21 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Highlights
Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour is a chic waterfront hotel with spacious modern rooms, stunning harbor views, luxe spa, and refined dining just steps from the city.
21 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010, New Zealand Get directions
New Zealand's Largest City Has Exceptional Natural Beauty, With Pristine Beaches, Verdant Volcanic Peaks, and Lovely Hotels
"Leading luxury hotel with a distinctly French flair and a chic, contemporary design." - Amy Louise Bailey
Amy Louise Bailey
Amy Louise Bailey is a content creator and media specialist. Her work has been published in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Condé Nast Traveler, Bloomberg Pursuits, and Robb Report.
Travel
"Rising before one of the world’s most famous sailing sites—the host of the Louis Vuitton Regattas, the Volvo Round the World Race, and theAuckland International Boat Show—the Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour blends French and South Pacific influences while respecting the maritime heritage of the area. Glass walls maximize views of the marina and its many yachts as well as the reflective pools that create optical illusions in the hotel lobby. The color palette sets cherry and dark woods, jade greens, and slate grays against cream and white backdrops, while artwork—from ceremonial pieces to a Maori tribal sculpture in the atrium—pays homage to indigenous New Zealanders. Some of the treatments at the SO Spa, like the greenstone massage, also reflect local culture, while others use French products in a nod to the hotel brand’s heritage. References to Auckland’s volcanic origins also abound, most notably in the back-lit marble walls of the Lava Dining restaurant, an all-day spot for French- and New Zealand-accented dishes; the casual 21 Viaduct Café and panoramic Sabrage Bar are other dining options. And then there are the rooms: from the Superiors and Junior Suites to the exclusive Opera Suite, all have contemporary décor, signature MyBed mattresses, marble baths with Lanvin products and separate showers and tubs, and walls of windows opening out onto a Juliet balcony with views of either the hotel’s atrium, or the city, harbor, and beyond."
I had a wonderful stay! The room was spotless and very well-maintained, which made me feel comfortable and relaxed right away. The attention to cleanliness really stood out and added to the overall great experience. The cozy atmosphere and tidy space made it easy to unwind after a long day. Plus, the staff were friendly and helpful, always making sure guests felt welcome. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a clean, comfortable, and welcoming place to stay!
Ana Puchero
Google
We had a lovely experience for our one night stay. The room was spacious, with calming water flowing noise outside which we liked. The bed however is bit lumpy so we didn't had much of a good sleep. We had breakfast and lunch which is good, nice selection. Service was very lovely, would love to visit again
bb
Google
The location is excellent. It is on the waterfront yet it’s in a quieter area so you will have no trouble sleeping.
The biggest point of difference is that every single staff member was helpful and kind. I’ve never encountered this anywhere else before staying here.
The rooms have very high ceilings and are modern.
The gym is small and basic but has everything you need to do a workout.
I will stay here again
M AlGhaith
Google
Very pleased with our stay at this lovely hotel.
Suites 341 and 638 were amazing and very spacious.
Breakfast is very delicious and there is a good selection of food on the menu and at the buffet.
I would like to thank Mr Lukas Austin from reception for his hospitality and warm welcome to us.
Many thanks to Mr Careem from Concierge for his wonderful assistance around the hotel and guidance on tourist attractions places.
Many thanks to Ms Cathy from La Maree restaurant for her excellent service looking after our orders at the restaurant.
This amazing hotel is highly recommended to your stay whenever you're in Auckland.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Ayrton Winitana
Google
Beautiful stay-cation here at the Sofitel. Took our 6 month baby and there were zero hassles. Very friendly staff and gave our baby lots of hellos and smiles. The facilities are incredibly clean and 5 star feeling. The Spa is to die for. Best deep tissue massage I've ever had. Rooms were spacious and tidy. Amazing buffet breakfast and restaurant with a vibey cocktail bar across the foyer. Looking forward to next time!
stavanger85
Google
I stayed for three nights and was looked after by the hotel staff team so well throughout this time. Even though the air conditioning was out of action while under repair, a quiet fan was provided in my room which was more than sufficient, especially with the cool evening air from my room balcony. The quality of the food provided in the club lounge was outstanding (as was the breakfast in the restaurant), and the hotel is to be highly praised for this. It was great to be in a hotel that understands Club lounges are meant to be a premium experience and the attention to detail was noticed and valued by me. Chef responsible for the club dining should be provided with positive feedback for this - it was first class. I will definitely be back. My stay was easy, no request was too much trouble and I was in comfortable surroundings that are convenient to the rest of Auckland city centre.
