The tallest hotel in New Zealand is a Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express might not be the flashiest hotel brand out there, but it does lay claim to one superlative: it's the tallest hotel in New Zealand.
Part of the IHG portfolio, Holiday Inn Express broke into New Zealand in the summer of 2020 with their Queenstown location. Now, their second outpost — the Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre — opened last week in a prime location at the heart of Auckland’s Central Business District.
The smart but simple property features 294 guest rooms and is an affordable choice for budget-minded travelers keen to travel to New Zealand following its recent reopening. For foreign travelers, this could be the first time they are able to experience Kiwi culture since the nation shut up shop for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first dual-hotel development in New Zealand, Pro-invest Hotels and IHG Hotels & Resorts joined forces to build this highly anticipated hotel located in one of the world’s most expensive travel destinations.
But beyond its lofty status, what does it have to offer business and leisure travelers?
With floor-to-ceiling windows, colorful design flourishes, streamlined workstations and some of the most impressive views in Auckland, it marries work and play pretty effectively. Other hotel amenities include meeting rooms, a fitness center, a restaurant and an on-site self-laundry facility.
Related: How to get to (and stay in) a reopened New Zealand on points and miles
Located in the business district, the hotel is just minutes away from an array of restaurants and coffee shops. In addition, The Auckland City Centre is truly deserving of its name, positioned within striking distance of famed attractions such as the Sky Tower, the University of Auckland and the Viaduct Harbour.
Despite being targeted at budget travelers, the rooms feature thoughtful, well-conceived touches such as black-out blinds, a 50’ SMART TV with Chromecast, free high-speed Wi-Fi and a bidet. A continental breakfast is also included in the rate and spans both hot and cold breakfast options.
Related: IHG’s credit card portfolio gets a major revamp
A weekend night in June starts from 22,000 IHG points or $167. With the current IHG Rewards Premier's sign-up bonus, you can get over six nights to explore Auckland!
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How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro Offer
For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account openingEarn 80,000 ThankYou® points60,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$95Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent, Good
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases