This is an amazing place to stay at a very reasonable price. It is near downtown Auckland and close…read moreto a shopping mall area. It was also near many different food options and on Boxing Day some were still open. The hotel was very clean for the most part except the table in the room. It was like an office table that had dust and a few larger crumbs or something. The beds were super comfortable and the bedding was great. The bathroom was very large and even had towel warmers!!! How amazing is that I've never seen that and I've stayed in quite a few resorts all over the world. The room service was free because I notified them of the moths in the room. There was one on the bed and found two more that night. I'm not sure where they come from. As you can see in the picture, the refrigerator is tiny and so was the area to make coffee or tea. If it wasn't for the very few negatives I would have given 5 stars. It is a true gem with amazing prices! Staff was helpful and nice.

We attended a wedding over the weekend and the venue was really nice; especially with the backdrop…read moreof the Panmure Basin providing a panoramic view. The service was professional and friendly, and the afternoon went along without any hitches. There was also security patrolling the internal and external environs as well. It was a surprisingly awesome experience.

Delicious food and a great atmosphere. Friendly wait staff and efficient service too…read more one of the best restaurants I've been to in a long time.

From the owner: Kiwi Kiss Restaurant will provide you with a unique dining experience in our intimate cosy…read morehideaway. We specialize in mouth watering entree's, mains and Kiwi Kiss desserts. An outstanding beverage menu including our very own Kiwi Koffee and to complete your evening spend sometime in our Lounge Intimate an experience not to be missed.

Even though the Stardome is now named after a benefactor (can't be helped I guess), it is still as…read morecool as it ever was. The staff don't mind if you just wander in and have a look around and the foyer alone has enough to amuse the kiddies for at least half an hour, probably longer. During the school holidays they run all kinds of fun stuff and if you haven't been before, it's unlike anything else you can do around the town. You absolutely have to be organised and book in advance and maybe the movie is a bit dated, but it's fascinating and presented in a way that makes astronomy accessible to everyone - even 3 year olds. There's an arty crafty session where the kids get to make their own (artistically questionable) souvenir but the highlight is that the film is shown Cinema 180 style on the ceiling. A bit hard on the neck but SO worth it. You can hire the Stardome for functions but when I looked into booking it for an event, I ran in to the problem of how to keep kids from playing unsupervised in the lobby so that's something to consider. I'm ashamed to say I have never been here in the evening and actually looked through that giant telescope at the night sky. I intend to do it every Winter but late nights out in Winter just don't seem to happen. This is the year.

We were thinking about what show we should pick and have chosen "The winter sky". It was just…read moreamazing, to see what stats and planets we can see with our naked eye from Auckland. At least in good weather. After the show we went outside to see the Saturn through telescopes. Not the Zeiss one, but smaller. I saw the Saturn through the telescope for the first time and it was the biggest happy moment I have had in years! You can actually see the planet and the rings! Super cool! We haven't had a chance to use the Zeiss telescope because of the weather, but we are definitely going to do this next time.

Well at least it's not called Ericsson Stadium anymore. Of course now it's "home of The Warriors"…read more I don't really care too much for sport but have been here many times over the years for concerts, including of course the now sadly defunct Big Day Out. We loved to hate The Supertop so now we miss those sweaty times in The Boiler Room, never to be had again. My brother actually used to work here as the groundsman so had his 21st birthday party in the function rooms. Fun times. I came here during high school for Athletics Days. Less fun times. Still, Mt Smart Stadium is one of those places in Auckland that just ARE - and despite its generic nothing special-ness, it's a part of our city and we are fond of it. Well I am anyway.

We were at the Foo fighters last last night. First off could not get a drink and we were there 40…read moreminutes before hand. Four tills to serve a whole stand is unbelievable. The sound was terrible also and out of sync could not make out what Grohl was saying half the time. I would recommend not going to a concert here ever!. Because I live near the stadium I will try to see the warriors I hope that experience is better.