Richard D
Google
I stayed here over a weekend trip from Sydney. I was upgraded which was amazing, but unfortunately the air condition was broken. This seems to be a bit of a repeat issue on the top floor for the hotel. Kept switching to heating which made the room a bit unbearable. The maintenance guy tried fixing it, and instead had to have the outside door open to cool it down. The facilities are decent - sauna and pool, although they are on the smaller side for a Sofitel, it’s one of the few hotels with a functional sauna. Stream room was out of commission. Club M is understated and less spacious than other clubs I’ve been to, but still quite nice. Overall would recommend staying here as the location is incredible - you are right on the water and a walking distance into the city.
Drew S.
Google
Over three weeks in NZ, we stayed 3 times, each for one night. Two King rooms - for the same price as one room in hotels in the same area. Very large rooms, great comfortable beds and pillow. Welcoming service. Flexible check in/out. Great cafe, room service and bar. Will come again!
Scott D.
Yelp
Arrived with tour group and stayed 5 extra days. The team at this hotel made my visit very comfortable. They were always happy to assist with suggestions on things to see and do. They didn't flinch at any request and made sure I got everything I needed. The rooms are large and very comfortable. The location is short walk to everything.
Bob A.
Yelp
Three stars is definitely the most I can offer, but that rating suffers due to the one main problem going on here.
Very nice facility in a fantastic location, especially if, like me, you're going straight from here to a cruise ship. Kind and thoughtful reception staff. I had food at the restaurant and the cafe, the latter of which was particularly cute. Oh but I did love the Eggs Benedict in the restaurant.
I was here in the summer (February 2025) and the air conditioning was out in the entire building. And not just "we'll have it up and running in a jiff". They had emailed me a month earlier to warn me about it. It seems like no-air-conditioning is part of their long-term expectations, and it is NOT comfortable. Way less swanky hotel chains would find it absolutely shameful to resign themselves to a fate like this. I would only consider staying here in cooler months.
Oleg S.
Yelp
very rude and angry reception. no one helps with luggage. the room stinks. Design is to oldfashion
Luke B.
Yelp
I absolutely loved my Sofitel stay. I was upgraded to a very palatial suite and enjoyed the harbour views, Hermes toiletries and cocktail hour in Club Millesime.
The staff, especially at check in and the staff attending to Club Millesime, were exceptionally kind and attentive. Can't wait to come back!
Brian J.
Yelp
Terrible hotel with terrible service. From start to finish this was the worst experience we have ever had with Sofitel. Management obviously doesn't care. Room was extremely hot and after 5 hours of them promising to fix the issue they finally told us that this was "an ongoing issue"!!! Stay here if you enjoy terrible service and a stuffy hot room (they tried to change us to another room which was equally hot so this is a hotel issue). Management didn't care.
Carol K.
Yelp
Great location, comfortable beds and the kind of service you expect from a Sofitel.
I arrived and the bellman immediately took my bags and whisked them away to my room. I was quickly checked in and shown to my oversized room overlooking the viaduct harbor.
The room has pretty much everything you might need, from a Nespresso coffee machine and coffee, an in room safe, a wonderful rain shower that you will want to stand in all day and a functional work space. But my favorite thing was that the windows opened to let in fresh air and that those windows were floor to ceiling letting in tons of light and sunshine ( no worries if you are a sleeper who needs dark, there are shade and draperies that will fix that for you.
Breakfast was included in my room rate so I was able to go down each day and enjoy a fresh cooked breakfast in the restaurant. Know that there is also a huge breakfast buffet that can be enjoyed alone, or with any of the ordered items.
There was a small snafu with the Internet as they limit how much you can download, but a call to the front desk unearthed a workable solution.
