"A well-known publican named Thomas Foley established the Shakespeare Hotel and Brewery a few blocks from the Auckland harbor in 1898. Foley grew up in the building and painstakingly rebuilt the property out of red bricks he imported from Melbourne. In 1986, then-owner Peter Barraclough and then-brewer Barry Newman established one of the first microbreweries in New Zealand at this central Auckland icon. Today, the new the brewery produces hundreds of thousands of liters of ale using traditional wild fermentation techniques. Just like the old days, the pub still offers affordable accommodation upstairs for travelers who want to be in the middle of the action, or those who drink one too many IPAs. Accommodations are small and simple but feature original windows and attic-style skylights. It’s probably the best deal in town, especially when considering the lively bar at the bottom of the Escher-like staircase."