Sometimes the places I stay aren’t that glamorous. That’s because I had a strict budget for this trip and in certain places that buys a nice hotel and elsewhere not so great!
I had arrived in Auckland at the tail end of the World Masters Games and there wasn’t much in the way of choice. I stayed first at the St Francis Retreat Centre. Then I had a great Airbnb to look forward to…
In between, I had one night to fill and the only place in, well, budget, was the Ibis Budget!
It’s really well positioned, just off the main shopping street, Queen Street.
Lots of reviews warned about how basic the rooms were. Given I’d spent a month living in the Ibis at Queen’s University in Belfast, I was probably a bit more prepared than most. Given the cost was just a bit north of £50 per night, I wasn’t expecting too much.
The reception staff stuck strictly to the 2pm check-in time. The lobby was very dark, but clean and with plenty of nooks to wait in.
Once I got checked in, I was pleasantly surprised. The bed was nicely made, there was a small balcony and a little kitchen.
The kitchen wasn’t exactly overstocked (if you wanted to use it, you had to go to reception to pick up some plates and pots).
The bathroom was more of a wetroom but there was lots of hot water and plenty of towels.
Don’t be expecting a separate loo area!
The corridors kept the dingy theme going and you could hear next door’s music playing but not enough to be an annoyance.
Overall, a pretty good wee hotel for the price!