And know that the pool is indoor only so if sitting out in the sunshine is your thing, that will be difficult to do at the hotel, but you can walk a few steps to the dock area and there are benches in the sun there.
All in all a functional place to call home for a few days that is worth the money paid given its great location and service!
Laurie W.
Yelp
We spent our nights in Auckland at this wonderful luxury hotel. The rooms are clean, modern and comfortable. We loved the soaking tub and separate rain shower. The location is great, and a walk to downtown through the harbor is convenient. There are many restaurants and attractions that are close by. What separates this Sofitel from the others are the employees who went above and beyond to help make our stay memorable. The concierge made reservations for several excursions we did throughout our stay. They would check the weather forecast to pick the best days for us to visit the sites. Kareem, the man who brought our luggage to our room, gave our son Sofi the Sheep, a plush animal, which was so kind. They keep a carafe of complimentary kiwi fruit juice in their lobby. We had such a wonderful stay at this Sofitel and would recommend it to anyone visiting the Auckland area.
Christina Y.
Yelp
Deeply disappointed in this hotel. Location is great. The bellman and housekeeping are wonderful. Reception is another story. Inexperienced staff at the front desk unable to assist in resolving a simple question regarding a discrepancy regarding an Amex voucher for $100 usd--when Sofitel's welcome letter says $75. "You must speak to the manager, since I'm unfamiliar with our packages." One would think he would either retrieve the manager or ask for my room number. Unfortunately not. After that charmed encounter (on my birthday no less), just requested Amex take care of that discrepancy, since I was getting stonewalled ---allegedly at a 5 star hotel.
The saga continues. BTW, the worst meal I had in New Zealand was at the Sabrage- the bar restaurant. Shortly after we ordered a burger, fries, fish&chips- our server announced that there would be a 30 min delay with the food. Obviously an issue with the kitchen, but still left a gratuity for our server for $15 NZ. Our bill was $85 NZ for food.
At hotel checkout, I'm still below the $100 usd threshold for dinner at the restaurant. The final invoice is being processed by the fellow that was so helpful with the voucher issue- btw- the gratuity cannot be included with your voucher-without notice. Here's another kicker- a 2% surcharge for using a credit card to pay your hotel bill. I just laughed. I usually don't carry $2k in NZ dollars to pay bills. That was the last straw. Called Amex to leave feedback too and to dispute charges.
Do yourself a favor and consider another hotel in the viaduct. Sofitel makes every attempt to nickel and dime you--they don't care about your experience at the property. Incredibly sad and unbelievable customer experience. My experience doesn't match the alleged 5 star rating. Go back to basics- it's all about the people. Tragically overrated and deeply disappointed.
Merri P.
Yelp
Very disappointing. Not the service we expect.
1) when we checked in they said they would send bags upstairs. 30 min later we went to lobby and they were just sitting there, so we took them up ourselves. No employee said a thing
2) it took 2 calls and 30 min to get tv to work
3) had to call for robe
4) numerous screaming children running through lobby all evening when we arrived, making lobby and restaurant unusable. They were attending a private function but running all over lobby and restaurant.
5) we were charged $150 for a spilled cup of coffee in the room
lw h.
Yelp
The rooms are very nice, the staff is friendly, the view is excellent, but if you sign on to the wireless network and place a call with What'sApp, they'll cut you off after a bit and tell you that you've used more than 1,000 MB, and they don't consider that to be "fair play." That has never happened to us in any other hotel.
Can we trade in some of the fancy lotion, Q-tips, or make-up remover pads for something that we would actually use, like reasonable wireless internet access without an extra charge, particularly in light of what we're paying for this room?
Katie B.
Yelp
Really nice staff, great bathrooms and luxurious bedsheets...
My one (major) gripe? Only 300MB free internet and after that they charge. These days I have little patience for hotels without (actually) free internet. In fact, this review is going to be less descriptive and gushy than it should be because I have to write it on my mobile as I've already used my allotted internet. Your loss, Sofitel.
Valerie R.
