Kathleen Davidson stays at The Devon New Plymouth — A Heritage Hotel.
Getting there: Instead of hitting the old State Highway 1 from Wellington to Auckland, I decided to add an extra hour overall to my journey but split it by driving to New Plymouth one day (4hr 30 mins), then Auckland the next (4hr 40 mins) via State Highways 1 and 3. I was really pleased that I did — you go through some beautiful parts of New Zealand, including the Awakino Gorge and the cool small towns of southern Taranaki such as Waverley.
Check-in experience: Easy and friendly. I'd stayed at The Devon before in the early 90s with my family while at high school. But not too much of it was recognisable on this visit, thanks to the massive refurbishments undertaken by the owners (the charismatic former mayor of New Plymouth, Peter Tennant and his family), the most recent of which has just been completed. The conference facilities are top of the line and the outdoor area has many snazzy touches, including illuminated, colour-changing furniture.
Room: A spacious suite, which seemed brand new. It had a divine king bed with a fun blue faux-fur throw and cushions, en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower with a cool blue lighting option, two big-screen TVs with Sky, a Nespresso machine, small fridge and microwave, large dining table and an enormous balcony with patio furniture looking out over Devon St. I could just see the ocean and I had a great view of the fairy-light covered trees that line the property's exterior.
Price: From $149. There are all sorts of room configurations possible.
