In the heart of Auckland, what was once a neglected area of the city, the precinct of Britomart has undergone a remarkable transformation to become a thriving hub of culture, community and commerce. Spanning across several blocks, Britomart has become an iconic destination that seamlessly blends the city’s rich history with contemporary, sustainable design and an exciting array of shops, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues.
Walking through the streets of Britomart, visitors are greeted with a captivating blend of boutique shops, high-end fashion retailers, and artisanal stores. The precinct is also home to a wide range of dining options, from casual cafés to award-winning restaurants, including the leading sustainable seafood restaurant, kingi. As the sun sets, Britomart comes alive with its vibrant nightlife and the precinct regularly hosts a range of events from art exhibitions to live music performances.
Britomart’s transformation began in the early 2000s when a group of visionary developers recognised the potential of the area and set out to revitalise it. Their goal was to create a mixed-use precinct that celebrated Auckland’s heritage while also embracing modern urban living. One of the defining features of Britomart is its commitment to preserving and enhancing the city’s heritage with many of the old buildings being meticulously restored and repurposed.
A jewel of the precinct, The Hotel Britomart is positioned in the heart of downtown waterfront Auckland and plays an important part in the wider Britomart precinct. The 10-storey Hotel Britomart was designed by award-winning Cheshire Architects, crafted from hand-made clay bricks, its rough surface punctuated by a constellation of sleekly glazed windows, its mass appearing to hover weightlessly over an urban tapestry of cobbled lanes and dockside warehouses. The Hotel Britomart is proudly New Zealand-owned and operated, and focused on delivering the very best of everything Aotearoa. The contemporary building is set amongst refurbished historic warehouses and the hotel’s connection to place is delivered through the dedicated use of local materials, architects, designers, furniture makers, artists, textile artists, and other suppliers and in the interweaving of the new hotel building with the refurbished heritage buildings adjoining it.
5 green-star rated
Sustainability is a core value of Britomart’s development and The Hotel Britomart is proud to be New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star rated hotel. When building the hotel, almost 80% of construction waste was re-used or recycled. The building was constructed very much as a smart building, with many locations of specific metering throughout the building to measure energy and water use electronically. Operationally, the hotel works extensively to ensure that the waste management of the guest rooms and back-of-house areas are thoroughly managed, ensuring they are sending less waste to landfill than recycling.
As well as its commitment to heritage and sustainability, The Hotel Britomart is also committed to style. The striking exterior is clad in 150,000 hand-made bricks, creating a sense of craft and a strong connection with the neighbouring buildings. This tactility continues to the 99 guest rooms and five magnificent suites which feature timber floors and walls, stone-tiled bathrooms, artisan ceramics and organic linens. The Hotel Britomart provides guests with a luxury escape while still connecting you to the vibrance of the CBD. In three natural colourways, the rooms are a serene counterpoint to Britomart’s buzz. Soft, built-in sofas offer reading nooks, while the latest ventilation and lighting technology assures guests of personalised comfort. The five Landing Suites at The Hotel Britomart are Auckland’s most refined contemporary accommodation. They offer a luxury lodge experience in downtown Auckland, inspired by the hotel’s sister property, The Landing. Three suites sit on the top floor of the hotel, and two in a glassy pavilion atop the adjacent Buckland Building. Designed in collaboration with Seattle’s Lucas Design Associates, three of the suites have sky gardens, while all offer spectacular views of the city or harbour.
Easy-going warmth
Public areas include The Libraries spaces which are located in the historic Masonic and Buckland Buildings adjoining the hotel, filled with NZ art and design. The restaurant, kingi, offers fresh, local seafood, under a 1,300-piece glass ‘fish-scale’ chandelier. Next door, kingi Private, is a sophisticated dining room. Located on the ground floor, kingi embodies the essence of a restaurant in a hotel rather than a typical hotel restaurant. kingi welcomes guests with an easy-going warmth that tells them it’s their place, too. Open for everything from early-morning coffee to drinks, snacks and fuller plates at night, kingi also offers The Hotel Britomart guests selected items as a room service menu throughout the day. At the heart of kingi’s menu is a celebration of New Zealand’s incredible seafood. The restaurant takes great pride in sourcing its ingredients directly from local fishermen and suppliers who adhere to sustainable fishing practices.
The Hotel Britomart’s deep sense of place is the result of being created by the same team that reinvented the neighbourhood around it. Developed as part of a vibrant downtown district of retailers, shops, and salons overseen by New Zealand owners across nearly 20 years, the hotel is an integral part of a wider community that guests can enjoy. This means guests who visit the hotel will feel a strong connection with Britomart and the rest of Auckland as soon as they arrive and long after they leave. What makes the hotel truly unique is that everything you can see, touch, taste, is all from the beautiful whenua (surrounds). The Hotel Britomart is more than just a city hotel; it offers a uniquely New Zealand experience with a clear connection to place, purpose and people.
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