Yelp
Upscale, classy and refined - that's what this Sofitel oozes the moment you walk in the door. You've got everything you need, right at your fingertips - a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, gym, spa, and pool. From here, you can easily walk to the new Wynyard Quarter with a host of dining options, the ferry terminal (Waiheke Island wine tour, anyone?) and the downtown shopping district.
Our corner room offered fantastic views of the Sky Tower and marina, a plush bed, and a bathroom fit for a queen with a soaking tub and separate shower. I was also pleased to find L'Occitane toiletries, and even conditioner (a big deal, since "conditioning shampoo" leaves me with dreadlocks)!
We had a delicious breakfast at the coffee shop and the mochas there were perfect for warming up after walking around in the brisk winter weather.
If I had one gripe, it is that the closet space was near non-existent. I would come back here in a heartbeat, though. Loved this place!
Mark F.
Yelp
My preferred hotel in Auckland for a nice luxurious stay close to the Viaduct without the absurd prices of the Hilton.
Nicely appointed rooms, nearly all with a balcony, and good sized bathrooms, which is one of my key desires. I hate those hotels where you have a great room then a bathroom you can't turn around in. I had one recently where if I dropped the soap in the shower you would have to get out of the shower to pick it up!! I like a bit of space in the bathroom...
A kitchenette in the rooms means a bit of self service is possible, and the minibar is OK.
Restaurant is untested for anything except breakfast, which is serviceable, with an adjoining cafe for sambos and caffeine fix.
Check in is painless, often with French accented staff, and the porters courteous. Taxis can be a drag sometimes but generally pretty good.
Recommended.
Ralph R.
Yelp
A great, luxurious hotel within walking distance of a hip restaurant district. Our corner room had great views of the harbor and the city skyline, to include the sky tower. The staff was as attentive as you needed them to be. They were there when you wanted them to be there, and not when you did not. There were LOTS of restaurants and shops within walking distance. We ditched our rental car the first morning after our arrival. It just was not needed as we had tours booked that picked us up at the hotel. My only wish was that WiFi were free, but we did not find more than 30 minutes of free WiFi ANYWHERE in NZ, even at Starbucks :-(. Still, I give this hotel 5 stars.
Fatty A.
Yelp
Nice hotel for fatties. It's located in the area similar to the fisherman's wharf with no crowds. Auckland seems very slow compared to other cities. Recommend just staying here for a night and leave auckland asap.
Stephen B.
Yelp
Excellent hotel. Great location very conveniently situated close to waterfront and lots of restaurants.
Athena H.
Yelp
Had afternoon tea there, delicate and delicious,worth the price, not to mention the harbour view, me and my friends are actually quite full after that, great experience there
Chelsea R.
Yelp
Forced valet and a pretty lobby doesn't make you a luxury hotel. We booked this hotel for a Monday night while traveling through the North Island. We were looking forward to a luxury hotel stay to break up the long drive from Northland to Coromandel but unfortunately that's not what we got. Upon arriving we had a very hard time making it to the front entry as there was a lot of construction around the area, which is not the hotels fault. Upon driving up to the front we noted there was no self parking entrance. Immediately the valet approached our car and it was apparent he was not pleased we wanted to self park. This was apparently not an option; you had to valet for overnight stays at a rate of $45NZD/night. We weren't going to lose any sleep over this amount but it still was off putting to be forced into a fee that we were not made aware of during booking. Upon checking in the lobby is beautiful and the hotel is right on the harbor so we were very excited to get checked in. After waiting about 20 minutes for out room to be ready we get our key and head up. We walk into our room that we paid $475NZD/night for (not including the additional $45 parking) and boy were we disappointed!!! It was like we got stuck in the reject, left over room. It was a handicap accessible room so it was just off in general (like the shower didn't have a door it was just a level tile floor within the whole bathroom with a curtain, meaning water splashed everywhere when showering. The worst though was the location/view. We were in room 436 which had a view of the bus parking lot. Not only was it unsightly but it was LOUD! I was woken up before 7 am the next morning by the sounds of loud bus engines. We wanted to check out the indoor swimming pool but when we tried to go in there were staff all over the place and it felt uncomfortable and loud; not what we were expecting. I am truly disappointed by Sofitel. I was expecting a lot more. I would strongly advise against this hotel.
