First luxury hotel unveiled for Auckland's hip Britomart precinct

The Britomart neighbourhood is one of Auckland's hippest urban enclaves and is now set to get its first upscale lifestyle hotel. 

The vision of Cooper and Company, who first developed the precinct, The Hotel Britomart will be managed by international hoteliers TFE Hotels.

Construction began this week on the building which will see guests will step off a cobbled laneway into a café-style lobby space. 

The hotel will have 99 rooms and five suites offering what the developers say will be "some of the city's most refined accommodation". Three of the suites will boast outdoor sky gardens.

Britomart is a precinct known for charming renovated dockside warehouses, sleek new architectural buildings, laneways with lively bars and a sunny square lined with restaurants and boutiques. 

The precinct sits above Auckland's busiest public transport hub.

TFE Hotels, headquartered in Sydney, has been appointed as operator and manager of the hotel under the TFE Collections brand. 

TFE Hotels chairman Allan Vidor said the hotel was perfectly placed in New Zealand's biggest city and marked an expansion for TFE Hotels across the country.

“Britomart is New Zealand's most sought-after premium lifestyle precinct – all that has been missing is a sophisticated top-tier hotel,” Vidor said. “This development, created by the team that created Britomart itself, completes the picture. Its welcoming interiors and warm service offering will allow guests to feel a deep sense of connection, both within the hotel spaces, and also to this special precinct.”

In addition to the lobby, The Hotel Britomart's ground floor will be occupied by retail outlets and food and beverage offerings. 

The new hotel will be separated from the adjacent heritage buildings by a laneway that will lead to the hotel's main entrance and also form a new connection with Customs Street through the Masonic Building. 

Bookings will open in late 2019 for opening in early 2020.