Where to Stay in Auckland This Summer

Auckland in summer is long evenings, warm water and more beaches within an hour than most cities have in total. The one decision that shapes the whole trip is where you sleep, because Auckland is spread out, and a base in the wrong spot can mean an hour in traffic every time you want to go somewhere.

Here is how we would choose, from a proper city hotel to a tent behind the sand dunes, and how each one fits with a car from Evolve Rentals, collected right in the middle of the city.

What is the best area to stay in Auckland?

For a first visit, the city centre. It puts the waterfront, the ferries, Britomart, Ponsonby and most of the good restaurants within walking distance, and the motorways north, south and west all start on the edge of it. That matters more than it sounds, because the best of an Auckland summer is out of town, and a city base means you are pointed at all of it.

If you are flying in late or out early, a night near the airport saves a lot of alarm clock misery. And if summer for you means waking up next to the sea, the regional parks have campgrounds that feel a very long way from Queen Street.

Which hotels are best for a central Auckland stay?

The Grand Millennium Auckland on Mayoral Drive is the obvious one for us, because it is where our Auckland cars live. It is a five star hotel with a heated indoor pool, a fitness centre and five places to eat, a short walk from Aotea Square, the Civic Theatre and the Sky Tower. Stay there and your car is collected in the lobby, which is about as easy as a rental gets.

Crowne Plaza Auckland on Albert Street is right in the middle of the city and an easy walk to the waterfront. Four Points by Sheraton sits at the top of Queen Street, with its main entrance on Mayoral Drive, just along the road from the Grand Millennium. And if you want a bit more room, Auckland Harbour Suites on Gore Street is tucked in near Britomart, a few minutes' walk from the ferry terminal.

All four keep you walking distance from dinner, which is the other reason to stay central. You can spend the day on a west coast beach, drop the car back at the hotel, and not think about driving again until the morning.

Where can you stay in Auckland on a budget?

Auckland's budget options are central, sociable and a lot better than they used to be. LyLo Auckland on Cook Street does sleeping pods as well as private ensuite rooms, with a shared kitchen, a lounge looking out over the city and a travel desk downstairs for planning the rest of the trip.

For a proper backpackers, Attic Backpackers on Wellesley Street West is locally owned, close to Queen Street and the Sky Tower, and has a rooftop terrace that earns its keep on a summer evening. Haka House Auckland City on Turner Street, just off Queen Street, is newly refurbished with dorms, private rooms and plenty of shared space.

A cheap bed in the city and a car for the days you want to get out is a very good way to do Auckland. You spend less on the room and more on the bits you came for.

Where should you stay near Auckland Airport?

The Naumi Auckland Airport hotel on Kirkbride Road is a boutique hotel close to the airport, and it is also our airport collection point for guests who would rather start or finish their trip at that end of the city. It suits a late arrival, an early flight, or a trip that heads straight south to Hobbiton, Rotorua or the Coromandel without going anywhere near the city traffic.

Can you go camping near Auckland in summer?

Yes, and it is one of the best things to do with an Auckland summer. Our pick is Te Haruhi Bay campground in Shakespear Regional Park, right at the tip of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula. The sites sit behind the dunes at the end of the bay, inside a pest free sanctuary, with flush toilets, drinking water and cold outdoor showers, which you will be glad of after a day in the sea.

It is popular for good reason, so book early. Auckland Council opens bookings six months ahead and the busy summer dates fill up. Dogs are not allowed anywhere in the sanctuary and fires are banned at all times, so leave both at home.

If you would rather go further than the peninsula, the best weekend road trips from Auckland covers Raglan, the Coromandel and the Kauri Coast, each of them a good overnight in its own right.

Do you need a car if you stay in the city centre?

Not for the city itself. The centre is walkable and the ferries, trains and buses cover the rest well enough. But almost everything that makes an Auckland summer worth the trip sits outside it: Piha and the west coast beaches, Matakana, the regional parks, and a lot of our favourite Auckland food stops, which are spread across the suburbs in every direction.

The simplest approach is to keep the car for the days out and walk everywhere the rest of the time. Our Auckland day trips guide has Piha, Kumeu, Matakana and the Hunua Ranges, with what is worth the drive.

Getting your car in Auckland

Our Auckland cars are collected from the Grand Millennium at 71 Mayoral Drive, where a member of our team hands over the keys in the hotel lobby and walks you round the car. Wherever you are staying in the city centre, it is a short walk or a very short taxi ride away. From hotel lobby to highway explains exactly how it works.

Pick the bed that suits the trip, then sort your car with Evolve Rentals and go and find the beach that nobody at the hotel bar has heard of.

FAQs

What is the best area to stay in Auckland for a first visit?
The city centre. It is walkable, close to the waterfront and ferries, and puts you at the start of the motorways for day trips north, south and west.

Where can you camp near Auckland?
The regional parks have campgrounds, including Te Haruhi Bay in Shakespear Regional Park at the tip of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula. Bookings open six months ahead through Auckland Council.

Is it worth staying near Auckland Airport?
For a late arrival, an early flight or a trip heading straight south, yes. It saves a drive across the city at the start or end of your stay.

Do you need a car in Auckland?
Not to get around the city centre, but most of Auckland's beaches, regional parks and day trips are far easier to reach with one.

Where do you collect an Evolve car in Auckland?
From the Grand Millennium at 71 Mayoral Drive in the city centre, where our team hands over the keys in the hotel lobby.