Location: At the bend of Auckland’s Great North Rd by the spire of St Joseph’s Catholic Church.Style: A hotel conversion with plenty of history, humour and eclectic art. A convenient conve…

Hotel: Originally opened as the Wains Hotel in the 1860s, the Victorian-era style of Dunedin’s first hotel has been updated as a boutique 50-room accommodation option for the 21st century.Locati…

Check-in experience: Seamless. We had planned a bags drop late morning and a return late afternoon but the room was ready and, after signing in, which was accompanied by warm elderflower teas, we were…

Location: A five-minute drive from Waihī Beach, and 18 minutes’ drive to the Waihī township itself.Style: A coastal rustic escape with thoughtful, personalised touches.Perfect for: A s…

Stephanie Holmes stays at the Park Hyatt Auckland, the newest luxury address in town, set to become the place to be this summer on a luxury city breakLocation: On Halsey St at Wynard Quarter. A waterf…

Location: The resort-style heritage hotel built in 1889 is situated on a hilltop with beautiful sprawling views in the distance of the lake – and on a clear day, of Mt Tongariro, Ruapehu an…

Juliette Sivertsen checks in to Four Points by Sheraton in Auckland; a modern hotel with spacious suites and expansive city views, close to some of Auckland’s main entertainment venues.Location:…

Pamela Wade checks into the recently-opened Oaks Wellington Hotel.Check-in experience: The lobby is typical of the whole hotel — light, airy and contemporary. Set back from the bustle of Co…

If you’re looking for a well-appointed, adults-only, all-inclusive resort on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, I’ve found yet another property that I’d recommend: Secrets Maroma Beach …