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Art, views and street-map carpets: inside Auckland's most creative new hotel

Prepare to be blown away by one-of-a-kind touches.

Hotel Indigo Auckland.

By Akash Arora

May 6, 2025

There are 169 Indigo hotels around the world, but no two are the same. And the group's debut in New Zealand - the just-opened Hotel Indigo Auckland - is a testament to its penchant for creating truly unique digs. Prepare to be blown away by one-of-a-kind touches from the moment you arrive. In the lobby, you'll find striking artworks, eye-catching splashes of colour and sculptural pendants curated by Australian designer Simone Haag.

Hotel Indigo Auckland.

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Upstairs - across the 25 accommodation floors with 255 rooms - local photographer Stuart Robertson's works highlighting different parts and vignettes of Auckland take centre stage. Inside the guestrooms, carpets depict the street maps of the city and mini-bars are loaded with local treats. But you may not notice them at first; the hotel is housed in a 41-storey building, with many rooms offering skyline and water views. Even if you're not staying there, you can get a taste for the hotel at Bistro Saine, which does a fine trade in French-inspired fare. ihg.com

Words byAkash Arora

Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.

My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.

Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.

My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.