offerings daily: breakfast, afternoon tea, and twilight canapés. Complimentary alcoholic drinks from the menu can be ordered during twilight canapés hours. You can find the menu for the Club on the hotel’s website.

Food offerings were of good quality, with the variety being slightly less than other club lounges I’ve visited in Asia but better than others in North America. The offerings really are meant to be a snack, rather than a meal. For each of the three offered dining times, there is a small buffet spread plus a few items that can be ordered off the à-la-carte menu.

The complimentary drink offerings during the twilight canapés service was excellent. It included a variety of cocktails, mocktails, champagne, wines, beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic options. I particularly enjoyed my Peach Bellini.

InterContinental Auckland, an IHG Hotel – Other Facilities

There is a small fitness centre located on the third floor of the hotel. One neat feature of the fitness centre is that they offer virtual fitness classes on demand.

There is no spa on-site, but the hotel can arrange for a third party company to provide spa treatments in the comfort of your own hotel room should the mood strike you.

Conclusion

The InterContinental Auckland is a property that evokes modern luxury, harmonizing comfort and elegance. What it lacks in terms of amenities, it makes up for with its modern accommodations, its exclusive Club InterContinental, and its prime location in Auckland.

This hotel is an excellent choice for booking with your IHG One Rewards points or an IHG Free Night Award during the low-season. If points aren’t an option, consider using the Amex US FHR program if you have a $200 FHR credit, or book through Prince Collection if you don’t.