This is a beautiful venue for an important celebration maybe a 60th or 70th birthday, which is both…read moreof the events I attended at stunning Sorrento in the Park. The location is right in the middle of Cornwall park, overlooking stunning fields and gardens of elegance. As a guest at Sorrento, you are treated like royalty. First mingle in the large cocktail room with included bar for canapés and champagne before you are seated in the main dining room, overlooking stunning gardens for the main meal and entertainment. I really enjoyed the catered buffet meal, glazed ham on the bone, scotch fillet, and succulent lamb accompanied by an assortment of the freshest hot and cold salads in season, plus an array of hot delights such as grilled salmon, and oriental stir fry. The service and attention to detail is what makes Sorrento in the Park, an unforgettable experience. A gorgeous venue I agree for a wedding (they are a popular venue for weddings) as the care and attention that the staff and managers take with a celebration is to perfection.

Indoor chapel with glass overlooking pasture with actual sheep roaming around? YES…read more I attended a beautiful wedding at this venue and it was just perfect and catering was enjoyable too. The indoor chapel though a tad bit smaller looks out into the open to green green grass. The whole place is very elegant and there is plenty to see and enjoy in the park itself. I would love to host a party or celebration of some sort here.

Sylvia Park Hoyts is one of my fav movie places to meet people from all over town, because it's so…read moreconvenient to get to, either via train, bus or car as it's right next to the Southern Motorway. (and you don't need to grapple with city traffic) The staff here are always incredible, the cinemas are clean and comfy, and they have special prices if you go in the morning or on Tuesday. (think it's about $11) Their La Premiere seats are awesome too if you have a special occasion to splurge out on. I was here last Sunday when our mini earthquake hit, and the building is so strong, I honestly thought it was just the surround sound system making the seats move. haha If you want to watch a movie in a safe, clean and welcoming environment, go here!

Hoyts Sylvia Park has been my regular movie theatre for over five years now. By far the most…read moresuperior theatre in the South/East Auckland areas, its smack bang in the middle of Auckland AND the largest shopping centre in the country, making it easy to get to whereever you are in the city. While people may see this as an negative, I love that this cinema gets busy. I'm the sort of person that would rather see a movie in a full theatre that with a few people, so Sylvia always does the trick. The seats in the theatres are comfortable, there's enough leg room for a basketball player and the arm rests are movable if you're into that sort of thing. I find its always worth it to pay a little extra for the Xtreme Screen because those regular sized screen just don't cut it anymore (maybe Chris Rock was right about women not being able to back in lifestyle...). The La Premiere seats at Sylvia are great too and while its on the pricey side its a great and very comfy way to make that date or girls night out a little more special (...okay, he was right). Sylvia Park also hosts a lot of the midnight screenings for some films and those usually go off without a hitch. Do yourself a favour and book your tickets online or purchase them early from the cinema to avoid the inevitable long queue that will await you!

I love Grey Lynn for the very reason that it is so community based. And it's places like the Grey…read moreLynn Community Centre that make it such a strong community. Here they hold markets here, church services, school holiday programmes and classes. It's a beautiful building that is a pleasure to hang out in. There are lots of different rooms and spaces so there's something to suit every kind of event or group. It's really awesome that places like this still exist. I've been to a church service there and it was a really warm and comfortable place to visit. I really want to check out the farmer's market on Sunday and also the Pilates classes they hold there at 5:30 on Thursdays!

A great place to host events for different numbers of people. Whether your group is large or small…read moreGreylynn community centre will hook you up! The first time I went to the community centre was for a youth talent show. The room was perfect as it accommodated the number of attendees. The kitchen was always clean and located inside the hall we where using. This made it easier at snack time as it was just a matter of taking items from the kitchen to the table we had set up buffet style outside the kitchen. The rooms are also built in a way that makes it flexible to arrange the room the way that suits you and your event. Although there is parking on site, it is limited. Luckily there are plenty of off street parking spaces.