Travelodge Hotel Auckland Wynyard Quarter

What floats your boat? A rock star lifestyle without the hefty price tag. TFE Hotels' new 'heavy metal (precast concrete and glass)' superstar, Travelodge Hotel Auckland Wynyard Quarter, which opened on 30 October, takes centre stage in Auckland's up-and-coming, industrial-chic waterfront precinct.

A guaranteed crowd pleaser in a million-dollar location. Big on style, but even bigger on heart, thanks to its refreshingly simple customer service philosophy, delivering 'more of what you want, minus the unnecessary extras'.

Think Bohemian Rhapsody meets The Great Gatsby. Hip and happening, without a skerrick of pretension, footsteps from the city's buzzing ASB Waterfront Theatre; head-turning superyachts; Auckland's working fish market; Zen Silo Park, complete with interactive playscapes and open air 'silo' cinema screens; North Wharf's funky cafes, breweries and bars; and even the fussiest gourmand's A-Z of sumptuously eclectic restaurants at every turn.

Not forgetting the win-win of booking a trendsetting hotel at a mid-level price point, just a stone's throw from where the world's yachting elite will descend, starting December, to contest events in the lead-up to the 36th showdown of the America's Cup (March 2021). The same year Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) celebrates its 150th anniversary with a full calendar of celebratory events, kicking off from 3 October.

A fact not lost on proud Aucklander and Travelodge Wynyard Quarter Hotel General Manager Nick Mannion.

Emirates Team New Zealand HQ - signposted by two striking 75ft foiling monohulls, aka AC75s, built to contest 'the Auld Mug' (currently held by RNZYS) - is located on the same street as Travelodge Wynyard Quarter, taking over the former Viaduct Events Centre at the end of Halsey Street.

Nick predicts a different kind of race once words gets out about the hotel's superstar location. Namely, the rush to book the property's stellar 'Marina View' corner rooms, promising a value-for-money vantage point to watch the towering AC75s in action, come race time. All against the iconic backdrop of volcanic Rangitoto Island, rising 260m over the Hauraki Gulf.

Unobstructed views - also stretching east to Auckland CBD's skyline, punctuated by the city's Sky Tower landmark - are just the start of Travelodge Wynyard Quarter's undeniable charm in a 'must stay' location.

In keeping with the emerging inner-city neighbourhood's industrial-chic footprint and maritime heritage, TFE Hotels' newest Travelodge property (only the second in New Zealand, tag-teaming Wellington) certainly sets the tone for ongoing development in its immediate vicinity.

Giving a nod to the precinct's industrial past, it features a sawtooth roof and stunning patchwork façade of exposed steel, glass and charcoal precast concrete panels. Internally, the hotel's cavernous, warehouse-like lobby kicks goals when it comes to delivering a dramatic sense of arrival for guests, via its double-height, 4.5m ceiling. High enough to easily accommodate goal posts in a rugby-mad nation.

In another unexpected twist, Travelodge Wynyard Quarter's L-shape design cleverly forms a sleeve around a new, seven-storey car park (which the hotel's rooms look out and away from). Surprisingly, an addition that adds value to the streetscape's vibe, well beyond its core function and streamlined 'park and check-in' service for guests.

For TFE Hotels Executive Development Manager, Michael Herman, Travelodge Wynyard Quarter ticks all the boxes and more, as a hotel that offers something for everyone - from families to business travellers.