Hotel Grand Chancellor Auckland has officially opened its doors, welcoming guests to experience the newly built 191 guest rooms, Forester Bar & Grill signature dining, and Nine Birds Café.
Located at 80 Wellesley St West, downtown Auckland, directly across from the soon-to-open New Zealand International Convention Centre, the 4.5-star Hotel Grand Chancellor reflects Auckland’s growth as a key international visitor destination.
Hotel Grand Chancellor Area General Manager, Steve Martin, says: “The investment of the Hotel Grand Chancellor brand in the New Zealand market is a testament to its commitment to providing exceptional hospitality experiences. The Auckland hotel is the first new build for the group and we’re thrilled to open the doors and welcome guests to this unique and thoughtfully designed property”.
Design Narratives
The hotel features design narratives that provide guests with a rich sense of place. On arrival, guests are surrounded by native indigenous flora as they enter a cobbled laneway from Wellesley Street. Biophilia throughout the laneway pulls you into the site, greeting you with a lush living wall and a trellis of verdant greenery climbing 11-storeys high from the central garden courtyard. The choice of flora brings New Zealand’s great outdoors to guests’ front doorstops, whilst also reflecting the site’s connection to its historic forest setting and its proximity to the harbour.
The 191 guest rooms are each crafted to mix modern style and classic elegance, highlighting the urban setting and harbour views. Guests will enjoy air conditioning, flat-screen TVs with casting capabilities, and complimentary Wi-Fi as standard conveniences. Luxurious local Antipodes amenities will delight guests in the Superior and Atrium rooms, whilst guests in the Deluxe rooms and the King Suite will enjoy the renowned high-end O&M range of skincare and haircare.
The site also boasts over 600sqm of public artworks, designed in collaboration with Ignite Architects and artist Carin Wilson. The southern façade of the hotel features a 9-storey mural, etched into the precast panels. The design conceals nine native birds hidden within the forest landscape and further enhances the site’s forest connection.
The laneway soffit features a map of the Southern Hemisphere constellations as perforated diamond cut-outs that glow from behind, bisected by a bold linear central light that acts as an offset Southern Cross. The laneway is the first point of arrival and aims to connect visitors to New Zealand staying at the hotel to the local stories of the journey early settlers took to get to our shores, with navigating via the stars playing a central role in this story.
The chain link screen design in the courtyard, references the rhythmic movement of the piupiu, the costume usually associated with and worn in performance of traditional cultural forms. The relationship between performance and welcome is widespread in Māori culture.
Food & Beverage
The hotel’s signature 80-seater restaurant Forester Bar & Grill, is located on level one of the hotel, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that provide an elevated vantage point and a calm retreat from the hustle and bustle of the street below.With long-standing Grand Chancellor Executive Chef Chris Eickhoff at the helm, Forester offers an approachable, premium produce-led menu, serving guests indulgent buffet breakfasts and à la carte dinner options throughout the week.
The dinner menu features a familiarity of flavours with a focus on prime cuts of meat cooked on the grill and fresh fish sustainably sourced from local waters. Hero dishes include a 220-gram NZ Angus Prime Beef Eye Fillet, chargrilled on open flames, accompanied by a vibrant green herb salsa Verde, a creamy succulent tarragon bearnaise and freshly cooked hand-cut agria fries; and the 180-gram Yellowfin Tuna Loin Steak, aged to develop umami flavours, then cooked on the grill to medium rare and served on a colourful salad of heirloom tomato, cucumber, mint, olives and lemon, finished with balsamic and vibrant wild rocket.
Tucked away off the side of Forester you will find The Glade. An intimate space for up to 20 people for private dining or events. With floor to ceiling windows and warm wood panelling, this is the ideal space for celebrating a special occasion or a gathering of friends.
Nestled on the ground floor, Nine Birds café provides an ideal spot to relax and enjoy a coffee, or grab a tasty takeaway and head out to explore. The menu consists of all the crowd favourites including a superb selection of sandwiches, pies, pastries and sweet treats.
Hotel Facilities
The hotel also features a private Meeting Room for up to 16 delegates, alongside a pre-function area adjoining the bar. The spacious and fully equipped Fitness Centre on the top floor flaunts some of the best views in the building, while providing guests with the latest state-of-the-art equipment to complement their workouts.
Discover a mix of the familiar and the unexpected at Hotel Grand Chancellor Auckland, where guests are invited to experience the best of the city while enjoying the warm, approachable hospitality for which Grand Chancellor Hotels are known.
