Auckland's Hilton hotel shipshape and ready to sail

By ELEANOR BLACK

Standing in a nautical-themed suite at the new Auckland Hilton is like standing on the bow of a ship. One almost expects to feel seasick.

Perched at the end of Princes Wharf, the $50 million "boutique" hotel sets sail today with 30 guests.

It is Hilton's first foray into the New Zealand market and the project's success in Auckland could lead to hotels in Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, says general manager John Ingram.

Auckland is the healthiest of the accommodation markets, with a steady 79 per cent occupancy rate that seems unaffected by the burgeoning number of hotels, says Hospitality Association spokesman Graeme McKay.

"Each year we seem to get an addition of occupancy in Auckland ...

"I think investors are doing their homework."

Hilton, one of the world's largest hotel chains, is leaving nothing to chance.

As well as offering a range of luxury packages, Mr Ingram says he expects a huge boost in bookings from members of Hilton's international loyalty club, which offers discounts to repeat customers.

From the outside, the small five-star hotel (166 rooms, of which 8 are luxury suites) is reminiscent of a docked cruise ship, an appropriate similarity as it is where international cruise passengers will now go for immigration checks.

In the marble-floored lobby the effect is a little less obvious, but upstairs in one of the "junior suites"($745 a night), the wraparound deck and cool, white walls, complete the sense of being at sea.

The triangular suite points towards the Waitemata Harbour, providing stunning views of green ocean and the docks.

Guests can even sit on the toilet and gaze across the water at Rangitoto, if that's their thing.

Hilton spokeswoman Kathy Cunningham proudly points to the native timber panelling on the walls, the fluffy teddy bear sitting on the white bed, brushed stainless steel fittings, and the New Zealand wool carpet.

But who wants to look at the carpet when the windows offer so much more. The harbour is even a focus for those doing laps in the pool on the fourth floor, which features a window at its ocean end.

Unfortunately, the pool wasn't full yesterday, when the Herald arrived for its sneak preview.

It was one of just a few glitches that were encountered on the tour of the site.

The hotel was to have opened last month, but this was delayed by the liquidation in March of Hartner Construction.

Yesterday, plastic-wrapped sofas sat in the lobby, wood planks were scattered outside and cleaning crews were scrambling to polish windows.

The elevator seemed to have been taken over by gremlins, beeping furiously and refusing to take us up two levels.

But it did get us back downstairs to the comfort of Bellini, a cocktail bar named after a frothy champagne-and-peaches concoction created in Venice.

In the bar the white is broken only by a bright purple sofa.

On the next level is White, a restaurant focusing on a Pacific rim menu. The chef there, Luke Mangan, owns Sydney's award-winning Salt restaurant.