[JoanneG]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a place to stay near Auckland for a family of six to chill out for a week or so and get over jet lag on our arrival.

Somewhere not too expensive but that will give a great start our new life -especially for the kids before we have to get down to the business of 'real' life.

[gil]

Near Auckland or in AKL? Do you mean a holiday-ish place or somewhere from which you can reccie etc? We stayed at the Howick Motor Lodge http://www.howickmotorlodge.co.nz/ whilst settling in and it was fine. Not wildly expensive and clean and comfy and near the village, beaches and lots to see and do.

Or how about Waiheke Island? http://www.waiheke.co.nz/

God luck,

Gil

[Cardy]

Hi There we stayed right on the beach fronyt at orewa (5 of us) it was a great base for interviews etc:D

[Jon&Candy]

I'd definitely reccomend The Spencer on Byron Hotel. It's in Takapuna, about 10 minutes walk from the beach, and you'll have great views wherever your room is. Our room was a junior suite with a bedroom, lounge / kitchen and bathroom, but quite reasonably priced.

It's ranked the number one hotel in Auckland by Trip Advisor.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g255106-d256958-Reviews-The_Spencer_on_Byron_Hotel-Auckland_North_Island.html

Takapuna's a great place - it's got loads of restaurants and nice shops, and it's quiet enough that you can avoid the madness of the CBD. A 15 minute drive to Devonport will allow you to get the ferry to the CBD if you desire.

One thing I would definitely advise is to avoid staying near the airport. The hotels there are generally very poor and there isn't much to do nearby.

[Tia Maria]

When will you be coming? At certain times of the year you can get very good deals.

We stayed in the Spencer for a while, while trying to look for a rental, it really was a lovely place to stay but could be a bit pricey for 6 unless you managed to get yourself a deal (we did, by simply phoning the hotel and having a chat! :) ).

If the price is right its a very easy place to stay on the North Shore, as you are near lots of shops/cafes/Takapuna beach and the mini kitchen is well equipped for a hotel one. The children loved the fact we got a chocolate on the pillow every night and my OH managed to job hunt from there as you can use internet/fax etc. The staff were really helpful.

We haven't stayed here, but its pretty popular and just down the road from the Spencer:

www.takapunabeach.kiwiholidayparks.com

A great site to check out is:

www.wotif.com

They normally have some great lastminute deals, but its also just a handy place to find out what's available. Also if you do find something you like on there, then send an email off directly, I've always found that the hotel/motel nearly always matches or beats the Wotif price! :nice1

Cheers

Tia

[andrewandjane]

would have to agree with waiheke island as a good chillout destination, rent a place for a week, enjoy the beaches and chilled out atmosphere, best of all its only a 35 minute ferry ride into Auckland CBD..