Stamford Plaza Auckland Hotel

To the melodies being strummed out from the huge grand piano we were escorted to our  table looking forward to our first New Zealand high tea. Previously we had been to Raffles in Sinagpore which was great but not what I would call a 'proper' high tea. The splendour of the Stamford lends it self well to providing the perfect high tea setting, the detail is perfect from the well dressed waiting staff, tunes from the piano player right through to the table linen and china.   The food was served on a three tier glass cake stand which was full of lots of delicacies for us to try from cucumber sandwiches to adorable lemon meringue tarts.  There was plenty for us all to sample.  Our tea cups were never left empty as the waiter was always on hand to top it up. What made the High Tea even more special was the whole experience left us feeling important and special, the staff had gone the extra mile.  I had mentioned on our arrival we were having a celebration for my daughters birthday and her engagement.  Much to my daughters embarrassment towards the end of our tea, the piano player changed music and played happy birthday and two waiters came to our table bearing a birthday cake and an engagement cake.  We sure felt special and what a magical memorable end to the High Tea. Top Mark

I judge a place on the first greeting I get and at this hotel I was overwhelmed with the big smile, professionalism and knowledge of my booking that I received here. Checkin is 1pm which is nice and early.. no waiting around. Checkout is 11am. The room was lovely, a tad smaller than other hotels I have been in nearby but this was more than made up for with the fabulous marble bathroom (separate shower and bath) and long hallway (No noisy yobbos in the hallways here!). We had 2 nights of bliss, bubbles and relaxation. The pillow here ( and I am very fussy) was the best Ive ever slept on. Kudos Stamford!! The king bed was very comfy too. There are numerous hotel restaurants or its a short walk to Queen Street, Viaduct harbour and several other local eateries. Fantastic central location for a stay in Auckland. They have a lot of amenities including gym, Teppenaki bar, high tea in the lobby , heated pool to keep you busy. Wanna feel like a movie star... dress up & go 5 star on your birthday too.. I highly reccommend it. (whats even better was I got the 2 nights for only $120 each thanks to a Grab One voucher).