Hotel Review: Four Points by Sheraton Auckland (Studio Suite) - The Only Marriott Property in Auckland, New Zealand
At the time of writing, the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland is the only Marriott property in Auckland and it is located in the CBD. Like most new hotels in Auckland, the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland opened last year (even though it was scheduled to open in 2017) and even though the Category 4 property is located on the far end of Queen Street (away from the harbour), it is still a property that I would return to whenever I am in the city.
Click HERE to check out the room rates for the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland!
Business Class Seat
Qantas
After arriving from Singapore via Brisbane on a broken Business Class seat (which did not convert into a lie-flat bed) on Qantas, I was attended to a trainee (who had a trainee badge on) at the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland. As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member, I was not offered a choice of a Welcome Gift upon check-in but I decided not to be difficult so I prompted him instead for it. As some of you may already know, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite and higher members are eligible for guest compensation (USD 100 for most brands but only USD 50 for Four Points) if the choice is not offered upon arrival. Between 500 bonus points and complimentary breakfast for the whole duration of my stay, I opted for the latter as that offered me a lot more value obviously.
Hotels in Auckland are expensive and the room rates here at the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland can fluctuate between NZD 200 to NZD 500 on a regular basis - and that's a lot to pay for a Four Points property! Fortunately for me, I managed to find myself a long-term rate (since I was staying over over 10 nights at this property) for under NZD 300 a night which was decent. My reservation was for a Studio Suite (sometimes referred to as simply a Studio on the website) and as a Platinum Elite Member, I was not accorded any further upgrades for the stay (it is always difficult to score an upgrade on a long stay).
Located only on levels 19 and 20, the Studio Suites here at the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland feature 45 sqm of space and it also has a private (or not so, actually) balcony as well as a kitchenette. While the living room cannot be partitioned off from the bedroom, the L-shaped layout of the room makes it semi-private with its own sofa, coffee table as well as a separate flatscreen TV. Towards the end of this living area, under the TV, is where you will find a small working desk with a power outlet. Unfortunately, like all other hotels that I have stayed in Auckland, none of these power outlets is actually universal so you may need some kind of power adapter to use them if you are visiting from overseas. Complimentary WiFi is provided here and unlike my stay at the Avani Metropolis Auckland Residences (which I did not review, unfortunately), it is uncapped here at the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland so use as much as you want!
As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Member, I received a plate of fresh fruits, a block of chocolate and two glass bottles of water from Antipodes. No other Platinum Elite benefits were offered during the stay except for breakfast which I had to ask for during check-in but let’s be honest, do we really expect a Four Points property to excel in service?
While the room measures only 45sqm in size, the layout makes it feel a lot bigger than what is on paper - located directly behind the living area is the small kitchenette, and adjacent to that is the bedroom as well as bathroom. There is also a small separate dining table located in between which is great for eating takeout food or if you get hungry at night and would like to heat something up (there is a microwave in the Studio Suites!).
Apart from its size, one of the most prominent standout feature of the Studio Suite is the existence of a kitchenette - you will find a microwave, dishwasher as well as a full-size refrigerator here! While I do find a microwave useful, I am not sure if I can say the same about a dishwasher (especially since there are no induction stoves of any kind here). Complimentary bottled drinking water was also provided and they are replenished at least once a day. I cannot quite remember if turndown service was offered here since I typically get back to the hotel pretty late but I do not believe that it is offered here at the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland.
The bedroom of the Studio Suite that I have stayed in was probably my favourite area and if I were to be completely honest, this (and the bathroom) is the only area that truly mattered to me. While the bed was not as plush as I had hoped it would be, it was firm and was sufficient in providing me with a decent level of comfort. There is a small chair located at the corner of the bedroom (there are just so many seating areas in this room!) as well as a small coffee table but honestly, the balcony is where you want to be to take in the fresh air and some sun if you are lucky. Power outlets can be found on both sides of the bed but none of them are universal so you should bring along a travel adapter if you require one.
There is another TV here in the bedroom and located right next to it is a decently-sized wardrobe which is sufficient for you to hang up at least 5-7 days of outfits (assuming you change them every day). There is also a full-length mirror here which makes it easy for you to get dressed before heading out.
The bathroom here in the Studio Suite is separated by sliding doors that are perpendicular to each other - one of them looks out to the bedroom while the main door (entrance) to the bathroom can be accessed via the living area. If you are planning on sharing this room with someone that you are not close to (why would you?!), do note that the sliding frosted glass doors cannot be locked.
All the bathrooms of the Studio Suites here at the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland do not come with a bathtub. Ironically, a bathtub can be found in a lower category room type (Corner Room) if that is your kind of jam. For whatever reason, I find the bathrooms of hotels in Auckland uninspiring - I have stayed at the Crowne Plaza Auckland, Hilton Auckland and the Rydges Auckland and they are simply functional without any bells and whistles.
Consistent to the Four Points brand, bath amenities are provided by Activ Body Care which smells like men’s deodorant so if you are a lady and do not wish to smell masculine, do bring (or buy!) your own amenities.
One thing that I really liked about the Studio Suite was much natural daylight it actually enjoys - the living area has floor-to-ceiling windows which is great (but also something to be watchful of), but there are also blackout curtains and day blinds if you require them.
While the Studio Suites do come with a massive balcony, is is actually semi-partitioned off by some plants in between - what this means to say that while unlikely, it is actually possible for your neighbour to climb over to your side of the balcony without any difficulty (unless he or she is allergic to plants). Therefore, even though the floor-to-ceiling windows are great, I did find myself wanting to draw the curtains during the evenings just for privacy reasons. As if the Studio Suites do not have enough seating spaces, your balcony also comes with two small chairs and a coffee table for you to enjoy the breeze in the evening.
I always find it a little daunting to take photos using my camera when I am abroad alone so unfortunately, the photos at breakfast were all taken using my iPhone. As mentioned earlier, Platinum Elite (and higher) members have the option of having either 500 Marriott Bonvoy points or complimentary continental breakfast for the whole duration of the stay - it goes without saying that the latter option offers more value for an average customer. For me, it was either 500 points or breakfast for 11 days so that decision was an easy one to make. While the variety did not change much throughout my entire stay (honestly, it was just alternating between hashbrowns or roasted potatoes), the quality of food was decent and since I did not actually pay anything extra for it, it was sufficient for me to grab a quick bite before heading into the office. There is an egg station where you can order from and this is included in the buffet. The staff here were all really lovely and one of them actually remembered my coffee order on the second day (something that I do not experience frequently even at high-end properties).
The location of the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland is not the best and even though it markets itself as being ‘in the heart of the CBD’, it is actually located near where Aotea Square is. Walking to the actual heart of the CBD is possible but do note that the walk back would be an uphill battle (if you are fit and healthy, it should not be a problem at all). With all that being said, I did find the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland to be decent - while it would definitely not fall into my top 3 favourite hotels in Auckland, it does have a few plus points.
The food options around the property are great, it is fairly easy to walk down to the main shopping strip and most importantly, it is the only property right now in Auckland that allows me to retain my Marriott Bonvoy status. I did face some difficulties in trying to get my Uber driver to pick me up from the hotel’s main entrance (since there is also a side entrance that they like to go to) but hopefully that is rectified once the main driveway is properly constructed and Uber drivers are progressively informed about the hotel’s location.
Four Points by Sheraton Auckland
396 Queen Street, Main Reception Entrance 110 Mayoral Dr, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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The Le Méridien Seoul, Myeongdong has probably the best location in Seoul with a decent Club Lounge experience for elite members.