Sudima Auckland City – Hotel Review

Downtown hotel Sudima Auckland City does so much right. With clean, contemporary rooms, a wallet-friendly offer for families (spoiler: kids stay for free!), bright on-site eatery and relaxed rooftop bar, this centrally located hotel has positioned itself as a solid choice for families and budget-conscious travellers alike. Read on for the full review.

Where is Sudima Auckland City?

There’s a cluster of Auckland’s high-rise hotels here; Sudima is nearby on Nelson Street in the Downtown district. It takes about 30 minutes by taxi to reach the airport.

What’s near Sudima Auckland City?

Two of the city’s big-ticket items are within walking distance. SkyTower, the soaring structure that tops 328 metres, is just five minutes away on foot, while the imposing Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki – the country’s largest art institution, housing more than 150,000 works – is a few minutes further on.

Room types

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The fuss-free rooms are focused on utility, with work desks, ample storage and an Amazon Echo. But it’s not all work, no play – there are comfy beds, lovely city views through picture windows and, in Suites, an in-room standalone tub with bath bombs that faces the skyline. (“Alexa, play something soothing.”) Parents will have a little extra in the pocket, too - two kids under 12 can stay for free (with occasional half-price breakfast options) at all Sudima hotels, when bunking with the family.

Restaurants and bars

Plant-focused never tasted so good. Don’t scoff – if you willfully ignored the fact there’s no meat (or, in many cases, animal products at all) at East restaurant, you’d only be missing the background knowledge. The Asian-inspired menu sings with flavour, texture and an innovative approach to sustainable food – lively sambals, umami-rich salts and crunchy morsels of tapioca chips or roasted coconut pack a real punch. The biodynamic wine list ain’t bad, either. There’s also Sunset, a relaxed rooftop bar with a Mumbai-street-eats menu, paired with (mostly) local wines.

Travel for work

Working from your room? There’s space for that, as well as free wifi, with a full-sized workstation in the corner of every room. The hotel has two rooms kitted out for conferences on the 10th floor. Event packages include AV-equipment, breakfast spreads and the sustainable option to remove notepads and pens at a discount.

Gym

Although there’s no fitness centre on-site, guests have free access to a local Anytime Fitness, five minutes away on foot near SkyTower. The gym is equipped with the standards: free weights, cardio and room to move.

Sustainability

The Sudima hotel group has been awarded Toitū carboNZero certification; as such, expect a high sustainability standard at Sudima Auckland City. That’s part of the reason you won’t find in-room fridges or cut flowers on-site and a few other little changes: the café’s fair-trade-friendly coffee is served in biodegradable cups and your partially used soaps are also recycled, for example.

Accessibility

Sudima hotels are committed to equal access with their properties reviewed by Be.Lab, a local body that assesses the accessibility of New Zealand businesses. At Sudima Auckland city, there’s one accessible room on each floor, as well as ramp entrances to common spaces, lifts with tactile numbering and trained teams for general support.

What you need to know

U-room extras, unlocked with the namesake room type, include coffee-pod powered machines, yoga mats and healthy snacks, all free of charge.

    Best for: Families and budget travellers
    Design: Contemporary
    Ambience: Casual
    Number of rooms: 194
    Rates: From NZD$288
    Wi-fi: Free
    Parking: Valet NZD $55 per day
    Address: 10th Floor/63-67 Nelson Street, Auckland CBD,
    Phone: +64 800 783 462