Conde Nast Traveler’s 2021 Hot List ranks new eco-friendly Auckland hotel among the world’s best.
The Hotel Britomart has been named one of the best new hotels in the world, landing a place on Conde Nast Traveler’s prestigious 2021 Hot List.
The 25th annual edition of the Hot List picks the best of the year’s global hotel openings. The Hotel Britomart is the only New Zealand property on the list, and one of only two from Australasia.
“Can an eco-friendly hotel match the quality of a traditional luxury retreat? The Hotel Britomart – New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel – proves it can,” the magazine says.
With 99 guest rooms and five luxurious Landing Suites, The Hotel Britomart opened in October 2020 at the heart of downtown waterfront Auckland’s Britomart precinct.
The Hotel Britomart is New Zealand designed, developed and owned. It was designed by Auckland’s Cheshire Architects and developed by Cooper and Company, the team behind the rejuvenation of the Britomart neighbourhood since 2003. The Hotel Britomart project also involved the refurbishment of three adjacent heritage buildings, and the creation of a new plant-filled, pedestrian-friendly laneway connecting Galway and Customs Streets.
“We’re honoured to be on this prestigious global list and to be the only New Zealand hotel to be recognised,” says Clinton Farley, General Manager of The Hotel Britomart. “It was a huge challenge to open a hotel during a global pandemic, but we didn’t waver from our original vision and are delighted to see that vision is resonating with people.”
With an exterior clad in hand-made bricks, The Hotel Britomart’s guest rooms feature natural timber finishes, the works of local ceramic artists, organic cotton sheets, locally made skincare products and a selection of New Zealand books. Downstairs, the all-day restaurant kingi celebrates chef Tom Hishon’s focus on sustainable seafood.
In a New Zealand first, the hotel was designed and built to 5 Green Star standards established by the NZ Green Building Council. This required focus on the sustainable credentials of everything from paint finishes to taps and light fixtures. 80% of construction waste was recycled, and the hotel’s annual carbon emissions are expected to the 50% lower than a building designed to the minimum standards of the New Zealand building code.
One thing that wasn’t anticipated when the hotel was under construction was the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed opening by two months.
“Obviously, we’ve had some quiet weeks, but the hotel was always designed as a long-term proposition. The last six months have really allowed us to fine-tune the hotel operations, and the strong bookings we’ve seen in the last month or so have been very encouraging. We feel we’re really well-positioned to welcome travellers as borders continue to reopen,” Farley says.
