The Intrepid Hotel review, Wellington, New Zealand: Right where you want to be

Heritage and quirk meet and marry at this 18-room hotel and the union is a successful one.Credit: Charlie Wickbom

CHECK-IN

The owner-designers of this boutique luxury hotel which opened last year had one mission: to create a place they would want to stay in. So there's style, bags of it; and comfort – just try leaving that lounge when you've settled in with a drink; plus there's location, smack bang in the centre of this hip, beautiful and eminently walkable city. The Intrepid is a stroll to the best restaurants, bars and funky shops of Cuba Street and the myriad eat streets and laneways that run off it, and just an eight-minute walk to the Waterfront. But while convenience can be king, the Intrepid is all about the extra gesture. The paper bag with warm croissants, butter and orange juice left, gratis, at your door each morning. The communal sideboard with on-tap sparkling and filtered water. The noon check-out and free Wi-Fi. And the chocolate marshmallow Pinky bar left on your bed each night.

THE LOOK

The industrial-chic room has dark tones with splashes of colour yet manages to be light and airy. Credit: Charlie Wickbom

Heritage and quirk meet and marry at this 18-room hotel and the union is a successful one. A doorman stands outside the 1909 exterior of this one-time Cadbury's building, giving it the look of a welcoming nightclub. Inside is a sitting area with dark walls and drapes, leather lounges, brasserie-type chairs and tables, velvet cushions, red underlights. Back-lit stuffed animals pop, as does a faceless portrait of a long-robed woman. To the left is the small but helpful reception with that quirk again: more taxidermy, barber accessories, fun cups and caps and heritage knick-knacks for sale. Head down a corridor with a pressed metal ceiling and patterned walls towards the on-site Puffin Bar and use the electronic disc on your key ring to enter the small lift to your room.

THE ROOM

Exit from your lift portal to a shared landing. It's here that you can fill your room jug or water bottle with your on-tap water of choice. In the mornings, help yourself to a flask of freshly-made coffee (no pods or complicated machines to deal with). Boiling water, teas and a bottle of milk in a cute fridge on the sideboard are available all day. An art deco trolley completes the picture with daily papers, flowers and hand sanitiser. I enter my Mighty room with a key - no swipe card - to find it lives up to its name, with high ceilings and serious room to move. To my right is an open wardrobe, a luggage rack, iron and board. On a shelf is crockery, a bottle opener, chips, popcorn and nuts (again, gratis). A bar fridge offers soft drinks and there's a vanity with a full-length mirror. Further along is a room with toilet and sink; then a bathroom with a shower and high-lit vanity, and finally the main event - a bedroom/sitting area, with coffee table, lounge, king bed and digital wall TV. The industrial-chic room has dark tones with splashes of colour yet manages to be light and airy. Opening block-out curtains reveals a view of busy Ghuznee Street and a park. There are comfy robes, the room is quiet, the bed and air-conditioning very comfortable.

FOOD + DRINK

It's mid-winter, borders have just re-opened yet the streets and most restaurants are bustling. Head just up the road to Noble Rot Wine Bar (noblerot.co.nz). At this specialist bar with the ugly name (noble rot is a beneficial wine grape fungus) sample wines by the glass - or even half glass - chosen by talented sommeliers and pair them with tasting plates. Next on the don't-miss list is the new Liberty (libertyrestaurant.co.nz) on Cuba Street which offers a wild mix of cuisines from Korean Fried Chicken to Te Matuku oysters. But this is NZ and the lamb is exceptional. Nearby Middle Eastern Kisa (kisarestaurant.co.nz) is also a new kid on the block. Here you'll find fresh-baked flatbreads and jam-packed Turkish flavours. An eight-minute walk will land you at Field & Green (fieldandgreen.co.nz), specialising in European soul food. Sit at a snug table or drape yourself on a kitchen bench to watch the chefs at work. The roast bone marrow entree was excellent but the brunch menu, including a fish finger sandwich, intrigues. For brekkie, if the Intrepid's huge croissants are a mere appetiser, try Loretta's home-made crumpets on Cuba Street (loretta.net.nz) or August Eatery on Taranaki Street (augusteatery.co.nz)for Mediterranean dishes such as tsoureki French toast. Nightcap? Trip downstairs to the popular plush Puffin Bar, which favours organic wines and mean cocktails in a salon setting.

OUT + ABOUT

Take an eight-minute walk to the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum (free entry) which houses soaring art, culture and science exhibits. Take a tour or linger at the te iwi taketake (first peoples) exhibits. Here the sheer beauty of a hand-made canoe leaves me moved. Up the road is the City Gallery, with the Ronnie van Hout sculpture of a walking hand perched on top of it. Artist Emily Karaka's work depicting the events in the city during COVID-19 is striking. It is part of "Matarau", an exhibition of contemporary Maori works on until August 14. Keen to see non-human Kiwis? We spot two on a night-tour of Zealandia, a magical 225-hectare eco-zone on the outskirts of the city. We also spot glowworms and the once elusive kaka parrot which Zealandia has helped bring back from near extinction since it opened in 2020, thanks to its 1.8 metre anti-predator fence. Have kids to entertain? Get them to work making chocolate at the Wellington Chocolate Factory, where you are shown not only how to temper and flavour your own bars, you also get to wrap them and take them home. And to fully appreciate this windy city, take a 15-minute walk from the Intrepid to Lambton Quay, jump on a cable car and take it up the hill to the Wellington Botanic Garden.

THE ESSENTIALS

Rooms from $NZ235 ($212) a night. The Intrepid Hotel, 60 Ghuznee Street, Wellington. See theintrepidhotel.com

THE VERDICT

From the warm and helpful service at reception to the funky comfort of its bar and lounge to its great location: this hotel offers style and substance.

OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE

★★★★★

HIGHLIGHT

The location. You are right where you want to be

LOWLIGHT

Water from the shower tends to pool on the bathroom floor

Jane Richards stayed at The Intrepid as a guest of WellingtonNZ. See wellingtonnz.com