Rob K.
Yelp
One of the best 5-star hotels in Auckland, although slightly out of the way for the business traveller. Lovely fittings, water features and excellent service!
Joanne W.
Yelp
After our cruise ended up in Auckland, we stayed at the Sofitel which was convenient to the port. We always stay in Marriotts because of our platinum status but since there isn't one in Auckland, we thought we'd give this a try. Well, it was the BEST hotel experience ever (and I've spent many, many nights in hotels traveling for business and pleasure).
The room was divine, the bedding was incredibly comfortable, the service was impeccable, the amenities were unbelievable. There was a high-end espresso maker in the room that you would expect to see in a restaurant, not a hotel room. A tea pot and a beautiful selection of teas was also available. The internet was free and very fast. The shower head was the huge rain shower type. They brought us a few chocolate truffles for our anniversary. The bathtub was beautiful. The safe fit my 15" laptop and camera case. The location was great.
We checked out at noon but our flight wasn't until midnight. They stored our bags, gave us a pass to the gym if we wanted to shower, they continued our free internet for another 15 hours and arranged for our shuttle that evening. They treated us just as well after we checked out as they did while we stayed there.
I LOVE this hotel and hope to stay in many more of them as we travel.
Emmanuel A.
Yelp
Probably the classiest hotel I've been in. Great room modern facilities, pretty comfortable vibe. We arrived pretty late and service was as if we arrived in the day, friendly. Beautiful rooms and a great location. Great concierge team. Cafe down stairs does a great pastrami sandwich! I would definitely come back!
Meghan B.
Yelp
In a country full of small motels and cozy B&Bs, we found the Sofitel to be a unique experience in New Zealand. We checked into the Sofitel after a 20 hour trip from Los Angeles and were delighted by the beautiful and serene decor, top-notch customer service and the waterfront location. The hotel is in close proximity to restaurants, stores and the Sky Tower, making it quite easy to explore the city by foot. We would be delighted to stay here again!
Nicolas M.
Yelp
Beautiful hotel, equiped with stylish viaduct/dock view rooms; unfortunatley plagued with clumsy inefficent staff. Pretentiuos youngsters, too concerned witht their refined accents yet poorly trained to deliver proper, direct service. Everything is a complication, from getting lunch to sostainable internet access. One has to call 4/5 times to obtain a code that inevitably drops limiting data capacity and access thru several phones or ipads. Sadly a beautiful locale ruined by inexperienced, stuck up personell. No common sense in deliverying basic common services. From breakfast to dinner, to the complexity of the bill. Arrogance has never sat well with the French, yet they insist in their 'uniqueness'.
Daniel H.
Yelp
I can't say enough about this hotel! Our flight was in early before check in and they couldn't have been more accommodating. We were shown to the spa, were allowed to freshen up, and had our room ready way ahead of schedule. The room was clean, modern, and very comfortable. Additionally the location was a great jumping off point for the local food scene.
Jeannette H.
Yelp
Loved the Sofitel during our four day stay there on a business trip.. Classy, great location.Tiny areas where they can improve though. So let me share what keeps it from being absolutely perfect.
I don't know about anyone else, but coming from USA, I was thrilled to be in Aotearoa, and not sure why the Sofitel has to let everyone know the owners are French and say "Bon Jour" instead of "Kia Ora!" I would have much, much preferred a sense of place experience, especially in the way I was greeted every day. It was sort of surreal to hear them fake French. .
Although many of the help we met there were fantastic, others really need more training. One day it took 20 minutes after ordering a cup of coffee to get it. Another time it took forever to get our bill. Maybe they just need to hire more help. The Internet doesn't seem to work as fast as one would expect. It was a business trip and after sending an email to the front desk to print via a very long number and letter email combination the hotel gave me, it took 25 minutes for the email to leave cyberspace from our room to the front desk to print it. We were all waiting and waiting.
But in the end, the Sofitel in New Zealand is very beautiful perfectly located, very clean, very good food and quite a lovely place to stay.