The northernmost city in New Zealand, Auckland is one of those ‘must-visit’ places, built upon hundreds of dormant volcanoes making it very hilly. Mount Eden, located a stone’s throw away from Eden Park stadium, is the most famous and tallest of the volcanoes.
This beautiful city is vibrant and busy, you will certainly never be short of something to do, somewhere to eat or somewhere to drink.
This stadium was originally built for rugby, but with the help of retractable seats, it works perfectly for cricket. With the big, covered North and South stands and the famous ‘Eden Park West Stand’, it has a capacity of 42,000 for cricket, raising to 47,000 for rugby. It is most famous for hosting the inaugural Rugby World Cup final in 1987, and will hopefully add being the first ever stadium in New Zealand to host a day/night test match to the list of memorable moments.
The stadium is located in the Mount Eden suburb, and all Howzat Travellers based in Auckland will be a short 25-minute transfer away from the ground.
Howzat Travel seating arrangements will be confirmed later this year…
Sofitel – Platinum tours – Hotel website
The 5* Sofitel will be a fantastic place for our Platinum travellers to reside while in Auckland. Located on Waitemata Harbour, the boutique Sofitel has fantastic views of the city and the harbour. A transfer to Eden Park will be around 20-minutes, while from the airport it will be a 40-minute transfer.
Located just off the Wynyard Quarter, the Sofitel is perfectly located in the city. Whether it’s walking along the harbour or enjoying a plethora of high-quality dining options just a stone’s throw away from the hotel. Dining within the hotel is also top quality, with the Lava restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a snack or a coffee in the day, enjoy the Viaduct café, which sits right alongside the Savarge bar, both in-house and both boasting a fantastic spot along the harbour.
The 171-room property contains luxury rooms with all amenities you would desire, offering a bath and shower in each room as well as a range of well-known complimentary toiletries. The hotel has free Wi-Fi throughout, a spa, well-equipped gym and a pool.
Despite being so well located within the city, the hotel offers a tranquil, private setting, leaving you able to get away from the hustle and bustle if desired.
Grand Millennium – Blue tours – Hotel website
This hotel, formerly the Rendezvous Grand and previously used by Howzat Travel in 2013, is situated just a few blocks south from the Sky Tower. The re-branded Grand Millennium is an extremely comfortable hotel that has a great location in the centre of the city.
Spacious rooms and bathrooms, all coming with a sofa and desk, will make your stay in Auckland very pleasurable. I can personally vouch for the very comfortable beds!
Wi-Fi is complementary throughout the hotel which also boasts a well-equipped gym, an indoor pool and outside seating area on the fourth floor.
The Lounge bar is a lovely area to relax after a day’s play and the in-house dining options are both award winning. The Bassiere offers Breakfast and Dinner, while there is also a Japanese option – Katsura sits on the first floor and offers a range of top quality specialist Japanese food.
Heading outside the hotel, just a few minutes north is Sky City, offering a range of café and dining options. The harbour is only slightly further or head-down the long Queens Street, which is around the corner from the hotel. Here you will be able to find all options from McDonalds and Burger King, to a range of small cafes and high-quality restaurant options.
Rydges – Red tours – Hotel website
Just a block away from Sky City and a ten-minute walk to the harbour, the Rydges is probably one of the best-situated hotels in the city.
The 267-room property has a lobby bar with a big screen that displays live sport. The Cut is the in-house dining option, which is well known for great quality breakfasts and offers a range of options for dinner.
The large rooms come with all amenities you would expect from a 4* hotel. Showers come as standard in all the rooms and Wi-Fi is unlimited and complimentary throughout.
The standard and location of this hotel makes it an ideal base for your week in Auckland.
Grand Mercure – Red tours – Hotel website
The recently renovated, 211-room Grand Mercure is situated just a block away from the harbour at the bottom of the Queens Road and is known for its 13th floor restaurant and bar area, offering fantastic views of the sea and city.
It comes with a very well equipped gym, a bike hire option and free Wi-Fi throughout. On the second floor is a deck area that manages to catch the sun in between the high-rise buildings around.
The comfortable rooms come with all the necessary amenities and offer showers as standard.
Being situated at the bottom of Queens Street and right by the harbour, you will be inundated with options to eat and stay entertained. The location of this property makes it a real winner.
Or, if you fancy cricket in Sri Lanka
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And… while you are deciding which tour to book, why not read the tour diaries from our previous cricket tours
