In Maori, Auckland is known as “Tamaki Makaurau,” meaning “desired by many,” and it’s an apt description. On this trip, I spent extended time here, staying at two hotels near the downtown waterfront. This area boasts what’s said to be the largest marina in the Southern Hemisphere. And where yachts gather, glamour inevitably follows, bringing with it a vibrant food scene and high-end shops. The city also offers ample natural appeal, with sandy beaches, verdant volcanic cones and urban green spaces. Yet Auckland, where most international flights arrive, plays second fiddle to many other New Zealand destinations. Perhaps because the country is blessed with such awe-inspiring landscapes, people give its largest city short shrift. Plus, it has long lacked a good luxury hotel — but that’s no longer the case.

Park Hyatt Auckland

The city’s class act is the 195-room Park Hyatt Auckland, which opened in 2020 in the Wynyard Quarter, a former industrial wharf that has been transformed into a mixed-use residential and entertainment area. Despite the numerous bars and restaurants, it remains the quieter side of the busy waterfront area.

The hotel’s soaring seven-story atrium lobby, adorned with striking Maori artwork, left quite an impression, as did Beau, the black Labrador “concierge” who dozed at the front desk in adorable fashion. Check-in was predictably busy — most flights from the U.S. arrive in the morning — but we felt a twinge of annoyance after multiple employees apologized for the delay but failed to alleviate it. At last, they handed us keys to the second-floor day spa, where we relaxed while waiting for our accommodation. A hot shower and a cold plunge in the hydrotherapy room, followed by my prebooked deep-tissue massage, made for a restorative start to the day, as did a subsequent hit of caffeine from the hotel’s popular café, the Pantry.