Auckland Accommodation

The Great Ponsonby Arthotel

A delightful small hotel bed & breakfast in Auckland. Stay in a heritage 1890’s villa restored with charm and flair providing you with quiet, peace and individuality to enrich your stay.

Your hotel is just two minutes stroll to Ponsonby’s vibrant cafés, bistros, restaurants, art and craft galleries and just five minutes by taxi to the harbourside and central Auckland.

• New Zealand owned and hosted.
• Eleven individually designed guestrooms with Pacific and New Zealand artworks.
• Tiles throughout designed by Jeannie Van der Putten and John Papas, Pacific designs sandblasted on windows by Cara Dodson. All well known local artists.
• Accommodation choices include courtyard and palm garden studios, villa rooms and upstairs penthouse suite.
• Each room has ensuite bathrooms, fluffy towels and bathrobes and coffee & tea making. Relax in comfort and indulgence.
• Leisurely breakfast in the dining room or alfresco on the balcony. Freshly prepared cooked selection from blackboard menu plus juices, fresh fruits and plunger coffee or tea choices. Delicious!
• Welcome aperitif on arrival. Airport transfers can be arranged for you.
• Library of New Zealand music CDs, books and films to enjoy.

Socialise or read in the large comfortable lounge, balconies and courtyards. Friendly dog and cat – part of the family!

Choose from:

Penthouse - Spacious, open plan sleeping, dining room and lounge. King or twin beds, leather couch. Watch the sun set over the Waitakere Range from the balcony. Private bathroom with separate shower and bath. The suitcase rack has been constructed out of the wooden kauri bathtub from our house. We bought the house from a descendent of the original owner and she was still using it. The room also has a chest of drawers from the “Shanandoa”, a luxury yacht which was refitted in the shipyards next to the Kaiser's yacht so has the same brass fittings.

Palm Garden Studio - These large and gorgeous studios are furnished with exotic Turkish carpets, leather couch, superking, or twin beds. Soak in a tub or lounge in the Palm Garden. Perfect for that special occasion. Architectually designed and built in 1999 with the exterior to resemble New Zealand colonial outbuildings which are still relatively common at the back of NZ houses.

Courtyard Studio - These quirky studios are across the courtyard from the main house. They feature superbly appointed kitchenettes, and are roomy with Leather couch. Twin, queen, king beds. Originally these were workshops and bathroom/laundry and during the 1930s depression the then owner made wooden toys in the workshop to support his family. Later in the 1950s they became illegal apartments as was common throughout Ponsonby. They remained like this until we purchased the property in 1995 and renovated them into three quirky studios. The tables and chairs and clothes racks have been crafted by a Danish furniture maker living in NZ from Rimu, a native timber.

Villa Rooms - All the villa rooms have furniture crafted by a Danish craftsman in NZ using rimu, a native timber.  All have a writing desk and private bathroom. We use eco friendly, non allergic soaps, shampoos and cleaning products.

• Downstairs - 4 downstairs rooms. Three have a French doors onto a deck with a quick exit for smokers.
• Upstairs - Can have twin beds, no deck. 

The Great Ponsonby Bed and Breakfast is a relaxing place to start or end the following tours:

* Far North

* North Island Adventure

* Ultimate Explorer

* New Zealand Contrasts

* Tall Ship Sailing

* Northern Diving Safari