arthotel The Great Ponsonby

Right from the second that we turned into Ponsonby Tce we new The Great Ponsonby was superbly located. We didn't even feel we were in a big city it was so relaxed and quiet, yet we were close enough to the city that we could be anywhere in a matter of minutes, and even better, if we wanted to leave the car behind we were right in amongst the buzz of Ponsonby which we could explore on foot. I Have to be honest - this isn't what I expected from staying in the heart of Auckland, but this trip blew any preconceived fears i had from childhood visits completely out of the water.

The Great Ponsonby truly was a sight for sore (driving) eyes. It looked like a home away from home. There's nothing pretentious about this place at all and everything just feels right. For a Kiwi boy living in Australia, this was the fix of culture that I needed to make me feel back at home.

We were greeted by our hosts and after settling in and unpacking we enjoyed a quiet drink with Gerry who gave us the run down answering every possible question we could fire at him. From the beautiful art and books we could indulge in at the GP, to recommendations how we could best spend our time in Ponsonby and Auckland. Our hosts certainly helped us to achieve the best out of our time, and we could tell from the many friendly conversations they had with other guests during our stay that we weren't the only ones to benefit from their knowledge of the area.

This certainly beats staying at some boring old Hotel and blundering your way around for a few days.

Anything we could have wanted in a room was provided. I loved the bathroom!! The designer fittings, the beautiful tiles to the use of Eco cleaning products, these put the GP right at the top of my list. Everything and anything we could have required in the kitchen was there for us to use and although we didn't eat in, they certainly came in handy for romantic picnics. We couldn't have been more spoilt for entertainment - from the TV and DVD player (and they have a huge selection of GREAT DVD's to choose from) to your private audio system that can take your iPod and free wireless internet connection. We loved it all - and if you like to read while you relax.. then this is the place for you. The collection of literature is just mind blowing and if you're not sure where to start, Gerry can definitely give you some great recommendations. Although a great spot to relax and read was on our own table a chairs directly outside our room, I certainly had my eye on a couple of reclined chairs at the side of the house which were surrounded by beautiful plants and lightly shaded by a large place.... next time we'll have to stay for longer so we can take advantage of ALL the GP's offerings. So much to do and too little time. Oh well, there's always next time :)

Now for myself and my partner who both couldn't fault the location, the rooms, the amenities, the hosts and their hospitality there was also something else that made us fall in love with the GP which can't go unmentioned and that was the wonderful staff. They were ALWAYS so friendly and helpful and really made us feel relaxed. We couldn't say a thank you to our hosts Gerry and Sally without an equally big thank you to everyone who works hard in the background. From their smiles to their morning chats, we loved them all.

So from Jason and Jemma - "THANK YOU ALL" we loved every moment of our stay and would never hesitate in recommending it to anyone heading your way.

PS - The Breakfasts are AWESOME!!!! and the chef is A++ the GP is a great start and finish to every day you spend in the Auckland region. You won't want to miss this one.

This is the best bed & breakfast I've ever stayed in.

It feels like a hotel, but no beige walls. It's georgeously decorated and you get the biggest bed and best breakfast for your money. It's also near everything.

Set in a side street, the arthotel is dead quiet, but you're literally one minute walk from the "best" cafe's, restaurants, boutiques and art shops(auckland metro magazine says so).

The things I liked the most about this hotel were it's friendly staff, the deliscious breakfast and the decor - the rooms.

The owners know everything about Auckland and can barter the best deals for you, whatever you want to do. They also bring knew meaning to the phrase best-kept-secret. Some of them I'll include, but there are loads. 1. small beach on Hamilton road - it's ten minutes walk and off the bus route but well worth it, it's stunning. 2. One-to-one, the best late night blues and drinks. Heaving but reinvigorates your belief in society. 3. Shanghai Lils - the name is very fitting i think. Romantically lit, delicious cocktails and live piano.

When you wake up in the morning you need a hearty breakfast. The hotel offers breakfast cooked to order and has a devine menu. Blue cheese omelletes, the best swiss muesli i've had anywhere and i'm an expert in muesli, a super fresh fruit salad, mountains of crumpets, amazing whole grain bread and freshly baked banana bread. Oh and a nice big caffetier of coffee.

The rooms are execptional. It's worth investing twenty dollars more for the slightly nicer ones but they all look amazing. The hotels called arthotel for a reason. The rooms are invidually and architectually designed. You get a huge bed, wireless internet, tv/sky/cd/dvd/dvd library/book library/tea/coffee/dining table/coffee table/outside porch/kitchenette/leather sofa/soft rugs/eco shampoo/bath/shower pretty much as standard. Anything else you want - and you wont believe the stuff they have hidden away- can and undoubtably will be supplied.

A great place for familys,honeymooners,businesmen,anyone.